Eligibility
Are you eligible to apply to the Rice Business Plan Competition? Let's see!
You are initially eligible if your startup:
- is student-driven, student-created and/or student-managed
- has at least two current student founders or management team members, and at least one of those students is a current graduate degree-seeking student
- are from a college or university anywhere in the world
- has not raised more than $250,000 in equity capital prior to July 1, 2020
- is seeking funding or capital (or will be in the next 12 months)
- is a potentially viable investment opportunity
If you can answer all those questions with "Yes," then your startup appears eligible! Please read the full details on eligibility and what we will be looking for an application—it's only a few pages.
Applications open October 12, 2020 through Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 11:59 PM CST (extended deadline).
2021 Competitors
2021 Competition Sectors
Energy, Cleantech and Sustainability
(including but not limited to): Agriculture/Agtech, Batteries and Storage, Decarbonization/Climate Tech, Energy Infrastructure, Oil & Gas Technologies, Renewable/Alternative Energy, Recycling, New and Non-Carbon Fuels, Transportation/Electric Vehicles, Water
Hard Tech
(including but not limited to): Advanced Manufacturing, Advanced Materials, Aerospace/Spacetech, AR & VR (Augmented & virtual reality), Autonomous Vehicles, Drones, Machine Learning and AI (Artificial Intelligence), Quantum Computing, Robotics, Smart Sensors
Life Sciences and Healthcare Solutions
(including but not limited to): Biotech, Diagnostics, Digital Health, Disease Management, Public Health, Medical Devices, Personalized Medicine, Pharma, Prevention, Therapeutics
Digital Enterprise
(including but not limited to): Big Data, Blockchain, Cloud & Edge Computing, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Internet of Things, Media & Advertising, SaaS, Supply Chain/Logistics, Workforce
Consumer Products and Services
(including but not limited to): Analytics, Consumer Web, Education/EdTech, Gaming, Information Security, Mobile, Personal Devices, Social Impact, Subscription Services, Wearables
Important Dates for #RBPC21
| Date | Event or Deadline |
|---|---|
| Monday, October 12 |
8:00 AM CST - Applications for #RBPC21 open online |
| Sunday, February 7 |
11:59 PM CST - Extended deadline to submit applications |
| Friday, February 26th |
10:00 AM CST - 42 teams invited to participate on Rice Alliance social media channels, emails and phone calls |
| Wednesday, March 3 |
5:00 PM CST - Invited teams confirm commitment to compete via written confirmation on application and last day to withdraw without penalty |