Student Venture Open @WBT
For 3 years, the WBT has hosted graduate-level business plan competitions as part of University Square at the WBT Innovation Marketplace. Student Venture Open contestants and judges receive a full conference pass and access to all WBT activities.
WBT would like to partner with an organization or individual interested in serving as Director of the 2012 Student Venture Open. The Director is responsible for organizing the competition, recruiting teams, and raising sponsorships/prizes. Ideally, this candidate should be affiliated with a university and have prior experience as a faculty advisor or organizer of collegiate business plan competitions.
Please contact Amanda Radovic if you are interested in coordinating this year's competition.
Read more about the 2010 Competition
Read more about the 2009 Competition
About the Competition
The Student Venture Open encourages MBA and graduate entrepreneurship students to commercialize technologies developed at their universities and to facilitate the resulting new ventures obtaining funding.
This Competition differs from other business plan competitions in several important ways:
- The basis for the new ventures must be a technology developed at a university.
- The teams presenting will be committed to launching their ventures.
- Each team will be required to include at least one graduate student.
- Universities from across the United States will be invited to send teams.
The winner will receive an invitation to the Venture Labs Investment Competition (formerly MOOT CORP) in Austin, Texas.
The Student Venture Open is part of the University Square@WBT offering many advantages:
- Investors focusing on university technology commercialization will be in attendance and are likely to observe the Competition.
- Some of these investors will be judges for the Competition.
- Competitors get a complimentary 2-day pass to the WBT2011.
All members of the competing teams must be enrolled students at their respective universities, and at least one of the students on each team must be a graduate student. The basis for the new ventures must be technologies developed at the participating universities, either by students or faculty. Ideally, each team will be accompanied by a faculty adviser and a representative of the university’s office of technology commercialization.
2011 WBT Student Venture Open Schedule
- Day 1 Elevator Pitch Competition Student teams will quick-pitch their technologies during the evening registration reception.
- Day 2 Opening Round All teams will present during the morning of Day 2 in divisions of four teams each. The winner of each division will be announced that afternoon, and will advance to the finals. Student teams receive a full pass to the WBT Innovation Marketplace and are encouraged to visit the exhibit hall and attend the presentations during the afternoon. Competitors are also invited to attend the WBT Opening Reception on Tuesday evening.
- Day 3 Finals The finalists will compete in front of a different panel of judges during the morning of Day 3. The winners will be announced later that morning at the WBT luncheon.
- Prizes: The 2010 winner received a cash award of $8,000 and an invitation to the world renowned Global MOOT CORP® Competition at The University of Texas at Austin in May. The first runner-up received $1,000. The 2012 sponsors and prizes are being confirmed.
Teams may make lodging arrangements at the WBT conference hotel. Click here for hotel information.
For more information, contact Amanda Radovic.
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Student Venture Open Sponsorships
Title sponsorship for the Open is $15,000. Sponsorships are also available for $5,000. All include these benefits:
- One complimentary booth space near the WBT Student Venture Open competition stage
- Your logo with link on WBT homepage
- 25-word profile on the WBT website
- Two (2) complimentary WBT Innovation Marketplace event registrations
- 25-word profile and logo in the sponsor section of the program book
- 1/2-page, color advertisement in the program book
- Your marketing materials distributed at the registration area
Contact Amanda Radovic for information.
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