Rice University Hosts the world's largest and most well-funded student startup competition
Houston, April 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ice cream company Protein Pint is launching a new product in 2024. US Business Plan Competition (RBPC) April 6 Outstanding student ventures from top universities around the world competed for the awards in front of approximately 350 angel investors, venture capitalists, corporate investors and members of the business community.
The 2024 Rice University Business Plan Competition pitted outstanding student ventures from top universities around the world against each other.
“The love and support I received during my time at Rice University, and the relationships and friends I made, will be something that not only I, but every student here will never forget,” Protein Pint founder and CEO Paul Rice said in his acceptance speech.
It is hosted annually Rice University Technology and Entrepreneurship Coalition and Rice University Jones Graduate School of BusinessRBPC is the world's largest and most lucrative student startup competition.
RBPC offers a hands-on opportunity to learn what it takes to run a successful new business. In addition to significant cash, investment and in-kind prizes, the competition features mentorship from investors and experienced entrepreneurs. RBPC alumni have raised over $1 million to date. $6.1 billion Of the 288 companies with capital, 288 are either continuing in business or have successfully exited the business.
The winners were announced at the end of three days of pitching, mentoring and networking events, which included an elevator pitch competition, practice rounds, semi-finals, wild card and final rounds. In total, over 80 awards were presented during the awards ceremony. $1.5 million With investments and non-dilutive prize money, every team took home cash.
“We will award the contestants $ 1,000,000 “The prize money will serve as seed capital to launch the startups,” the RBPC director said. Catherine Santamaria Welcome speech at the awards ceremony April 6.
“While the prizes are numerous, the biggest thing startups get out of this venue is the generosity and sense of community that is always ready to back founders and support our vision for the competition by investing time, money and resources in our student innovators.”
The 42 startups came from 35 universities across four countries. They were selected from over 450 applicants and competed in five categories: Energy, Clean Tech, Sustainability, Life Sciences & Healthcare Solutions, Consumer Products & Services, Hard Tech, and Digital Enterprise. See all the startups here here.
The seven finalists, based on the judges' overall scores, are:
Protein Pint, Michigan State University — 1st place and $150,000 GOOSE Capital Investment Award.
- Protein Pints are a high-protein, low-sugar ice cream product designed for functional ice cream and those looking for a tastier, more enjoyable protein option.
Somnea, Johns Hopkins University — 2nd place and $100,000 Investment Awards, Sponsorships David Anderson, John FingerAnderson Family Fund, Finger Interest, Greg Novak and Tracey Druce.
- Somnair is a new non-invasive neurostimulation device for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.
Power2Polymers, RWTH Aachen University — 3rd place and $50,000 Rice University The investment was provided by the Rice University Technology Entrepreneurship Alliance and sponsored by Finger Interest and the Anderson Family Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation. Greg Novak and Tracey Druce.
- Power2Polymers is addressing the pressing issue of “forever chemicals,” which are linked to over 6.5 million deaths in the U.S. alone, by providing safe alternatives that do not contain forever chemicals.
Informa, Tulane University — 4th place and $5,000 Prizes and sponsors Norton Rose Fulbright.
- Infomuta's proprietary technology uses DNA sequence analysis to predict whether bacteria will respond to different antibiotics or, for the first time, whether they will develop resistance in the future, causing treatment to fail.
Icorium Engineering Company University of Kansas — 5th place and $5,000 The awards are sponsored by EY.
- Icorium Engineering Company is a chemical engineering startup. University of Kansas A spin-out company developing technologies to enable a sustainable circular economy for refrigerants and other complex chemical mixtures.
EndoShunt Medical, Harvard University — 6th place and $5,000 The award is sponsored by Chevron Technology Ventures.
- EndoShunt transforms trauma surgery with rapid, targeted blood flow control.
D. Saul, Carnegie Mellon University — 7th place and $5,000 The awards are sponsored by Shell Ventures.
- D. Sole is developing remote patient monitoring in podiatry using foot insoles designed for early detection and monitoring of diabetic foot complications such as ulcers and deformities.
Startups ranked 4th to 7th were awarded additional investment prizes. $25,000 Each is provided by the Rice Alliance, David Anderson, John FingerAnderson Family Fund, Finger Interest, Greg Novak and Tracey DruceThe total prize money for the finalists is $30,000.
other Important Awards This year's winning teams are:
- $200,000 Goose Capital Investment Award – Osfim, RWTH Aachen University
- $250,000 OWL Investment Award — MesaQuantum, Harvard University
- $100,000 OWL Investment Award — Icorium Engineering Company, University of Kansas
- $100,000 Houston Angel Network Investment Award — Somnair, Johns Hopkins University
- $100,000 Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Texas Angels Investment Award — Protein Pint, Michigan State University
- $60,000 nCourage Courageous Women Entrepreneurial Investment Award — MesaQuantum; Harvard University
- $40,000 nCourage Brave Women Entrepreneur Investment Award — Icorium Engineering Company; University of Kansas
- $40,000 Pearland EDC Entrepreneurship Prize Gold Award — Infomuta, Tulane University
- $25,000 New Climate Ventures Sustainable Investment Award — Oxyrus Energy; Yale University
- $25,000 Dream Big Ventures Latino Entrepreneur Investment Award – Dendritic Health AI, Northwestern University
- $25,000 NOV Energy Innovation Prize Gold Winner — LiQuidium, University of Houston
- $25,000 Urban Capital Network Diversity Investment Awards and South Loop Venture Investment Awards Partnership — Touchstone; University of California, Berkeley
- $25,000 Southwest National Pediatric Device Consortium Pediatric Device Award Gold Award — EndoShunt Medical; Harvard University
- $25,000 Jacobs, Intuitive Machines, WRX Companies Rising Stars Space Technology and Commercial Aerospace Award Gold Award — MesaQuantum, Harvard University
For more information about the 2024 Rice Business Plan Competition, click here. Rice University.
About rice
Located on a 300 acre wooded campus, Houston, Rice University Rice University is consistently ranked among the top 20 universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. It has highly acclaimed schools of architecture, business, lifelong learning, engineering, humanities, music, natural sciences, and social sciences, and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 4,574 undergraduates and 3,982 graduate students, Rice has an undergraduate to faculty ratio of less than 6:1. The residential college system fosters close-knit community and lifelong friendships. This is one of the reasons why Rice is ranked #1 for race/class interaction, #2 for best-run universities, and #12 for quality of life by Princeton Review. Rice is rated as the best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
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