Eligibility Criteria
Open to:
- all students—undergraduate or graduate—currently enrolled in two- or four-year degree granting programs at accredited not-for-profit colleges or universities located in the United States,
- recent college graduates, as of December 31, 2022, in the United States.
- All ventures must have at least two and no more than six team members.
- The Team Leader serves as the main contact for the team and must complete the team's application. The application must demonstrate that the Team Leader played a significant role in conceiving the venture.
- Team members must:
- demonstrate commitment to moving venture forward,
- have played a primary role in developing the business strategy,
- and have a key management role in the startup venture.
- Each team must provide contact information for a faculty advisor/mentor who is familiar with the team and the venture. Any faculty advisor/mentor is welcome but not required to be present at UTSA on pitch day.
- The competition is for new, for-profit, independent ventures in the seed, start-up, or early growth stages. Ventures with a social impact focus are eligible as long as there is a revenue-generating component to the venture. Ventures that qualify for 501(c) status are not eligible.
- An existing business is eligible only if, as of 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2022, it has
- received less than $25,000 in funding
- earned less than $100,000 in gross revenue.
- Ventures must be wholly owned by the team (i.e., investor-funded ventures will be disqualified)
- Ventures must be student-created and student-managed. Teams are required to provide proof of enrollment or current class schedule for all members at the time of submitting the application. Recent graduates can provide a copy of their diploma, original transcript, or any other document proving their eligibility as of December 31, 2022.
