Business Plan Competition

2023 TERMIS-AM BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION

Sponsored by:

Business Plan Competition Co-Chairs:
Nicole Black, PhD and Milica Radisic, PhD

For the 2023 TERMIS-AM Conference, the Commercialization and Regulation Thematic Working Interest Group (TWIG) proudly invites you to participate in a Business Plan Competition. The top three submissions will compete in the Finals during the 2023 TERMIS-AM Conference that will be held in Boston, MA from April 11-14 with podium presentations. The winner will be judged and selected by an expert judging panel. Apart from living a unique experience, finalists will receive mentorship, feedback, and exposure. The top 8 applicants not chosen to compete in the Finals will be awarded Honorable Mention and participate during a poster business plan competition. Semi-finalists will provide a 1-min elevator pitch during the poster session and receive scores and feedback from expert judges.

Abstracts should be comprised of the following content sections:

(1) Company Summary
(2) Products and/or Service
(3) Market and Competition Analysis
(4) Strategy and Implementation
(5) Financial Plan
(6) Management Plan.

Other “abstract” considerations:

  • There is no word limit, though, we recommend no more than 2 pages single space with wide margins.
  • Charts and graphs are acceptable as long as they do not take up too much room and are not the primary means of explanation.

Other Information:

  • Participants can be individuals or teams. Teams are limited to 5 members per team, and may include multi-disciplinary students (eg, Business school, pre-Law, etc).
  • Participants can be anyone along the educational spectrum (undergrad through post-doc and faculty) AND to start-up companies (real or imagined at under say $1M revenue and with revenue not inclusive of SBIR/STTR or related funding).
  • Technologies may be conceptual in nature: the product or service need not be reduced to practice, intellectual property secured, or corporate structures formed.
  • Participants recognize that presenting at the Business Competition constitutes a public disclosure.
  • Only one submission per participant/group.

Pitch Deck (Prepared in a PowerPoint Presentation)

  • The Problem: Introduce the story by personalizing the problem, creating tension in your audience’s minds.
  • The Solution: Offer a glimpse of hope, promising to resolve the problem.
  • Product Features: Showcase the main features that make the solution possible, building your potential investors’ confidence in your solution.
  • Market: Introduce your setting and characters. Show investors who stands to benefit. Start building a picture of customers in your investors’ minds.
  • Competitive Landscape and Potential Risks: Increase the tension again by disclosing the risks and opportunities ahead.
  • Revenue and Operating Model: Reassure your investors by demonstrating a persuasive plan for success.
  • Traction: Increase potential investors’ confidence in your ability to execute by sharing your record of success.
  • Projections: Build excitement by showing where you expect to be in five years.
  • Team: Introduce your partners. Help investors relate to your company. Show why your lineup is qualified to execute what you’ve promised to do.
  • Fundraise: Explain the role you’re asking these investors to play in bringing this product to life, and create urgency by showing why you need them now.

If you have any questions, please email us at amconf@termis.org. Best of luck!