Hurricane Innovation Prize

We’re looking for the greatest student-led innovation created at the University of Miami.

This innovation can be an invention or a prototype. Most of all, it needs to be new, unique, and intended to solve a real world problem. And importantly, it needs to be led by students.

Requirements

The following will be required in order to apply:

 – Team Information for all members
–  Tell us about your idea in a tweet (280 characters)
–  An unedited video pitch that is 2 minutes long or less
–  A completed business model canvas (https://leanstack.com/lean-canvas)
 – (You can also find a walk-through of how to complete the business model canvas on our resources page)
– An acknowledgment that at least 1 team member will travel to Tallahassee, FL to represent UM at the ACC InVenture Prize, if your team wins at UM. in Spring 2023.

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Deadline to Submit:

November 14, 2022 at 11:59pm

A judging Q&A will happen on November 15, 2022.

Winner will be announced November 29, 2022 via email + social.

ACC InVenture Prize

The winning team will win a trip for up to 3 team members to represent the University of Miami at the ACC InVenture Prize in Tallahassee, FL in Spring 2023.  At least one member of the winning team MUST commit to travel to Tallahassee, FL to represent UM in the competition.

At the ACC InVenture Prize in Tallahassee, FL, after a preliminary pitch from all 15 teams representing ACC schools, the top 5 teams selected will re-pitch in the finals, which will be carried on TV both live and on tape-delay to multiple markets that make up the Atlantic Coast Conference, typically thorough their local PBS stations. 

Additionally, the pitch competition will take place in front of a live audience of up to 1000 persons on campus at Georgia Tech University.  This competition provides a unique opportunity to share your innovation, to build an audience of supporters, and to potentially seek funding for further development, both from the prize and potentially from investors.

Team Eligibility Requirements:

Each team member must meet all of the eligibility requirements listed below:


  1. Each university finalist team may be composed of full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate students or recent graduates of the university within one year of graduation from their undergraduate program.
  2. If a team member is a recent graduate of the university, the idea for the invention must have been initially conceived while the student was enrolled as an undergraduate.
  3. If a team member is a recent graduate of the university and is now attending graduate school at another ACC institution, the student is only eligible to compete for their undergraduate institution.
  4. Teams with generated revenue or venture capital funding in excess of $100,000 are not eligible to compete.

Judging Criteria:

The judging criteria will always consist of four categories:


  1. Idea: Idea validity, novelty, and potential social impact.
  2. Business Model:  Value proposition, cost structure, key resources, customer discovery and validation (marketability, market size), and product or service development strength.
  3. Entrepreneurship:  Future vision, team commitment and culture, team expertise and knowledge, and pitch delivery.
  4. Probability of Becoming a Successful Business Competitive advantage and probability of receiving investment.

Registration

Interested in entering into the Fall 2022 Hurricane Innovation Prize?

Fill out the online submission form.


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Need Help Creating Your Application?

All UM students can receive free help from The Launch Pad – UM’s Entrepreneurship Center. Register for an account and request a meeting at thelaunchpad.org.