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Reminder - 2025 RBPC Apps due Jan. 27, Info webinar 1/16, RBPC Qualifier bonus prize

Catherine Santamaria - Wednesday, January 8, 2025
 RBPC News 

In a few weeks . . .

RBPC applications are due!
Monday, January 27



Apply to Represent Rice at the RBPC

Experiential
Impactful
“Best. Competition. Ever”
 
The RBPC showcases the best university startups from across the U.S. and around the world, while providing student entrepreneurs the unparalleled experience of pitching their startups to investors and learning what it takes to build and launch a successful business.

We invite 42 student startups to compete for over $1 million in prizes--
will your startup be the one to represent Rice University?

Get ready to apply! Check the RBPC website for what questions are on the application, and join an a January 16 (4:00 PM CST) info session on the application process!

Register for the January 16 (4:00 PM CST) info session
 


What can student startups do at the RBPC?

  • Gain real-world experience
  • Receive mentorship, feedback and guidance from investors and entrepreneurs
  • Join top-ranked emerging graduate student-led startups
  • Learn from, network with and connect to colleagues and peers
  • Find investors and compete for $1+ MILLION in prizes
  • Win cash, investment and in-kind prizes (all competing startups win a minimum cash prize)

Rice University is guaranteed one berth in the competition. We determine that startup through an internal review process, the RBPC Qualifier (see info below), in February, where Rice startup teams pitch their ventures to a panel of judges to determine who advances to the RBPC!

To be eligible, your startup will:

  • have at least one current Rice student founder
  • be student-driven, student-created and/or student-managed
  • have at least two current student founders or management team members (and at least one of those students must be a current graduate degree-seeking student (MA, PhD, MBA, JD, etc.)
  • be seeking funding or capital (or will be in the next 12 months)
  • be a potentially viable investment opportunities
If this describes your startup, please see the Eligibilty page of the RBPC website to find our more and confirm your eligibility.

Prizes at the RBPC Qualifier:
*1st, 2nd and 3rd place cash prizes
*Bonus Prize - thanks to our friends at the Hult Prize, a global competition challenging students to solve the world's most pressing issues through social entrepreneurship, the RBPC Qualifier competiting startup that most closely aligns with this mission will advance to Hult Prize's national competition in Boston! More details about the Hult Prize here."

Important dates:

January 27, 2025 - Applications are due
February 13 - RBPC Qualifier, 5:30 - 8:30 PM in McNair Hall (internal competition to determine which Rice startup advances to the RBPC)
April 10-12 - The Rice Business Plan Competition takes place at McNair Hall!

Complete details with guidelines, rules, prizes and competition format are on the RBPC website: www.rbpc.rice.edu and For Rice Startups page.

Contact Catherine Santamaria, RBPC Director, for more info or with questions.

Ready. Set. Compete!

Catherine Santamaria
Director, Rice Business Plan Competition
csantamaria@rice.edu | rbpc@rice.edu | 713-348-3190 office | www.rbpc.rice.edu