Student Startup Tournament Turns 40
Grad Entrepreneurs Gear Up for Investment Competition Playoffs
Celebrating 40 years of student enterprise, the Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs (TVL) will host its Fall 2024 Investment Competition on Dec. 6 at Robert B. Rowling Hall on The University of Texas at Austin campus.
Texas McCombs School of Business invites investors, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and members of the news media to register to watch the competition’s final and semifinal rounds. Vying for a $50,000 prize pool, graduate student-led startups from across the UT System will pitch their business ventures to a panel of investors.
“As we honor 40 years of graduate student investment competitions, we proudly celebrate a legacy of entrepreneurial spirit and student success,” said Mellie Price, executive director for TVL and executive director for Texas Entrepreneurship. “This anniversary underscores our campuswide commitment to empowering future leaders through real-world experience, valuable mentorship, and connections with community members dedicated to supporting their career success.”
For four decades, the competition has provided a platform for student startups to showcase entrepreneurial skills, today giving away $100,000 a year in cash prizes and $30,000 a year in in-kind donations. Competitors engage in the real-world process of raising venture capital, while established entrepreneurs and investors offer invaluable feedback and opportunities for funding, recognition, and networking. Prize categories include Sustainability Innovation, Health Innovation, Energy Innovation, Technology Commercialization, and the James D. Pippin Veteran Award.
“The TVL Investment Competition has been an incredible experience as a new startup founder,” said Sean Finney, founder and CEO of Tano Skincare, last year’s champion.
“Even before the benefit of any prize money is the access to outstanding judges and mentors to vet your idea. Pitching your idea forces you to think through every part of the business, and you get very honest feedback from the judges to stress test what you believe,” Finney said. “It is amazing how much we learned.”
This month, The Princeton Review’s ranking of graduate entrepreneur programs places Texas McCombs at No. 7 nationwide. The school’s Master of Science in Technology Commercialization was ranked No. 3 in the U.S. by Eduniversal, and No. 1 among public universities.
The competition has had more than 1,200 competitors, many of whom have gone on to launch successful businesses, including uShip, Ordoro, BeatBox Beverages, Phurnace Software, and Qcue.
“The competition audience is an integral part of the learning process, as students feel the support of the greater community while they work to hone their presentation skills,” Price said.
