This annual competition will be offered again in spring 2016! All students, faculty, and members of the community may be eligible to participate.
Teams participating in the competition have the opportunity to meet and network with experienced venture capital principals, early stage angel investors, successful entrepreneurs, and senior business leaders who will serve as judges for the competition. The competition provides an unparalleled experience for the participants providing time to interact with the judging panel to receive their valuable feedback.
Team(s) may only submit in one category, the following two tracks are judged separately:
FAU Student Track – venture teams comprised solely of FAU students. Students MUST be registered and taking class in the spring semester and considered in “good standing.”
Entrepreneur Track – venture teams comprised of FAU alumni, FAU faculty, FAU student (registered and not currently registered), students from other colleges/universities and members of the business community or any combination thereof. Proof of Florida residency is required for participation.
Young Entrepreneur Academy (YEA!) Track - students enrolled in the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce (GBRCC) Young Entrepreneur Academy (YEA!). Click here for more information or to enroll in this program.
Teams will compete for cash prize money, legal and business services, office space at FAU's Research Park Authority, the possibility to advance to the state and national competitions (if available) and present their business plan to local angel and VC groups and more.
Eligibility to participate in the FAU Business Plan Competition is initially determined by meeting the deadlines and submission requirements. FAU Student and Entrepreneur Track participants should review all eligibility criteria as detailed within the competition Office Rules.
FAU faculty and staff will select judges based on their business experience and investing expertise particularly in connection with entrepreneurship, and their interest in supporting early stage entrepreneurs. Past judges include representatives from Fortune 100 companies, prominent local law firms, finance consultants and venture capital investors. Business plan submissions are made and screened in a preliminary round by faculty & subject matter experts. A total of 16 finalist teams (eight in each track) will advance to the final round to compete in the FAU Business Plan Competition. For more information on the judging process please download the Official Competition Rules.
FAU Student Track |
Entrepreneur Track |
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| 1st | SoFla Sunwear | $46,000 | 1st | Rotation Manager | $51,000 |
| 2nd | Hyperbius, LLC | $16,000 | 2nd | Transfasten | $17,500 |
| 3rd | TripsCommerce | $ 8,000 | 3rd | CO2 Conversion /
Dioxide Materials |
$ 8,000 |
People's Choice Award |
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| Let It Rot | $5,000 | ||||
Social Entrepreneurship Award |
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| Let It Rot | $1,500 | ||||