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<span data-cke-bookmark= Overview "1" style="display: none">&nbsp;</span>

= Purpose <span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:medium">ABOUT</span></span> =<div class="page" title="Page 2"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:medium">The Rice Business Plan Competition is a graduate-level student startup competition. It is hosted and organized by the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University and the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, Rice University's internationally-recognized initiative devoted to the support of entrepreneurship. In 18 years, it has grown from nine teams competing for $10,000 in prize money in 2001, to 42 teams from around the world competing for more than $1 million in cash and prizes.</span></span>

<span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774d-06d9-7b81-0c4a7ad00285"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">“The goal of the RBPC is to provide the best overall educational and entrepreneurial experience of any business plan/new venture competition…”</span></span>OBJECTIVE</span></span>=

<span style= Distinct Difference From Other Offerings"font-family: lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:medium">The competition is designed to give collegiate entrepreneurs a real-world experience to pitch their startups to investors, receive mentoring, network with the entrepreneurial ecosystem, enhance their startup strategy, and learn what it takes to launch a successful startup.</span></span>

<span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span style="backgroundfont-colorsize: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); whitemedium">Judges will evaluate the teams as real-space: preworld entrepreneurs soliciting start-wrap; lineup funds from early-height: 1;">stage investors and venture capital firms. The judges are asked to rank the presentations based on which company they would most likely invest. In fact, 84% of the 275 judges at the 2017 RBPC is said they were considering investing in a proven program team that has developed into pitched at the 2017 RBPC or said they referred a prestigious entity that fosters successful enterprisesteam to an investor in their network.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-7753-81f3-d25a-22445fc2ed0e"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); backgroundfont-colorsize: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;medium">138 past Past competitors have successfully launched their businesses, and received over $20 million from investors they met at the Rice Business Plan Competition. Alumni from the RBPC have raised in excess of more than $600 million 1.6 billion in fundingand have generated more than 25 successful exits, valued at nearly a billion dollars.</span></span></span></span>

<span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-7753-81f3-d25a-22445fc2ed0e"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); backgroundfont-colorsize: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;medium">Teams will participate and present their proposal within a three day period.</span></span>BENEFIT</span></span>=

<span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-7753-81f3-d25a-22445fc2ed0esize:medium"><span style="color: rgb(51RBPC &nbsp;provides an intense, 51immersive experience over the course three days for student startup founders to pitch to investors, 51); background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First Day) Practice Round receive multiple rounds of feedback and Elevator Pitch Competition</span></span>advance their startup.</span></span>

<span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small;medium">There will be over $1 million in prizes, and all 42 teams who compete at Rice University in Houston are guaranteed to win cash prizes. The minimum cash prize is $500 and the grand prize winner receives a $300,000 investment (typically in the form of a convertible debt note, without geographic restrictions.)</span></span><div class="page" title="Page 5"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column">= <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-7753-81f3-d25a-22445fc2ed0esize:medium"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; whitefont-spaceweight: pre-wrap;700">Second Day) First Round and Feedback Session</span>ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS</span></span></span>=

<span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-7753-81f3-d25a-22445fc2ed0e"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">Third Day) Semi-Final, Shark Tank and Final Round</span></span>Teams must meet all the following eligibility requirements in order to be selected to compete:</span></span>

<span style="font-size:small;">= <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-7753-81f3-d25a-22445fc2ed0esize:medium"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); backgroundfont-colorweight: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;700">Following gives a breakdown of prizes and awards given to superior competitors.Student Enrollment</span></span></span><br/span>==

<span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-familysize:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;medium">[http://alliance.rice.edu/Prizes/ The competition is for degree-seeking students currently enrolled on a full- or part-time basis <span style="font-familyweight: Arial; color: rgb700">(17</span>i.e., in the academic year from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018). This includes students who graduated, 85or will graduate any time after July 1, 2042017. (For example, December 2017 graduates are eligible to compete); background. Students who graduated before July 1, 2017 are not eligible to participate. Adjustments may be made for teams from non-color: transparentU.S. universities that have a different academic calendar; textplease contact the RBPC director if you are from a non-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://allianceU.S.riceschool and feel this applies to you.edu/Prizes/</span>]</span></span>

=== Sponsors<span style="font-family: Arial; fontlucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;serif">:</span> ===<ul style="marginfont-top:0pt;margin-bottomsize:0pt;medium"><li><span style="font-sizeweight:small;700">Outside Funding Limitations</span></span style="font-></span><br/> == <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internalsize:medium">All ventures must be seeking outside equity capital, typically early-guidstage venture capital investment or early-4755190dstage angel investment. All ventures must be “for profit” entities. This is an early-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"stage pitch competition, therefore, startups that have raised more than $250,000 in equity capital from sources other than the students or their friends or families prior to July 1, 2017 are not eligible to compete. Startup teams may have raised ANY level of equity funding AFTER July 1, 2017.</span></span> <span style="backgroundfont-colorfamily: transparent; verticallucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;serif">1-Service LLC</spanstyle="font-size:medium"><Equity funding awarded as part of an accelerator/span>incubator program does count toward funding limits.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="background-colorThe following do not count toward funding limit: transparentResearch and other grants; vertical-align: baselinecompetition winnings; white-space: pre-wraptraditional loans;">ABI Digital Solutionsand any friends and family funding.</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"> == <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="backgroundfont-colorweight: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aquinas Companies, LLC/ Linebeck/Alpha Dev</700">Revenue Limitations</span></span></span><br/span></li>== <li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Austin Ventureswith more than $100,000 in revenues in prior academic years (before July 1, 2017), are excluded.</span></span></span></span></li><li>== <span style="font-sizefamily:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; whitefont-spaceweight: pre-wrap;700">Bank of AmericaPrior Activity</span></span></span><br/span></li>== <li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:medium">Both student and other team members may have worked on an idea or new technology in previous academic years, or in the case of the student team members, even prior to entering graduate school, provided that their venture’s revenues and equity capital raised does not exceed the above limits.</span></span> == <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; whitefont-spaceweight: pre-wrap;700">BBVA Compass Bank</span>Team Composition</span></span></span><br/li>== <li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bennu<This is a competition primarily for graduate-level students. All graduate students, not just MBA candidates, are eligible to participate in the competition. This includes, but is not limited to, PhD candidates, MBA students, MD candidates, JD candidates, and other Masters candidates. Competing team members may be from different disciplines and/span>or different universities.</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-familysize:arialmedium">However,helveticaundergraduates are allowed to compete fully,sansas long as at least one member of the presenting team at the RBPC is a currently-serif;"enrolled graduate student and a member of the venture’s startup management team, and part of the team that presents in the competition (competing team). In other words, a team of two students could be comprised of one undergraduate student and one graduate student. Alternatively, a team of five students could be comprised of four undergraduates and one graduate student.</span></span> == <span idstyle="docsfont-internalfamily:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4eserif"><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">Blue Lance</spanstyle="font-weight: 700">Minimum Team Size</span></span></span><br/li>== <li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:medium">The presenting team that competes at Rice University must include at least two current students and not exceed five current students. In other words, at least two members from each startup team must travel to Rice to compete, and both of these two members must be current students. The purpose of this rule is to encourage startups to enlist at least two founders in order to increase the potential for a successful startup.</span></span> == <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="backgroundfont-colorweight: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"700">BrandExtractMaximum Team Size</span></span></span><br/span></li>== <li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="backgroundTeams may bring up to five startup team members who participate in the presentations on Friday and Saturday. In other words, at least two and no more than five startup team members may participate in the verbal presentations on Friday and Saturday. Others involved in the venture (non-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BusinessMarkers Radio Showstudents, faculty advisors or mentors) are welcome to travel to Rice with the competing student team, but are prohibited from participating in the presentations or Q&A sessions. More than five students can travel to Rice with the team, but only five students can serve as presenters. In fact, we encourage the team to bring a faculty, staff or other advisor with them to the RBPC, and we will invite them to attend our special lunch with the Dean of the Rice business school on Friday afternoon.</span></span></spandiv></spandiv></lidiv><lidiv class="page" title="Page 6"><span stylediv class="font-size:small;layoutArea"><div class="column">== <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; whitefont-spaceweight: pre-wrap;700">Chai OneTeam Presentation</span></span></span><br/span></li>== <li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-familysize:arialmedium">at least two student members of the startup should participate in every round of presenting the startup’s investment pitch (i.e., the startup business plan presentation) on Friday and Saturday,helveticaApril 6-7. Of the team members presenting,sansat least two of them must verbally present in the rounds they are involved in. To “verbally Present” means give/speak at least 20-serif;"30% of the presentation. The intention is that at least two team members share speaking responsibilities in the presentation section. The Q&A does not count toward the presentation time.</span></span> <span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guidfamily:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4eserif"><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">Comerica BankThe team may divide speaking time in their presentation however they choose, but a minimum of two members must speak at some point in the main presentation.</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;"lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:medium">The exception is the Elevator Pitch Competition on Thursday, April 5, where only one member of the team will be able to give the 60-second presentation.</span></span> == <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="backgroundfont-colorweight: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"700">ConocoPhillipsStudent Involvement</span></span></span><br/span></li>== <li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internalsize:medium">The competition is for student-guidcreated and student-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacemanaged ventures, including new ventures launched by licensing university technology. Students participating in the competition (i.e. members of the founding team) are expected to: pre-wrap;">Content Active</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;">lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:medium">(1) be a driving force behind the new venture,<br/>(2) have played a primary role in developing the business strategy (3) have key management roles in the startup venture, and<br/>(4) own significant equity in the startup venture.</span></span> <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium">In general, a member of the student team should be CEO, COO, or President of the venture, or members of the student team should occupy 50% or more of the functional area management positions that report directly to the CEO, COO, or President.</span></span> <span style="backgroundfont-colorfamily: transparent; verticallucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;serif">DuaneMorris</spanstyle="font-size:medium">Members of the student team are expected to own equity in the new venture. It is anticipated that students should own at least 20% of the total equity in the venture or at least 50% of the equity owned by the management team. One objective of this rule is to exclude ventures formed and managed by non-students who have given little or no equity to students for helping to develop the business strategy or create an investor pitch deck.</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"size:medium"><span style="backgroundHowever, we recognize that the equity structure of some new university-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; whitebased ventures may not yet be established, the 20% equity ownership rule may be waived in this situation. This waiver will be examined on a case-space: preby-wrap;">Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corpcase basis.</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-familysize:arialmedium">In addition, we recognize that if the Intellectual Property (IP) is owned by the university,helveticait is likely that a license for that IP may not have been finalized at the time of the competition. A license to the IP is not required to compete at the RBPC,sans-serif;"but we encourage student teams to seek an option to obtain an exclusive license to the IP or provide other evidence that the startup will have ability to obtain an exclusive license to the IP in the future. The owner of the IP should be aware that the team is competing using that IP.</span></span> == <span idstyle="docsfont-internalfamily:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4eserif"><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">Energy Ventures</spanstyle="font-weight: 700">Faculty Involvement</span></span></span><br/li>== <li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium">Each team MUST have the endorsement of a faculty or staff advisor at their school and must provide contact information for their faculty advisor, regardless of whether or not the advisor will travel with the team to Rice University. All faculty advisors will be asked to confirm the eligibility of the team.</span></span> == <span style="backgroundfont-colorfamily: transparent; verticallucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-align: baseline; whiteserif"><span style="font-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">Enterprise Future Network</spanstyle="font-weight: 700">Nature of Ventures</span></span></span><br/li>== <li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="backgroundThe competition is for new, independent ventures in the seed, start-colorup, or early growth stages. Generally excluded are the following: transparent; verticalbuy-align: baseline; whiteouts of existing businesses, expansions of existing companies, real estate syndications, tax shelters, franchises, licensing agreements for distribution in a different geographical area, and spin-space: pre-wrap;">Ernst & Youngouts from existing corporations. Licensing technologies from universities or research labs is encouraged.</span></span></span></span></li><li>== <span style="font-sizefamily:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; whitefont-spaceweight: pre-wrap;700">Essex Woodlands Health Venture</span>Prior Activity</span></span></span><br/li>== <li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">Finger InterestsTechnologies may be presented in the RBPC only once. Competing team members may participate in the RBPC more than once if entering with a new venture/new technology.</span></span></spandiv></spandiv></lidiv><lidiv class="page" title="Page 7"><div class="layoutArea"><span stylediv class="font-size:small;column">== <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; whitefont-spaceweight: pre-wrap;700">FLS AssociatesPrize Payments</span></span></span><br/span></li>== <lispan style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small;medium">Award payments will be issued to either the Company or the Team’s affiliated university. All required taxes will be withheld, and tax refund documents issued by Rice University.</span></span> == <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"size:medium"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; whitefont-spaceweight: pre-wrap;700">Fly VaxRequired Forms</span></span></span><br/span></li>== <li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internalsize:medium">Each team will be required to provide appropriate documentation to receive award payments which include W-guid-4755190d9 and/or EIN forms for US teams, and W-771f8 BEN forms for International teams No prizes can be awarded without the required forms submitted.</span></span> == <span style="font-7bfafamily:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-e63c-ab04c4222e4eserif"><span style="backgroundfont-colorsize: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; whitemedium"><span style="font-spaceweight: pre-wrap;700">FortuneSectors</span></span></span><br/span></li>== <lispan style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small;medium">Business plans and companies should fall into one of four categories, or sectors:</span></span> === <br/><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">Fulbright & JaworskiLife Science</span></span><br/span></span></li>=== <li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-familysize:arialmedium">– includes (but not limited to) Medical Devices, Therapeutics, Diagnostics,helveticaHealth IT,sans-serif;"Biotechnology.</span></span> === <span idstyle="docsfont-internalfamily:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4eserif"><span style="backgroundfont-colorsize: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;medium">Gimmal<Energy/span>Clean Technology</span></span><br/span></li>=== <li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparentsize:medium">– includes (but not limited to) Sustainability, Water, Battery Technologies, Control&nbsp; vertical-align: baselineSystems, Smart Metering, PV Technology, Natural Gas, Transportation/Mobility, Oil & Gas Technologies, Algae, Fuel&nbsp; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goose Society of TexasCells, Hybrid Vehicles.</span></span> === </span></span></li><listyle="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small;medium">Information Technology</span></span><br/> === <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internalsize:medium">– Includes (but is not limited to): Mobile Apps, Software, Digital Media, Consumer Web, B-guidto-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"B Applications, Enterprise Software, SAAS, Internet, Web, Virtual Reality, Big Data, Machine Learning, Artificial&nbsp;Intelligence, Drones, Hardware, Robotics, Unmanned Vehicles.</span></span> === <span style="backgroundfont-colorfamily: transparent; verticallucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;serif">Haynes and Boone</spanstyle="font-size:medium">Other Innovations</span></span><br/span></li>=== <li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-familysize:medium">– Includes (but is not limited to):arialAdvanced Materials,helveticaNanotechnology,sans-serif;"Composites</span></span> <span idstyle="docsfont-internalfamily:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4eserif"><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">Heinlein Foundation<Teams must choose one sector/span><category for their companies. Teams may chose a second sector/category, though a second sector/category is optional and not required. Please choose sectors/span>categories that best align with your company’s product, technology, system or mission.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrapThe RBPC Selection Committee and the Rice Alliance have the final decision on which teams are invited to compete in the Rice Business Plan Competition and reserves the right to include or exclude any teams for any reasons.&nbsp;">Houston Angel Network</span></span></span></span></li><li>= <span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-familysize:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4emedium"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; whitefont-spaceweight: pre-wrap;700">Houston Business JournalCOMPETITION FORMAT</span></span></span>=</spandiv class="page" title="Page 11"></lidiv class="layoutArea"><li><span stylediv class="font-size:small;column"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">Houston Technology CenterThe Rice Business Plan Competition takes place over 3 days with 5 segments of competition. Teams are required to participate in all segments that apply to them.</span></span> == </span></span></li><listyle="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small;medium">Elevator Pitch Competition</span></span> == <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internalsize:medium">This this fast-guidpaced event has all teams competing against each other for the best 60-4755190dsecond pitch to attendees. The Pitch takes place Thursday evening. There are cash prizes for top 5 best Elevator Pitches. This scoring does NOT factor into the overall scoring of the Rice Business Plan Competition.</span></span> == <span style="font-771ffamily:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4eserif"><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">InsperityBusiness Plan Competition First Round&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></li>== <li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="background-colorIn the First Round, all teams in the competition will be divided into seven flights. The flights will consist of six teams, “clustered” by industry sector, to the extent possible. Current sectors are: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jones Partners<1) Life Science, 2) Energy/span>Clean Technology, 3) Information Technology, and 4) Other Innovations. Judges will be assigned to flights based on their background and areas of expertise.</span></span> </span></li><listyle="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small;medium">The first and second place teams from each of the seven flights in the First Round plus the top-scoring third place team overall will advance to the Semi-Final Round, and the teams who finish third through sixth place in their flights will advance to the Challenge Round.</span></span> == <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internalsize:medium">Business Plan Competition Semi-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrapFinal Round, Challenge Round&nbsp;">Jones School Career Management Center (CMC)</span></span></span></span></li>== <li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-familysize:arialmedium">The Semi-Final Round and the Challenge Round will take place concurrently. The Semi-Final Round,helveticacomposed of the top 15 teams from the First Round,sanswill be placed into 3 flights of 5 teams each. Flights will not be sector-serif;"specific.</span></span> <span idstyle="docsfont-internalfamily:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4eserif"><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">KauffmanThe top two teams from each Semi-Final Round flight will advance to the Final Round (6 teams total).</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internalsize:medium">The Challenge Round, composed of the remaining 27 teams from the First Round, will be placed into 7 flights of 4 teams each (one flight will have only 3 teams). Flights will not be sector-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"specific.</span></span> == <span style="backgroundfont-colorfamily: transparent; verticallucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;serif">Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers</span></spanstyle="font-size:medium">Business Plan Competition Final Round&nbsp;</span></span></li>== <li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium">The top six teams from the Semi-Final Round (2 from each flight) will compete in the Final Round, the last part of the Business Plan Competition. These final 6 teams will be in one flight; the flight is not specific to any sector.</span></span> == <span style="backgroundfont-colorfamily: transparent; verticallucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-align: baseline; whiteserif"><span style="font-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">MAANACocktail Reception & Company Showcase&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></li>== <li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-familysize:arialmedium">Teams have one final opportunity to discuss and promote their business ideas with investors, judges,helveticasponsors,sans-seriflocal business members. Attendees will vote on the Best Showcase Company during the reception. There is a prize for Best Company Showcase.&nbsp;"</span></span id> = <span style="docsfont-internalfamily:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4eserif"><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">McGuireWoods LLP</spanstyle="font-weight: 700">JUDGING & SCORING</span></span></span></li>=<lidiv class="page" title="Page 12"><div class="layoutArea"><span stylediv class="font-size:small;column">== <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; whitefont-spaceweight: pre-wrap;700">Mercury FundGeneral Evaluation Criteria</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;">== <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="backgroundThe competition simulates the real-color: transparent; verticalworld process of entrepreneurs soliciting start-align: baseline; whiteup funds from early-space: pre-wrap;">Microsoftstage investors and venture capital firms. The judges function as early stage venture capital investors deciding on which business venture they would most likely fund. The quality of the innovation, the size of the market, the competitive differentiation, the strength of the management team, and the clarity and persuasiveness of the written plan and oral presentation, all influence the judges’ decisions. Ultimately, the winning team should be the team in which the judges would most likely invest their money.</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:medium">Most of the judges of the RBPC come from the investment community and are involved in making early-stage investment decisions on an ongoing basis. Judges are provided a scorecard that is used as a guide and used for feedback to teams. However, ultimately the judges based their ranking on where they would invest their money.</span></span> == <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="backgroundfont-colorweight: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"700">MinuteMan PressJudging Criteria</span></span></span><br/span></li>== <li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spaceWhile judging the competition, judges will be asking many details questions about business viability and investment potential. Consider how your business plan and presentation responds to the following: pre-wrap;">Miller, Egan, Molter & Nelson LLP</span></span></span></span></li><li><span ul style="fontlist-style-sizetype:small;none"><li><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internalsize:medium">-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"&nbsp;Is the startup addressing a big problem and is there evidence that customers will be willing to pay for their</span><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">Murphree Venture Partners</span></span>solution?</span></span></li><li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-familysize:arialmedium">- &nbsp;Will the technology work? Is their evidence that the technology will solve the problem (e.g.,helveticalab results,sans-serif;">field</span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">NASA Johnson Space Center</span></span>trials)?</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium"><span style="background-color: transparent&nbsp; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.Is the problem big enough to build a company around? What is the size of the addressable market?</span></span></span></spanli></li><lispan style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:smallmedium">- &nbsp;"What is the competition? Does the startup have a significant, sustainable competitive differentiation?</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internalsize:medium">-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e" &nbsp;Is there intellectual property (IP)? What is the status of licensing of the IP? Does the startup have access to a</span><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">nCourage</span></span>license or option to license the IP? Are there other startups pursuing this market with similar IP?</span></span></li><li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-familysize:arial,helvetica,sansmedium">-serif &nbsp;"Does the management team understand its strengths and any gaps in the current team?</span></span></li><li><span idstyle="docsfont-internalfamily:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4eserif"><span style="backgroundfont-colorsize: transparentmedium">- &nbsp; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New World Ventures</span></span>Is the team coachable? Is this a team I want to invest in and work with?</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4esize:medium">- &nbsp;How long will it take to generate revenue? How much additional product development is required?</span></span></li><li><span style="backgroundfont-colorfamily: transparent; verticallucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;serif">Novak Druce Connolly Bove + Quigg LLP</span></spanstyle="font-size:medium">- &nbsp;How much investment will the company need in order to reach breakeven cash flow?</span></span></li><li><span style="font-sizefamily:small;lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-familysize:arial,helvetica,sansmedium">-serif &nbsp;">Does the startup understand key milestones that need to be reached? Does the team have a fund raising strategy</span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">Opportunity Houston/GHPtied to those milestones and value inflection points?</span></span></spanli></spanli></li><lispan style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:smallmedium">- &nbsp;"Is there a credible exit available within a reasonable timeframe?</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span idstyle="docsfont-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oracle</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">OWL Investment Group</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Padgett Group</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Palo Alto Software</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pannell Kerr Forster of Texas, P.C.</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pearland Economic Development Corporation</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Phillips & Reiter, PLLC</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">RedHouse Associates</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">S3 Ventures</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sandi Heysinger and Dick William</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sante Ventures</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Silicon Valley Bank</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shell/Shell Energy Ventures</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Silver Fox Advisors</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sim-Tex, Inc.</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">V.S. Elgohary</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Statoil</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SURGE Accelerator</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TiE Houston</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thompson & Knight</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TOTAL</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trailblazer Capital</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">U.S. Department of Energy</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Venture Fellows</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">UK Science & Innovation, British Consulate-General, Houston</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Waste Managment</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whitehall and Company</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-familysize:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;medium"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-771f-7bfa-e63c-ab04c4222e4e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap &nbsp;">Winstead</span></span>Should I invest in this business?</span></span></li>

<span style= Impact Achieved For Students And Campus"font-family: lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:medium">Each judge will assess the investment potential based on the criteria listed above. Comments on each team’s strengths and areas for improvement will be written on a comment sheet and given to the teams at the end of the day on Friday.</span></span></div></div><span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium">The winning team from each of the seven flights will be determined by the judges ranking of the teams within each flight. This ranking will be determined Friday afternoon after all of the teams have presented to the judges. The judges will rank the teams within their flight from 1 (most likely to invest) to 6 (least likely to invest).</span></span></div><div class="page" title="Page 14"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column">=== <span style="font-family:lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:medium">Semi-Final and Challenge Round</span></span> ===

=== <span style="backgroundfont-colorfamily: transparent; color: rgb(51lucida sans unicode, 51lucida grande, 51); fontsans-family: Arial; serif"><span style="font-weightsize: bold; white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1;medium">Highlights The winners of the Competition include:Semi-Final Round will be chosen in the same manner as in the First Round. Judges will rank teams from 1 (most likely to invest) to 6 (least likely to invest). In total six teams will advance to the Final Round.</span></span> ===

<span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); backgroundfont-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-spacesize: pre-wrap;medium">RealThe Challenge Rounds are formatted differently than the Semi-world opportunities to gain Final Rounds and will provide competitors with a third type of presentation experience. Each will have a total of 25 minutes for presentation and Q&A. However, there will be no specified time limits on the necessary knowledge that is presentations or Q&nbsp;required A. Judges are encouraged to successfully accelerate ask questions throughout the presentation. The winning team in each flight of the Challenge round will be determined in the same way as the other rounds by a new businessranking by the judges. This ranking will be determined after all four teams have presented to the judges. The judges will rank the four teams in the Challenge Round from 1 (most likely to invest) to 4 (least likely to invest).</span></span></span></span><ul style=="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Chance to receive mentoring from investors and experienced entrepreneurs</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;medium"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrapFinal Round&nbsp;">Scheduled opportunities to network with potential venture capitalists and other investors for three days</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">High caliber of judges, all senior level investors, entrepreneurs and industry leaders</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Opportunities to receive individual feedback during 3 separate sessions</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;medium"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2013: $1The winning teams in the final round will also be determined by the judges’ ranking of the teams.5 Million + in prize money was awarded with This ranking will be determined Saturday afternoon after all of the teams have presented to the judges. The judges will rank the six teams winning at in the finals from 1 (most likely to invest) to 6 (least one cash award”likely to invest).</span></span></span></span></li></ul>

=== <span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Recent recognition:</span></span> ===<ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,lucida sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 Top Ten Best U.S. Graduate Entrepreneurship Program – Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2011 NASDAQ OMX Center of Entrepreneurial Excellence Award – GCEC</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arialunicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2011 National Model MBA Entrepreneurship Program – USASBE</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;medium"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2011, 2009 Marketer The rankings from each of the Year – American Marketing Association</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arialjudges will be aggregated and the teams with the lowest total scores will be the winners. As in the previous rounds,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2009 Outstanding Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership - GCEC</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2009 Excellence in Technology Entrepreneurship Award - GCEC</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arialthe case of a tie,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2009 Outstanding Technology Entrepreneurship Program – USASBE</span>the team with the most number of first place scores will be declared the winner.</span></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-774f-4ce2-fc53-6fa14d71f60e"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2008 Houston’s Greatest Economic Development Ally – Greater Houston Partnership</span></span></span></span></li></ul>

<span style= Steps Requried to Bring Resource On Campus"font-family: lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:medium">Cocktail Reception & Company Showcase at the Awards Banquet (Saturday evening, April 7)<br/>All attendees of the Awards Banquet are eligible to judge the Company Showcase. All attendees will be given 2 tickets to give to a team(s) of their choosing. The team with the most tickets is the winner.&nbsp;</span></span>

<span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;"><span style="backgroundfont-color: transparent; colorsize: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: pre-wrap; line-height: 1.15;medium">Detailed explanation on entering competition.</span>Contact</span></span>=

<span style="font-size:small;">= <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;">Catherine Santamaria<span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-7756-bb71-952f-64d5630b2597">[http://alliance.rice.edu/Eligibility/ <span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://alliance.rice.edu/Eligibility/</span>]</span><br/><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-7756-bb71-952f-64d5630b2597"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Detailed explanation on submitting a proposal.</span></span></span></span>

<span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;">''Director, Rice Business Plan Competition''<span id="docsbr/>(713) 348-internal-guid-4755190d-7756-bb71-952f-64d5630b2597"3190<br/>[httpmailto://alliance.rbpc@rice.edu/Submission_Requirements/ <span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://alliance.rbpc@rice.edu/Submission_Requirements/</span>]</span><br/><span id="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-7756-bb71-952f-64d5630b2597"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The program is open to all graduate-level students.</span></span></span></span>

<span style="font-size:small;">= <span style="font-family:ariallucida sans unicode,helveticalucida grande,sans-serif;">Mary Lynn Fernau</span id> ="docs-internal-guid-4755190d-7756-bb71-952f-64d5630b2597"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">[http://alliance.rice.edu/Compete/ http://alliance.rice.edu/Compete/]</span></span></span></span><div><br/></div>

<span style= Contact Information"font-family: =lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif">''Marketing Director, Rice Alliance''<br/>(713) 348-5374<br/>[mailto:mlfernau@rice.edu mlfernau@rice.edu]</span>

<span style="font-size:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rice Business Plan Competition, contact is at rbpc@rice.edu or you may call (713) 348-3443.Created by<br/>Mailing Address<br/>Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship<br/>Rice University, MS-531<br/>PO Box 2932<br/>Houston, TX 77252-2932</span></span></span>=

&nbsp;[http://universityinnovation.org/wiki/User:Haan.nguyen304 Ha An Nguyen&nbsp;]<div class="page" title="Page 3"><br/div><span styledata-cke-bookmark="font-size:small;1"><span style="font-familydisplay:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;none">&nbsp;</span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Physical Address<br/div></div></div></div></div>Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship<br/div>Jones School, Room 134<br/div>Rice University<br/div>6100 Main Street<br/div>Houston, TX 77005-2932</spandiv></spandiv></spandiv>

<br/><span style="font-size[[Category:small;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Phone: 713-348-3443<br/>Fax: 713-348-3110<br/>Email: rbpc@rice.edu</span></span></span>Organizations]]