Aggie PITCH Handbook 2021 - FINAL

2021Competition Handbook

#AggiePITCHwww.AggiePITCH.com

McFerrin Center for EntrepreneurshipTexas A&M University

4123 TAMU | College Station, TX 77843-41231700 Research Parkway, Suite 120 | College Station, TX 77845

[email protected]

http://www.aggiepitch.com/

mailto:[email protected]

http://mays.tamu.edu/mcferrin-center-for-entrepreneurship/

Important DatesEvent Date

Applications Open Online Thursday, April 1

Aggie PITCH Informational (Virtual) Wednesday, April 7

Application Deadline Sunday, April 18

Finalists Notified & Confirmed Week of May 10

Finalists Announced Publicly Tuesday, June 1

Professional Pitch Coaching Session: ElevatorPitch Finalists (Mandatory)

May

Professional Pitch Coaching Session: Full PitchFinalists (Mandatory)

May

Aggie PITCH (Competition Day) Sunday, June 13

Copyright ©2021 McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship | Texas A&M Universityentrepreneur.tamu.edu


What is Aggie Pitch?McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship is your experience for entrepreneurship. The Centerprovides support, education, and opportunities for all Aggie entrepreneurs. Launched in 2018,Aggie PITCH is the only university-wide business plan pitch competition at Texas A&M. Thishigh-energy contest serves as a platform to display the exceptional startups currently beingdeveloped by Texas A&M current and Former students. Ventures that compete at Aggie PITCHreceive excellent exposure to possible investors, mentors, partners, and more. In addition, AggiePITCH serves as a networking event that allows Aggie entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, currentstudents, and Former students to gather together to make connections and support oneanother as entrepreneurs. Startups that compete at Aggie PITCH are eligible to be invited by theMcFerrin Center to represent Texas A&M at additional national and internationalentrepreneurship competitions.

New in 2021, Aggie PITCH will feature three competition options - Full Pitches for currentstudents, Full Pitches for Former students and an Elevator Pitches. More details on the specificeligibility criteria for each option are described in the sections below. All current and FormerTexas A&M students (including branch campus & A&M System schools) are encouraged tocreate and submit their business concept/plan via online application. After applications havebeen submitted, the McFerrin Center and a select group of experienced business experts willreview applications, score the online entries, and select a group of finalists.

Both current and Former student finalists will be invited to pitch their business, product, orservice at Aggie PITCH on June 13 in front of a prestigious panel of judges composed ofsuccessful entrepreneurs and investors. The competitors with the top scores will be awardedcash prizes. Additional finalists will be selected to compete in the Elevator Pitch round duringthe Aggie PITCH event on June 13. The Elevator Pitch round will be scored by the audience atlarge, with the top pitches also being awarded cash prizes.



Why Compete?

IT’S MORE THAN PRIZE MONEYAggie PITCH is designed to act as a springboard for entrepreneurs with an early stage startupventure. Competition winners are awarded cash prizes from the largest prize pool ever offeredin an entrepreneurial business pitch competition at Texas A&M University*. The non-dilutivecash prizes provide valuable seed funding for these early stage ventures. In addition, AggiePITCH allows competitors to practice and refine their pitch/presentation skills which arevaluable when approaching banks or investors for additional funding. Aggie PITCH also putsyour startup in front of the McFerrin Center network, allowing you to connect with potentialmentors, advisors, service providers, investors, and other valuable connections that your startupneeds in order to be successful. In addition to the benefits outlined above, finalists whocompete in Aggie PITCH are eligible to be invited by the McFerrin Center to represent TexasA&M at national and international business competitions. These additional competitionopportunities allow entrepreneurs to receive even more funding, practice pitching theirbusiness, gain exposure to a broad entrepreneurial network and connect with viable investors.

DETAILS REGARDING CASH PRIZESCash prizes will be awarded to the individual participants listed for each winning team in the FullPitch and Elevator Pitch rounds. These are non-equity, non-ownership cash awards. Currentstudents who win prize money will be paid through each student’s Texas A&M account. Studentawardees must be in good financial standing with the university, and are encouraged to utilizethese funds in a manner consistent with their entrepreneurial goals. Former student awardeeswill be paid directly as individuals through standard Texas A&M vendor payment processes.

*Cash prize amounts vary from year to year based upon sponsors



Eligibility CriteriaAny registered student (undergraduate or graduate) or Former student that has graduatedfrom a Texas A&M System University within the last 5 years is eligible to compete. A list ofparticipating universities can be found here: https://www.tamus.edu/about/universities/

At least ONE member of an applicant team must be a currently-enrolled student OR havegraduated from a Texas A&M System University within the last 5 years. Not every member ofan applicant team must meet this criteria, but only current and Former Texas A&M studentsmay serve as the Startup Lead and participate in the actual pitch contest. Anyone delivering anyportion of the Aggie PITCH presentation must meet the current or Former student criteria asof the contest date.

If your team consists of both current and Former student members, you should apply toeither the current or Former student track, but not both. When deciding which option is mostappropriate for your team, you should identify a Startup Lead and apply to the track thatcorresponds to their status as a current or Former student. It is important to remember that theStartup Lead will be required to participate in all coaching workshops and must have a primaryrole in delivering the team’s pitch.

Applicants do not have to apply as a team, and individual entrepreneurs are encouraged toapply. However, most successful applicants will need team members willing to share the effortof launching and growing a business, and who are all enthusiastic about making their collectiveconcept a success. Teams should be willing to work together on all aspects of both thecompetition and the business itself.

All forms/types of business concepts are encouraged to apply. There are no restrictions on thetype of business concept/plan that you pitch (e.g., technology-based, service, non-profit, etc.).The application will ask you to select an intended industry segment so that we may classifyapplications for similar business types and/or industries for screening and evaluation purposes.

Company formation is not a requirement to enter, and teams at the concept phase areencouraged to apply. Aggie PITCH was designed to identify promising early-stage startupswithin the Aggie network and we recognize that teams will be at various stages of ideation,planning, and/or launch. Thus, we do not require that a corporate entity be in existence or thatyou even have a product/prototype developed. The submission of a competitive applicationwill, however, still require careful planning and demonstration that you have the knowledge andteam needed to take your idea or plan forward. Specifically, your application should convey asolid understanding of the problem/need you are solving and other details that will convincethe judges you can build a viable business around your proposed solution. For the best chancesof emerging as a finalist in the competition, applicants should be prepared to commit significant

effort to both the written and video portions of the application.


https://www.tamus.edu/about/universities/


Workshops

InformationalDuring the application period, the McFerrin Center will sponsor a virtual informational theevening of Wednesday, April 7. This time is designed to review requirements for the application,individual/team eligibility, details of the scoring and evaluation process, and what to expect ifyou are selected as a finalist.

Attendance at the informational on April 7 is not mandatory, but encouraged. Attendance couldhelp to improve the quality of your pitch and assist you in meeting all requirements of theapplication, but you are certainly not required to attend.

For more details and to RSVP, visit the website at www.AggiePITCH.com.

Coaching SessionsThose selected as Premiere Pitch finalists will be required to attend a 1-hour individual pitchcoaching session, which will be scheduled in May.

All Elevator Pitch finalists will be required to attend a separate pitch coaching workshop, whichwill also be scheduled in May.

These sessions are offered in preparation for the competition on June 13, and all finalists areexpected to participate in their respective session.




Application Process

Team UpEntrepreneurs self-organize in teams of up to five members maximum. As stated above,individual entrepreneurs are welcome to apply, but you are strongly encouraged to alignyourself with teammates who share your enthusiasm for innovation and entrepreneurship.Then, work together to identify the problems, opportunities, solutions, value propositions andbusiness model for your potential customers.

Refine your concept to be able to deliver it in the concise manner required by the Aggie PITCHapplication. Consider creating a prototype of your solution (whether a physical model,illustration, or digital representation).

Confirm that, if chosen, you can make yourself (and your team) available for the Aggie PITCHcompetition on June 13 at the Texas A&M University College Station campus.

Application DetailsYou have until 11:59 PM on the last day of submissions, April 18, to complete and turn in yourentry. You may also use your log-in to access your entry form(s) and make edits any time priorto the application deadline. The application can be found at www.AggiePitch.com.

The application includes background information on your startup, in addition to severalcomponents of an Executive Summary. Those include:

● Business Summary● Problem● Solution● Business Model● Target Market/Size● Customers – Current/Potential● Competitors● Video Pitch

Note: Each section of the application has maximum character limits. Work on refining youranswer in each area. You can describe nearly any business idea if you use the right words. Oneof the intentional challenges of this competition is for entrepreneurs to be able to convey theiridea concisely and convincingly in the allotted word count.




Video DetailsYou will also be required to submit a 60 second video of your elevator pitch as a part of yourapplication. Not all team members have to appear in the video. Use your best judgment andcreativity in delivering the video portion of your application.

The video does not have to follow the script/guidelines of the written application, but it shouldcover most of the same questions. This is your chance to be creative and compelling in a verbalexplanation of your written application.

These videos will be reviewed and scored by the judges evaluating all applications, and morespecifically, to select the top finalists to participate in the Elevator Pitch round during the finalcompetition.

If you would like more guidance, reference links below:● 3 Best Elevator Pitches● Crafting an Elevator Pitch

Finalist DetailsThe Startup Lead of each team will be notified by email the week of May 10. This email will letyou know whether you have been selected as a finalist, and will require your commitment toparticipate in Aggie PITCH.

Each finalist (whether an individual or team) will be required to participate in the applicableCoaching Session prior to the final competition day on June 13th.

The finalists will be promoted across the McFerrin Center network and invited to the final eventfor presentation, judging, and awards on June 13. Teams who do not advance are stillencouraged to attend the final competition and network with their fellow Aggie entrepreneurs!

If selected as one of the Full Pitch finalists, you and/or your team will be required to give anin-person pitch at the final event. Each finalist will be allowed up to 5 minutes to deliver theirpitch, not including Q&A. Finalists may choose to use all or less than 5 minutes to deliver theirpitch. After 5 minutes or the conclusion of their pitch (whichever occurs first), each finalist willfield Q&A from competition judges and the audience at large, which will be moderated byMcFerrin Center Staff. Final presentations must be turned in prior to the competition on June13.

If selected as an Elevator Pitch finalist, you and/or your team will be required to give anin-person Elevator Pitch not to exceed 60 seconds at the final event. There will be no Q&Aduring the elevator pitch round.


http://speakingppt.com/3-best-elevator-pitches/

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/elevator-pitch.htm


Judges & Judging CriteriaAll entries will be evaluated by a screening committee selected by McFerrin Center staff and willconsist of members of the business community, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, lawyers,bankers and Texas A&M faculty. The screening committee will identify current and Formerstudent full pitch finalists, which will then be evaluated by a second panel of judges (on the dayof the final competition) to select all prize-winning teams.

Judges will evaluate and be looking for the following components in each application & pitch:

● Is the startup addressing a significant problem?● Is there evidence that customers will be willing to pay for their solution?● Is the problem big enough to build a company around? What is the size of the

addressable market?● Will the solution/technology work? Is there evidence that the solution/technology is

feasible and will actually solve the problem (e.g., lab results, field trials)?● What is the competitive landscape? How are these problems being dealt with today, and

does this startup have a significant, sustainable competitive differentiation?● Is there any intellectual property (IP) or other defensible advantage? What is the status

of IP ownership? Does the startup have access to a license or option to commercializethe IP? Are there other startups pursuing this market with similar IP?

● Is this team coachable? Would this be a team I could invest in and work with?● Does the startup understand key milestones that need to be reached in developing this

business?

We recognize that, consistent with real life situations, early-stage companies can be in verydifferent phases of planning or development. Aggie PITCH candidates will be judged on arelational scale, taking into consideration these criteria in context of the stage of developmentfor each applicant.

All entries will also be evaluated for the Elevator Pitch round by the same screening committeeand criteria. The screening committee will identify additional finalists to participate in thisround, which then will be evaluated by the audience on June 13 to select all prize-winningteams.

Elevator Pitch Guidelines● Use of computer or audio-visual equipment in the room is NOT permitted. This is not

available in an elevator, so it is not available for the competition.● Distributing material, samples and/or prototypes is permitted.● The elevator pitch is one minute. Speakers will be cut off at the end of the duration.● Teams may use as many or as few presenters as they desire.● ALL audience members are allowed to vote on the elevator pitch.



Competition Day – June 13The final event on June 13 will be open to the public. At least one team member must bepresent on this day. All team members are not required to be present, although it isrecommended. Participating teams will receive their scheduled pitch time and order atregistration.

Full PitchesAll finalists will pitch to the same judging panel. Breaks will be included, and A/V will beprovided. Once all finalists have pitched, the judges will turn in their scores to be combined forthe final score for each team to determine the prize-winning teams.

Elevator Pitch RoundThe student finalists selected for this round will deliver their one-minute Elevator Pitch duringthe competition. The audience will vote for the prize-winning teams.

Awards ReceptionFollowing the tallying of scores and elevator pitch voting, all guests and participants are invitedto join for an evening reception, where competition awardees will be announced.



(No) ConfidentialityAgreementAs an applicant and potential competitor, you are responsible to protect any informationconcerning your plan that you share with advisors, team members, fellow participants of thecompetition and the attending audience. The McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship takes noresponsibility for unwanted disclosure in any of these instances.

Contestants should be careful about disclosing information concerning proprietary concepts.Competitors concerned about the protection of intellectual property may research intellectualproperty protection online or at Texas A&M University System or other libraries.

Neither Texas A&M University nor the McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship takes anyownership in an idea or plan solely through application or participation in the Aggie PITCHcompetition. Likewise, neither Texas A&M University nor the McFerrin Center forEntrepreneurship ensures any confidentiality or nondisclosure conditions for any informationsubmitted or presented in the Aggie PITCH competition. As with most business plancompetitions, you are responsible for protecting your own proprietary information throughoutthe Aggie PITCH competition.



The McFerrin Center is your experience for entrepreneurship. In addition to Aggie PITCH, theMcFerrin Center hosts a number of opportunities throughout the year to help both current andFormer students develop and validate their entrepreneurial identity. These programs assistAggie entrepreneurs in developing their ability to think in an entrepreneurial way that helpsthem succeed as business owners, industry leaders, and novel innovators. If your business is nota good fit for Aggie PITCH, we invite you to experience McFerrin by participating in any of our25+ programs to further develop and validate your business concept. From the Texas HighSchool Ideas Challenge to the Aggie Vistage executive leadership group, the McFerrin Centerwants to support you and your goals as an entrepreneur.



Aggie PITCH Handbook 2021 - FINAL

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