Up-Start! Competition 2014
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Transcript of Up-Start! Competition 2014
Up-Start! Competition 2014
• The Up-Start! Competition is a business pitch competition open to participants of Entrepreneurship 101!
• 10 individuals/teams give a 10-minute pitch !
• Panel of judges select winner of cash prize of $15,000!
• Audience selects ‘People’s Choice Winner’
Up-Start! Competition Eligibility
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Entrants must be enrolled in Entrepreneurship 101 and have attended at least 20 lectures in person or by webcast. Eligible businesses fall into one of the 3 MaRS sectors:!• Information technology, communications and entertainment (ICE) • Cleantech, physical sciences and advanced materials • Life sciences and healthcare
Entrants must have received no more than $100K in investment money and earned no more than $100K in cumulative revenue since inception.
Up-Start! Competition Overview
Stage 1: Entrepreneur's Toolkit Workshops - The Up-Start! Edition (Dec) • Chance for interested applicants to refine their value proposition, business model
and pitch. Apply before December 4, 2013. Stage 2: Competition Entry (Jan) • Submit a 3-page Executive Summary by Friday January 31st, 2014 to
[email protected] • Select entrants/teams interview with a MaRS Advisory Services advisor • 10 entrants/teams will be selected to participate in the pitch competition
Up-Start! Competition Overview
Stage 3: Pitch Preparation with MaRS Advisors (Mar – Apr) • 10 finalists will be assigned a MaRS Advisor to assist them in honing their
business plan and preparing their pitch Stage 4: Pitch Competition on May 14th, 2014 • Each participant gives 10-minute pitch presentation to a panel of judges followed
by 5 minutes of Q&A from the judges • Prizes awarded at a reception following the competition *Presentations made under cover of Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) - all audience members are required to sign !
Criteria for Judging
• Has the summary/presentation clearly articulated the value proposition? • Has the summary/presentation demonstrated market opportunity? • Has the summary/presentation demonstrated a sustainable business
model that will make money, or, in the case of a venture with a social purpose, make money and have the desired social impact?
• Has the summary/presentation demonstrated competitive differentiation/intellectual capital?
• How effective was the overall presentation? • Would you invest or back this opportunity?
Submission Deadline
Please send a three-page Executive Summary to [email protected]
by Friday, January 31st, 2014.
Enquiries can be directed to the same email address.
marsdd.com/upstart!
!Part 1: Launching Customer Discovery
Learn more about the lean startup approach and launch your customer discovery process.
The Up-Start! Edition
Part 3: Designing your Business Model
Design a sustainable business model using the Business Model Canvas.
Part 2: Crafting your Value Proposition
Learn tools to identify your target customers and better articulate the value offering of your venture.
Part 4: Perfecting Your Pitch
Use key principles of effective communication to create an effective investor pitch.
Registration: upstartworkshops-edition2014.eventbrite.com
!December 18, 2013 Part 1: Launching Customer Discovery
The Up-Start! Edition
January 15, 2014 Part 3: Designing your Business Model
January 8, 2014 Part 2: Crafting your Value Proposition
January 22, 2014 Part 4: Perfecting Your
Pitch
Space limited. Apply by December 4, 2013! Registration: upstartworkshops-edition2014.eventbrite.com