
FORTUNE -- Who knows, maybe you have a novel solution to the world's energy challenges, a unique take on empowering entrepreneurs in the developing world, or a fancy-pants way to control a tablet with your eyes. Well, if you are in need of cash to prop up that brilliant business idea of yours, Rice University is interested.
The Rice University Business Plan Competition is arguably the richest and largest of such contests, with over $1 million in cash and prizes on the table. Forty-two teams of budding business titans will go head-to-head this year for a piece of that funding pie in a three-day competition that will run from April 11-13 at Rice University's Houston, Texas campus.
Even if you don't go home with a prize, the competition is worth the trip. Over 250 judges, many of them venture capitalists and seasoned entrepreneurs, will be on hand, offering a prime schmoozing opportunity.
Fortune will be there, reporting back on the entrepreneurial highs and lows at this science-fair-meets-infomercial-meets-debate championship. (Fortune is also a sponsor for this event.) No matter who wins, it'll be a show worth watching. The deadline for entries is February 18, so get going.
See also:
Behind the scenes at the annual contest for budding entrepreneurs.
By David A. Kaplan and Anne VanderMey
FORTUNE -- It may not have the ubiquity of Facebook or the scale of Wal-Mart, but NuMat Technologies someday could change the world just a little bit. At least that's what the audacious student entrepreneurs behind it believe. NuMat is a university spinout that aims to revolutionize clean tech by making natural-gas vehicles more MORE
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Google's Gautam Gandhi took home the top prize at the Rice University Business Plan Competition in 2004. He talks to Fortune about the startup climate in the U.S., the value of business plan competitions, and what aspiring entrepreneurs ought to know. Interview by Anne VanderMey
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Ultraviolet cell phone disinfectants, bloodstain testers, and a brand new use for dry ice are just a few of the pitches at this year's Rice University Business Plan Competition. By Anne VanderMey
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By Anne VanderMey, reporter
The Rice Business Plan Competition has a reputation for being a pressure cooker. The nation's largest and richest, it's generally referred to as the Super Bowl of MBA contests. With more than a million dollars in prizes, the winning teams should have the funding to launch their businesses and a chance to quit their day jobs.
The pressure is especially great for teams like Titin. The Titin founder, MORE
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