Judging Criteria
Pitch your invention to a panel of judges who are entrepreneurs and professionals from the business, technology, and economic development sectors.
Applications will be evaluated on the following judging criteria and five teams will be selected to advance to the final round.*
Technology
- Does the product or service contain at least a minimum set of features to collect data to validate the product or idea and its continued development? (must contain at least a mockup/specs but does not have to be a full working prototype)
- Is the product/idea compelling and easy to use for a typical end-user?
- Does it encourage user retention?
Business Model
- Did the team describe a plan to make this a successful business?
- Can the solution generate revenues from the for-profit, non-profit, or government sectors?
- Did the team demonstrate a go-to-market strategy and scalability of the business?
Customer & Market Validation
- Did the team identify the size and composition of the target market?
- Do they understand the customer and his/her needs?
- Did they clearly articulate the unique value proposition that distinguishes them from the competition?
*Judges reserve the right to modify the number of teams selected to advance to the final pitch.