Team members must be currently enrolled in a Louisiana undergraduate or graduate program (including the law school) at one of the following universities:

• Dillard University
• Grambling State University
• Southern University and A&M College
• Southern University at New Orleans
• Southern University at Shreveport
• Xavier University of Louisiana

• Teams may consist of 1 - 3 students.
• Teams may enter only one business idea.
• Competitors may participate on only one team.

TIP: The strongest teams have a diversity of talents. We recommend teams include one person with a business, marketing, or entrepreneurship education, and at least one individual majoring in a STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Math) discipline.

Teams must register by September 30 at 11:59 p.m. Click here to complete the registration.

Click here to see if you can find a faculty advisor at your school. If not, you may choose your own but they must confirm participation. 

A mentor will be assigned to each team. You are required to meet with your mentor at least 2 times prior to submitting your application.

TIPS:

• Mentors are a great resource for feedback about your project, discuss your field of study, and maybe even introduce you to potential employment opportunities or business partners.
• Mentors are only allowed to provide guidance and feedback, and may not directly prepare any material submitted by the team.

• Design technology that solves a problem in the marketplace.
• Create a successful business model.
• Validate your idea.

TIPS:

• Examples of STEM-based business ideas include the development of a mobile app, software product, hardware product, SAAS, Internet-based company, or a product or service based on scientific research.
• The product or service does not have to be working prototype. However, it should have a minimum set of specifications or features that would allow the team to collect data to validate the concept and its continued development.
• The product or service can be based on prior work as long as that work was completed by one or more students on the team or is approved usage of University intellectual property (IP).
• Click here for more details about University IP.
• Validate your idea with real people in real scenarios, getting actionable feedback that you can use to make your business idea even stronger. Does your business address a problem your customers really care about? Will they pay for your solution? It’s time to find out.

Teams must submit their application by October 30, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.

Pitch applications must consist of the following:

• 2-5 page Executive Summary
• Up to 5-minute Pitch Deck (PowerPoint or Google Slide Presentation)
• Up to 2-minute Tech Demo (i.e. pictures, drawings, CAD, wireframes, prototypes, etc.)
• Student Intake Form – Click Here to Complete
• Faculty Coach Consent
• Proof of 2 Mentor Meetings
• Proof of NexusLA LinkedIn Connections
• Proof of 3 social media postings with images or video (Use Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and tag NexusLA & University)
• University IP Disclosure (if applicable)

TIP: A pitch deck is a brief presentation, built using software such as PowerPoint or Google Slides, used to provide your audience with a quick overview of your business plan. Click here to check out the Pitch Tech Guidelines.

• Each team will be evaluated on the effectiveness of their Technology, Business Model, and Customer/Market Validation.
• Top 5 teams advance to the final round.
• Judges reserve the right to modify the number of teams selected to participate in the final pitch competition.
• Click here to review the judging criteria.

The best teams are those that practice their pitch. Learn how to deliver your pitch flawlessly with help from an expert. Each finalist team is required to meet one-on-one with a pitch coach who will help you streamline delivery for an effective presentation. Finalists will be notified when to schedule their appointment with the pitch coach.

• Pitch your business idea to a live audience in New Orleans on Friday, November 24, 2023.
• Teams are alloted 5 minutes to present, 2 minutes for a tech demo, and 5 minutes for Q&A.
• Top 3 three teams will receive a total of $20,000.
• The first place will be selected based on their innovation, business model, and technical achievement.