The Scipreneur Challenge

The Scipreneur Challenge is a 10-week entrepreneurship-based competition organized by BioTN’s Academic Alliance. The competition is held annually in collaboration with the state’s leading academic and research institutions. 

 

Through Scipreneur, university undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows, and research staff are placed in teams and assigned a technology from one of the state's premier research institutions.

 

Teams create a business plan around the technology by researching the market, developing a plan for commercialization and, finally, making a pitch for mock investment. 

 

The program begins with an “IP Parade,” a showcase of available technologies by their principal investigators from research institutions, and the assignment of Scipreneur teams. 

 

At the program’s core Scipreneur participants receive weeks of courses and training led by area experts on intellectual property (IP), entrepreneurship, problem framing, regulatory pathways, market evaluation, company valuation and financial modeling, and making an investment pitch.  

 

“Demo Day" is the mock business pitch competition where teams pitch for mock investment before a live audience of supporters. The night is judged by area investors and business leaders. Winners are awarded cash prizes.

 

Check out the highlights from our 2022 Final Pitch Challenge: