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2021 Rice Business Plan Competition
April 6-9, 2021
The 2021 Rice Business Plan Competition—the world’s largest and richest student startup competition—was hosted over four days including elevator pitches, round 1, a semi-finals round and live final pitches. More than 440 student-led startups from around the world applied. 54 promising startups competed making this the largest event in competition history.
Aspects of the competition were open to the public.The Elevator Pitch Competition was livestreamed on April 6th. If you missed it, you can rewatch it on YouTube. The live Final Round and Awards Presentation were also livestreamed to YouTube.
$1.6 million in cash, investment and in-kind prizes were announced.
BIG IDEAS. BRILLIANT STARTUPS: THE LARGEST RBPC YET!
Check out the 2021 Competition
See the startups shine. Learn more about the brilliant ideas student entrepreneurs are working on across the country and world. Startups competed in five sector categories: Energy, Cleantech & Sustainability, Life Science and Healthcare Solutions, Hard Tech, Digital Enterprise, or Consumer Products and Services. Startups competed for $1.6 million in prizes and will receive mentorship and guidance from investors and entrepreneurs.
Re-Watch the 2021 Competition
Re-Watch the Elevator Pitch Competition
The Elevator Pitch Competition is a fast-paced event that kicks of #RBPC21. All 54 startups submitted their 60-second pitches and are competing for a $3,500 prize pool from Mercury Fund. Watch the competition below or on our YouTube.
Re-Watch the Live Final Round and Awards Presentation
Seven startups advanced on to the live finals and competed for the $350,000 investment Grand Prize. Watch their pitches below or on our YouTube.
Congrats to all 54 startups! View the results and see who took home $1.6 million in cash, investment and in-kind prizes.
Competition Agenda and Format
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, April 6 |
4:00 - 5:15 PM CDT - Elevator Pitch Competition (Open to the public) Watch on YouTube |
| Wednesday, April 7 |
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM CDT - Round 1 (Open only to judges and startups) Pitch Order |
| Thursday, April 8 |
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM CST - Semi-Final Round (Open only to judges and startups) |
| Friday, April 9 |
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM CDT - Final Round (Open to public) - Watch on YouTube |
Watch the Announcement of the #RBPC21 Invited Startup Teams
More than 440 student-led startups from around the world applied to compete in the 2021 Rice Business Plan Competition—the world’s richest and largest student startup competition. For the first time in competition history, we’re expanding and inviting 54 promising startups to #RBPC21.
Previous Competitions
For 21 years the Rice Business Plan Competition has provided student startups with mentorship, guidance and capital to help support them on their entrepreneurial journey! In 2020, the competition went virtual for the first time. Check out a few of our previous competitions' content, including elevator pitch videos, final pitches, photos and LivePlans.