Vertical 4 Track Requirements
Vertical 4 Tracks Round Breakdown & Requirements
Round Breakdown
The vertical 4 tracks encompass those who have selected the tracks of Consumer Goods & Services, Business Goods & Services, Social Innovation, or Health & Life Sciences. Participants in this track will compete in three rounds.
- The top 10 teams from each track from round 1 will advance to round 2.
- Results are announced on February 21st, 2025.
- During round 2, teams will pitch virtually via zoom on March 18th, 2025, with the top 5 teams in each track advancing to round 3.
- Results are announced on March 19th, 2025.
- During round 3, teams will pitch in-person at Western Market on April 9th, 2025, with the top 3 teams winning prize money.
- All finalists who advance to round 3 are also eligible for special category prizes.
- During the Award Ceremony, teams will pitch live and in-Person at Jack Morton Auditorium on April 10th, 2025.
- Results for all tracks and prizes are announced during the Award Ceremony on April 10th , 2025.
Below are the requirements for each round.
Round 1 Requirements
Submit Round 1 Online Application:
What you'll need...
- Team Information.
- 50-word business thesis.
- Responses to 5 questions regarding your venture idea (250 words each).
Resources:
Round 1 application submissions due on Sunday, February 9th, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.
Round 2 Requirements
Submit Round 2 Online Application:
What you'll need...
- A 1-page executive summary.
- Must submit a pdf file.
- 8-slide PowerPoint deck.
- Must submit a .pptx file.
Pitch Virtually:
- 7-min virtual pitch on March 18th, 2025.
Resources:
Workshops:
- Crafting Your Value Proposition: How to Stand Out From Competitors [Recording].
- Protecting Your Ideas: Patents and Licensing for Startups 2024 [Recording].
- Startup Finances: How to Create a Path to Profitability [Recording].
Worksheets:
Round 2 application submissions due on Sunday, March 16th, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.
Round 3 Requirements
Submit Round 3 Online Application:
What you'll need...
- Updated 1-page executive summary.
- Must submit a pdf file.
- Updated 10-slide PowerPoint deck.
- Must submit a .pptx file.
Pitch In-person:
- 10-min in-person pitch at Western Market on April 9th, 2025.
Resources:
- Submissions and judging criteria (TBA).
Workshops:
- From Vision to Launch: Building a Winning Go-To-Market Plan.
- From Concept to Creation: Prototyping Essentials.
- Financial Analysis & Unit Economics.
Round 3 application submissions due on Sunday, April 6th, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.
Round 3 Applications Open March 20th, 2025
Award Ceremony Requirements
For Vertical 4 Finalists Only!
Submit Award Ceremony Materials:
What you'll need...
- Updated 10-slide PowerPoint deck.
- Must submit a .pptx file.
- 30-sec video.
- Must submit a .mp4 file.
Pitch Live In-person:
- 2-min in-person pitch at Jack Morton Auditorium on April 10th, 2025.
Award Ceremony Applications Open March 20th, 2025