Duke Start-Up Challenge 2009-2010 (old)

The Duke Start-Up Challenge is an entrepreneurship competition that runs the course of the academic year, from November to April. The competition includes an Elevator Pitch Competition in November, an Executive Summary Competition in February, a Business Plan Competition in March and the DSC Grand Finale in April. Refer to the calendar below for the key events and dates. Several cash and in-kind prizes are awarded to participants in every phase of the Duke Start-Up Challenge. Teams are also provided with feedback at every phase by a panel of reputed judges, to help them progress to the next stages of the Duke Start-Up Challenge and beyond. Founded in 1999 by an ambitious group of Duke students, the competition is now celebrating its 10th year of operation.

Competition Tracks
There are five functional tracks (i.e. tracks corresponding to industry areas) and two special interest tracks. Each participating team can compete in up to three tracks; one functional, and two special interest tracks. The tracks for the 2009 - 2010 academic year are the following:

Functional Tracks
1) Energy & Environment
2) Health Care & Life Sciences
3) Information Technology & Media
4) Products & Services (a catch-all for ideas that don't fit the other functional tracks)
5) Social Enterprises (including non-profits)

Special Interest Tracks
1) Undergraduate
2) Women

• Brooks Malone wrote (1 year ago):

  Great job by the team to make the judging easier. Perhaps make the scale larger next year?

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• Tim Canavan wrote (1 year ago):

  Jason, We have grouped judges so that, for the most part, they are evaluating plans in the same track for an apples to apples comparison. This year we received a large number of plans in all tracks. Thank you for supporting Duke entrepreneurs! - Tim Canavan, Duke Startup Challenge Judging Chair

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• Jason Pratt wrote (1 year ago):

  Am I missing something, or is every entrant this year a non-profit or "social" enterprise? I have nothing against that, just curious whether any for-profits have been entered at all, or whether I just happened not to get any of them to judge...

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• Don Seaquist wrote (1 year ago):

  I look forward to meeting the teams and judging the plans for my third year.

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• Shalav Gupta wrote (1 year ago):

  A few clarifications based on the queries i've been getting:
  1. The page limit is 2 pages with 1 inch margins and 11 point font. Everything including names etc. should fit in two pages. You may use headers and footers.
  2. Your team needn't be final at this stage. The team you enter in the business plan (next stage) will be final. However, the judges for the executive summary will look at the make up of your team, so it is important for this round as well.
  3. We expect to see some updates/revisions in the business plan. So if there are small discrepancies in the executive summary now and the business plan later that is OK and expected.
  
  Hope this helps. If you have any more last minute questions call me on 617-335-5642.
  
  Good luck!
  
  Regards
  Shalav Gupta
  Co-president, Duke Start-Up Challenge 2010

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