Applications now open for 18th annual Tulane Business Model Competition

College entrepreneurs are invited to enter the 18th annual Tulane Business Model Competition (TBMC) for a chance to win more than $40,000 in cash and prizes for promising startup ventures.

Hosted by the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Tulane’s A. B. Freeman School of Business, the competition seeks early-stage ventures that demonstrate a market-tested ability to adapt to customers’ needs. It is open to ventures led by one or more students enrolled in a college or university. To enter, teams must submit their application and all supporting documents by 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2018. The application is available online at https://lepage.startuptree.co/discover/competitions.

“The Tulane Business Model Competition is our premier annual event to find, fund and champion startups,” said Rob Lalka, executive director of the Lepage Center. "Over the last 17 years, the competition has helped innovative ventures from around the world to develop their models and achieve product/market fit. As we begin our 18th year, I look forward to seeing what these best and brightest student entrepreneurs come up with next."

In February, judges will review all applications received and select six ventures to move on to the competition's semi-final round, which will take place on Thursday, March 9, as part of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. Judges will then choose three finalists who will pitch their business models in a live competition on Thursday, April 19, to determine this year's first-, second- and third-place prize winners.

The Tulane Business Model Competition emphasizes the importance of validating a business model through field research. The contest rewards ventures for breaking down an idea into a key business model hypotheses; testing their assumptions with customers; applying Customer Development / Lean Startup principles to make sure they refine the model for improved success; and pivoting until they have a customer-validated business model.

For more information and to see the complete rules, visit http://lepage.tulane.edu/ or contact Stephanie Kleehammer at skleeham@tulane.edu or 504-865-5462.