Applications now open for 19th annual Tulane Business Model Competition

Student entrepreneurs are invited to enter the 19th 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 January 25, 2019. The application is available online at https://lepage.startuptree.co/discover/competitions.

“We’re pleased to bring the Tulane Business Model Competition back for its 19^th year,” said Rob Lalka, executive director of the Lepage Center. “This is our premier annual event to identify, promote and support new companies. Every year I’m amazed at the talented student entrepreneurs who travel to New Orleans to hone their business models, and I look forward to meeting this year’s applicants.”

In February, judges will select six ventures to compete in the competition’s semi-final round, which will take place the week of March 25 as part of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. Judges will then choose three finalists to pitch their business models in a live competition on Monday, April 8, to determine this year’s first, second and third place prize winners.

The Tulane Business Model Competition (TBMC) emphasizes the importance of validating a business model through field research. The contest rewards ventures for breaking down an idea into the key business model hypothesis; 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 Emily Egan at eegan@tulane.edu or 504-865-5462.