The H. Albert Napier Rice Launch Challenge (NRLC) is Rice’s new venture competition, where undergraduate, graduate, MBA students and alumni pitch their business ventures to win a share of $65,000 in equity-free funding, all while launching their venture on the biggest stage of the year.
To better serve our entrepreneurial community, we’ve designed dedicated student and alumni NRLC competitions. With two tracks, we are able to offer more finalist spots (and $$$) to Rice startups.
Application Deadline: March 1
Round One: March 28
Round Two: March 30
Championships: April 19
Application Deadline: May 28
Finalist Notified: June 5
Championships: June 28
Applications for alums are now open.
Alumni from all areas of study are encouraged to apply, along with alumni from any graduating year. If you are a Rice student who will graduate by May 2023, you can apply to the alumni track competition.
Solo founders and founder teams are welcome to apply. If applying as a team, members or partners do not need to have a Rice background. However, the co-founder pitching is required to be a Rice alum. Additionally, if applying as a team, please submit only one application. You will have an opportunity to list all team members on the application.
In your application, you will submit a 5-minute video of your venture’s pitch. We will then reach out with decisions by June 5 about who will move on to the championships.
The alumni championships will be virtual on Zoom on Wednesday, June 28. The 6 finalist teams will present a 5-minute pitch, followed by a 7-minute Q&A from our judges.
We are extremely grateful for the generosity of our community. For their sponsorship and support in fostering entrepreneurship at Rice, we’d like to thank:
