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 for a chance to win up to $75,000 in equity-free funding across winning teams, 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: 2023 Applications open in January 2023
Round One: Late March 2023
Championships: Late April 2023
Application Deadline: Late May
Decisions: Early June
Championships: Late June
Applications for alumni are now closed.
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 2022, you can apply to the alumni track competition.
Solo founders and founder teams are welcomed 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 student or alumnus. Additionally, if applying as a team, please submit only one application. You will have an opportunity to list all team members on the application.
We’ll sit with you one-on-one and walk through any hesitations you may have about the “readiness” of your venture. Office hours are virtual. Grab a time slot here >>
In your application, you will submit a 5-minute video of your venture’s pitch. We will then reach out with decisions about who will move on to the championships.
The alumni championships will be virtual on Zoom. The 6 finalist teams will present a 5-minute pitch, followed by a 7-minute Q&A from our judges.
Judges will deliberate and select 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. The audience will also have a chance to choose a venture to receive the Audience Choice Award.
Lilie will help you refine your venture and prepare you to give an award-winning pitch by:
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:
Are you looking to gain exposure to Houston’s newest and most promising startup ventures, as well as first-class entrepreneurial talent? Or are you looking to partner with potential long-term clients? Contact our team at lilie@rice.edu to see how you can support this experience and join us in the transformation of Houston’s innovation ecosystem.
