ACC InVenture Prize competition
Objective
They've battled it out on the field, but now the ACC's best minds come together for a competition like no other. The Atlantic Coast Conference InVenture Prize is a collaborative effort by institutional leadership from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). It represents an opportunity to stimulate undergraduate entrepreneurial activity and increase student-faculty engagement, to celebrate and highlight the exceptional creativity and ingenuity of our students, and to inspire a greater sense of camaraderie across the conference.
Description
Florida State University will serve as the host of The 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) InVenture Prize competition! Fifteen ACC universities are invited to send their best undergraduate entrepreneurs to compete at the nations' largest undergraduate student innovation competition.
At Florida State University, the entrepreneurial mindset is a pervasive, animating force. We believe entrepreneurial principles are very much in keeping with the goals of every aspect of higher education—after all, being a “first mover” in any endeavor starts with a dedication to discovery and transformation. In this spirit, we empower all members of our community to launch solutions early, evaluate results critically, and make improvements continuously. Above all, this rapid innovation cycle must be flexible and collaborative and reflect profound empathy for the end-user—which we define as humanity itself.
Contestants in this year's ACC InVenture Prize competition will experience Florida State University's commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship firsthand as they tour the FSU Innovation Hub, the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, and other campus landmarks. The final televised final round will take place in the renowned Ruby Diamond Concert Hall.
Competition Structure
All participating universities will select one team to send to the competition. The competition will begin with a preliminary round. In this “quick pitch” round, each student or student team will go before a panel of judges and present an approximately three-minute pitch, followed by five minutes for questions and comments from the judges.
The preliminary round judges will then select five of the possible fifteen teams to continue on to the final round, which will be televised live the following evening. Following the final round, competition organizers will host a networking session for all competing teams as an opportunity for the students to meet with the competition judges and potential investors.
Team Eligibility Requirements
Each team member must meet all of the eligibility requirements listed below.
Each university finalist team may be composed of full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate students or recent graduates of the university within one year of graduation from their undergraduate program.
If a team member is a recent graduate of the university, the idea for the invention must have been initially conceived while the student was enrolled as an undergraduate.
If a team member is a recent graduate of the university and is now attending graduate school at another ACC institution, the student is only eligible to compete for their undergraduate institution.
Entrants should be the original creators, inventors, or owners of the intellectual property (IP)
underlying their invention.
A team whose idea or invention qualifies as university-owned IP is not eligible to enter.
Teams with generated revenue or venture capital funding in excess of $100,000 are not eligible to compete. This includes funding from both institutional and non-institutional sources (contests, grants, friends and family, bank loans, etc.)
Teams who competed as a university finalist in the competition in a previous year may not compete
as an identical entrant in subsequent years. A university may again nominate a team that served as
their finalist previously only if the university decides there has been substantive improvement or
change to their invention.
Prizes
First Place
Decided by the panel of expert judges during the final round, the first-place winner or winning team will receive $15,000 to continue development of their invention or product.
Second Place
Also decided by the judges' panel during the live final round, the second-place team will receive $10,000 in funding of their invention or product.
People's Choice Award
$5,000 is given to the fans' favorite invention, as determined by online and text voting during the televised final round. The winner will be announced live onstage once polling has closed.
April 02, 2025
Undefined
Private
innovation
Teams compete for $30,000 in prizes and a chance to be the next ACC InVenture Prize winner.