2010 Missouri Technology Expo

Elevator Pitch Presentations

Projects will be chosen for a short oral overview from each area of research – Engineering, Life Sciences and Biomedical Sciences. The goal of the presentation will be to attract research collaborations, commercialization partners or growth capital.

A $500 prize will be awarded to the best elevator pitch in each research area.

Online submission for Elevator Pitch Presentation

Online submission for Call for Abstracts and Posters

September 20, 2010 is the deadline for Elevator Pitch Presentations. Questions about Elevator Pitch Presentations preparation should be directed to Bandhana Katoch: katochb@missouri.edu. Authors will receive an email notification of receipt within one week of submission.

Final notification of acceptance for Elevator Pitch Presentations at Missouri Technology Showcase will be made by September 27, 2010. Travel expenses and meeting registration remain the responsibility of the presenter. If you are presenting an elevator pitch at the conference you must register for the conference.

Elevator Pitch Presentation Guideline
Each Elevator Pitch presentation will consist of a 3-4 minute presentation from the faculty/student innovator, followed by 2 minutes of questions/answers. Technologies which either have a functioning prototype or a beta version of the product or technology are preferred. However, we will also include technologies needing research grants or seed capital to develop a prototype or to take the technology to the next stage of development.

Stage of Development
Applicants can be at a variety of stages of development, from startups to third round funded ventures. Ideally, successful applicants possess intellectual property that is a:

Platform Technology that could spawn multiple products;
Close to Market, having few barriers remaining to commercial application; and
First in Space, having the potential to give rise to a whole new industry.

Ideal candidates will be able to demonstrate initial success in attracting outside funding, which may be in the form of research grants or seed capital.

Source of Innovation
Applications are open to all University’s faculty/students/start-ups participating in the event from the state of Missouri. If your technology is derived from research conducted at a university research facility, be sure to indicate so in the application.

For All Applicants:
The following scoring system will be used to evaluate applications for presentation. Please fill and submit the completed application form for review. The application should not exceed more than 3 pages in length.

Category	Elements	Prompting Questions for Applicants
Market Opportunity 30 Points	Potential is large and/or growing Market is expanding Entrance is not overly difficult for applicant Credible third parties have tested or validated benefits of technology	Who are the end users or customers? How big is the market? How is it differentiated relative to product concepts? Is it emerging or well established? What is driving fundamental demand?
Strength of Technology or Product Offering 30 Points	Technology is unique and addresses a specific problem in the marketplace Patents are strong Position is proprietary Ownership is clear Credible third parties have validated benefits of technology	What are the intellectual property rights held? How are they held? What are the competing technologies? What can the technology do for a user? Can it be easily copied or reverse engineered? What is the potential impact of the technology? Describe the break-through nature of the technology. Why was it originally developed? Is it ready for commercial use? Are there any legal hurdles to be addressed?
Potential Position in the Marketplace 10 Points	Technology lends itself easily to products Technology is useful as a platform for multiple products Product concepts are elegant or particularly innovative Lead product or application is close to market A working prototype exists and/or has been tested Credible third parties have validated benefits of technology	What are the products that are possible with the technology? What problems are solved? Do other products accomplish the same service? Why would your products be substantially better? What is the distribution channel to connect product and customer? How will this channel be maintained/expanded?
Science Team 10 Points	Team are experts in this particular field Collectively possess a deep understanding of this problem or field of study Are knowledgeable about other attempts to solve the same problem Need not be experienced entrepreneurs	How or why is this science team best qualified? What is the length of experience of each of the Science team members? What is the quality of experience (i.e. what other problems has this team tackled?) Do any of the team members have published works? Other related experience Any previous breakthroughs or noteworthy inventions?
Investor (as opposed to customer) Value Proposition 10 Points	The investment or licensing opportunity is attractive relative to other opportunities Upside is not artificially or unduly limited Path to a deal is unobstructed Founders are open to a variety of deal structures	Are you seeking capital or a licensing partner? What should be expected by investors (or licensee, or grantee), and why? If capital: In what form (i.e. debt or equity)? Are you willing to provide a meaningful equity stake in the new enterprise? How will the capital be used? What benefits will be accomplished? If licensing partner: How does your technology "fit" with existing suppliers/manufacturers or products? Who are your preferred partners? What characteristics are you seeking? Any preferred deal structures? Are you open to offers?