Results: 2005 USF-PSI International Business Plan Competition

We are delighted to announce the results of the 2005 University of San Francisco - Pacific Specialty Insurance International Business Plan Competition and the San Francisco-Silicon Valley Global Entrepreneurship Research Conference. This year a scholarly conference on global entrepreneurship research was added to the graduate student entrepreneur contest which created a unique event that combined academic research and application in entrepreneurship. The four-day affair was held March 9 to 12 at the Mark Hopkins and USF Lone Mountain Campus.

The academic research conference, co-chaired by Professors Mark Cannice, Roger Chen, and Zhan Li, highlighted the cutting-edge entrepreneurship research of the approximately 40 scholars from 15 countries (e.g., Croatia, Brazil, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, China, and France) from the submissions that were accepted. The conference began with an opening night panel discussion on Wednesday, March 9, at the Mark Hopkins that attracted over 250 attendees. On the following day, the participating professors presented their original research on entrepreneurial topics ranging from social aspects in entrepreneurship to venture capital in 9 separate sessions. Many of the conference professors then attended the elevator pitch contest Thursday evening as well as the subsequent contest sessions at USF Lone Mountain on Friday and Saturday. 

The contest began on Wednesday, March 9, as well with warm-up coaching sessions during the day for about half of the competing teams. Strong graduate entrepreneur teams from 20 leading universities (Oxford, UCLA, Michigan, USF, etc.) from among the approximately 100 team applications earned semi-finalist positions; all of the invited teams accepted the contest invitation and appeared to compete at USF. Many of the contestants attended the conference panel discussion as well as some of the research paper presentations on Thursday. However, the graded contest began on Thursday evening with the 'BIG SHOW' - the one and only USF-PSI Elevator Pitch Competition where all 20 teams give 90 second pitches of their company concept, business model, and technology before a judging panel of over 20 venture capital and law partners and CEOs and an audience of about 300.  (Listen to a soundtrack of the elevator pitch contest at the following link: http://www.usfca.edu/sobam/nvc/bplan_tracks05.htm)

The San Francisco Chronicle covered the event and published it as a lead story in its Saturday Business Section - link below.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/03/12/BUGCIBOAPF1.DTL

The contest proceeded with the semi-final rounds on Friday and the final round competition on Saturday morning. All of the sessions were very competitive. After judging the elevator pitch contest, Intuit chairman Bill Campbell said, "I was blown away, actually. Of the 20 [business plans], I thought there were probably 12 to 15 worth looking at again."

The judging panel over the three days was comprised of over 60 venture capital and law partners and CEOs (Ann Winblad of Hummer Winblad; VCs with Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Garage, Burrill & Co.; and many more). It is the overwhelming strength of the judging panel that makes the USF contest one of the most competitive in the world.

The team prizes are as follows:

The Pacific Specialty Insurance $10,000 Grand Prize & Elevator Pitch Contest Winner ($1,000)
Harmonic Devices - University of California, Berkeley

Harmonic Devices is a revolutionary semiconductor device startup that will introduce the world’s first silicon chip integrating timing references as well as radio frequency and intermediate frequency filters. Harmonic Device’s proprietary resonator technology delivers new levels of component miniaturization, integration and performance for wireless communication devices, enabling smaller form factors, longer battery life, lower heat dissipation, and lower costs. 

Second Place Winner $3,000 prize
Spark Parking - Northwestern University

Spark Parking is a parking facility operator that will use its patent-pending sensor system to provide radically lower infrastructure and operating costs, enhanced revenue collection, and unique, real-time lot management and monitoring. Spark Parking brings disruptive innovation to the typically slow-to-improve parking industry, and will gain a competitive foothold in the otherwise low-profit small lots segment before expanding to manage larger facilities.

3 Finalist Team Winners - $1,000 prize

Lume, Inc. - Stanford University (and Elevator Pitch Contest - Second Place Winner - $500)

Lume, Inc. will bring large, flat displays to the mass market by utilizing ELTVTM, a breakthrough technology, to which we have exclusive rights. ELTVTM offers disruptive cost savings, lower weight, and lower power consumption versus competing technologies.

NGA, Inc. - Babson College

NGA, Inc. is a medical device firm with a focus on dental cosmetology products for professional and consumer markets. Our proprietary technology offers a simpler, faster, and safer alternative to existing peroxide-based whitening treatments. NGA’s first product is RejuveDent™, a professional tooth-whitening device that is significantly more cost-effective for dentists and safer for patients than competing products.

Entrega Labs - University of Minnesota

Entrega Labs is an early-stage drug delivery technology company providing a full range of services from drug formulation to manufacturing for animal health pharmaceutical companies using our patented ELI technology platform. Revenues will be generated from contract services, licensing of technology, and manufacturing

Best International Business $2,000 Prize

Buhi Marine Supply - Silliman University, Philippines