Global Venture Challenge
March 25-28, 2009

Global Venture Challenge 2009 is an educational event designed to foster entrepreneurial spirit by engaging students, industry, government and the investment community in the discovery and development of innovative ideas. The ultimate goal is to encourage students to launch new technology-based businesses that can improve the well-being of the world. Specific areas of interest include Industrial Energy Efficiency.

Global Venture Challenge 2009 builds on a successful event held at Oak Ridge for the last two years. Fifteen interdisciplinary graduate school teams from the U.S. and the United Kingdom presented business ideas and competed for a $25,000 cash prize. Additionally, investors met with start-up companies from across the southeastern U.S.

The focus of this year's event is again on energy, one of the world's most critical issues. Graduate school teams from across the globe are being recruited to develop unique and innovative product ideas that can solve existing market needs and have the potential to become sustainable businesses. We will again utilize the Idea to Product ® competition model, which identifies market-viable technologies faster than traditional business plan competitions. Team submissions will be judged by diverse panels consisting of experienced energy executives, venture capitalists, technologists, entrepreneurs and the legal profession.

A new addition to the program this year is an Idea to Product® competition for high school students, presented by the University of Tennessee, where students will compete for $1000 - $4000 scholarships. Participants will observe the graduate school competition at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, tour the Knoxville campus and learn more about entrepreneurship at the University of Tennessee.

Another feature of the event is the Energy Venture Showcase which highlights selected start-up companies and gives them the opportunity to interact with industry and the investment community. Not only will these companies receive valuable advice for furthering their businesses, but entrepreneurial students will see first-hand what will be required of them as they launch their businesses.

If you would like to find out more information, please review last years Global Venture Challenge 2008.

* Idea to Product and I2P are registered trademarks of The University of Texas.