2018 BioCrossroads New Venture Competition

BioCrossroads serves as a catalyst for the continued growth of Indiana’s robust life sciences industry.

The BioCrossroads New Venture Competition, presented by Taft Law, encourages life sciences entrepreneurial activity by providing awards and recognition to promising new life sciences and health information technology ventures. Since 2012, the competition has awarded more than $350,000 to twenty-three start-up companies, which have gone on to secure over $35 million in follow-on funding.

NVC companies will enter a highly competitive process to gain access to key industry contacts and cash awards as well as to the Indiana Seed Fund III staff and the fund’s network of resources that provide early-stage, strategic support.

The winner of the competition will be awarded a cash prize of $25,000 and have the opportunity to make a presentation to the ISF III investment committee. Second Prize: $15,000 cash. Third Prize: $10,000 cash. In addition to the cash prizes, all semi-finalist and finalist companies will be invited to attend the Indiana Life Sciences Summit and pre-summit reception as guests of BioCrossroads and also be highlighted in the BioCrossroads newsletter.

Requirements:
Early-stage biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic, ag-biotech or health information technology companies developing innovative products and platforms are eligible to apply.

For consideration, companies must either be Indiana-based or be able to demonstrate a significant Indiana connection.

Companies will be evaluated based on their management teams, control or access to owned, licensed or protectable IP/technology, development plans and ability to demonstrate a validated market need.

Intellectual Property:
All competition participants will be responsible for taking the proper steps to protect their intellectual property. The competition is a public event. Judges, organizers, sponsors, and other individuals involved in the event do not sign non-disclosure agreements.

The ownership of the technology must be identified. Teams will not be permitted to present ideas based on science and technology owned by third parties who have not licensed their technology to the presenting company (or in the case where negotiations are ongoing, expressed a clear intent to license the technology to the participants, pending agreement on terms). The organizers of the competition may disqualify any team failing to comply with this rule and shall be held harmless due to such action.

Deadlines:
Applications must be submitted on or before August 13. Companies who are invited to the semi-finalist round will be notified by August 22 with subsequent pitch decks due September 10. All finalists will present at the Indiana Life Sciences Summit to a panel of judges on October 9 with winners announced later that day.

Sponsors:
Taft Law, VisionTech Partners, Metazoa Brewing, 16 Tech, Halo Capital