Jabs Hall aerial photo

Event Details

The 6th annual MSU $100K Venture Competition is scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 2025 from 5:00-7:00 pm in Inspiration Hall, in Norm Asbjornson Hall.

Eligibility & Application Process

  • Open to Montana State University - Bozeman, University of Montana - Missoula, and Montana Technological University - Butte: undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, researchers, post docs, and recent alumni (2024 graduates). 
  • Venture award winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th place, or a special award greater than $5,000) from a previous MSU $50K, $75K or $100K Venture Competitions are not eligible to compete.
  • Applicant must be co-founder and/or business owner of the venture.
  • Venture must not have received any institutional funding (Venture Capital or Angel) at this time, but existing funding from family or friends and grants including SBIR/STTR or other MSU/UM/MontanaTech grant funding are allowed.
  • All types of ventures are welcome, including but not limited to new products, services, non-profit ventures, and social impact focus.
  • Tracks for the competition will include the following: Social Impact, Deep Tech or University based research, and Traditional venture Note: You will self select a track in your application, but applicants may be shifted in categories by our judges during review. 

*If you do not qualify to compete in this event, we have other services available and would love to connect with you. Please contact us at [email protected] or click here to schedule a meeting with the LaunchPad.

Application deadline is Sunday, March 30 at 11:59 pm.

To apply, please fill out and submit our application related to your startup venture.

Blue apply now button

We recommend you login / create an application account and review the application and questions sooner than later. You will be able to save drafts of your application prior to your final submission.

Additionally, your team is encouraged you to use our Launchpad as a resource to discuss your Venture and the application.  You can schedule a meeting here: http://www.montana.edu/launchpad/schedule.html.

Our judges will review all submissions and select a group of semi-finalists.  

All semi finalists and finalists willrequire a presentation coaching session prior to semi-finalist and finalist rounds. 

The finalists will present Ventures on April 24th. This event is open to the public for viewing and we will be featuring several Montana and regional business leaders and investors as our judges!

Timeline

February 6th: Applications Open

March 30th, 11:59 pm: Applications Due

March 31st - April 4th: Application Review 

April 4th: Semi-Finalists notified

Week of April 14th: Semi-Finalist Round (Virtual) 

April 24th, 5 pm-7 pm: Finals MSU $100K Venture Competition, Inspiration Hall

Prizes

This unique event will feature $100,000 in prize money as well as access to experienced entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and numerous network resources. Aside from monetary prizes, participants will receive valuable feedback from judges and capture the attention of investors, potential customers, and supporters.

Need Assistance?

Schedule an appointment with the LaunchPad for venture coaching: https://www.montana.edu/launchpad/schedule.html

Questions? Contact the LaunchPad: [email protected] or 406-994-4383.

 

Click here to view past events and winners.