K-State Launch

Eligibility
Students must be enrolled at Kansas State University during the semester the competition is held. The concept and venture must demonstrate student management and ownership. Individuals or teams of no more than four students may submit a concept. Teams selected as finalists for Launch event must present in-person.
Launch is a series of independent competitions that reward students for showcasing an entrepreneurial mindset. Concepts must be the original work of the students who comprise the team. For-profit and not-for-profit entities are eligible. Generally excluded from entry are the following: buy-outs, expansions of existing companies, real estate syndications, tax shelters, franchises, and licensing agreements for distribution in the local market. The licensing of technologies or commercialization of research that is not the original work of the student team is prohibited. No person can be a member of more than one team. Teams entering Launch with same idea that they presented in a previous Launch competition must demonstrate how the business has advanced since the last competition.

Please note: All submission deadlines are final. Late applications cannot be accepted and deadline extensions cannot be granted for any reason. The Launch staff encourages each team to submit requirements early so that any technical difficulties can be resolved before the deadline. All submissions are due by 11:59pm (CST) on the due date.

Confidentiality and Intellectual Property
All submitted information is deemed the property of the participating teams and any licensors. Competition judges and staff do not sign non-disclosure agreements. Teams are strongly encouraged to not provide any specifics or details that are considered to be intellectual property. There will be no penalty in judging when a question or issue is not fully addressed because of concerns over confidentiality.

Conflict of Interest Statement
No judge, volunteer, or competition staff member may have any vested interest, equity stake, or financial stake in any of the finalist companies. Any of the previously listed parties that stand to gain financially or otherwise from the success of any finalist company is strictly prohibited. Any such associations will result in disqualification of the team and/or removal of that individual from his or her associated position with the competition.

Spirit of the Competition
The spirit of the Launch series is that university students originate, found, and lead the startup idea. Teams not aligned with this vision or not working towards this end may be disqualified (e.g. an existing company run by non-students cannot recruit students only to become eligible for the competition). The Launch staff reserves the right to review submissions on a case-by-case basis and make eligibility decisions. Teams that are unsure of their eligibility should contact the Launch staff. The licensing of technologies or commercialization of research that is not the original work of the student team is prohibited. Competitors who promote illegal, illicit, unethical, immoral, or other types of activities, which may be considered unworthy of association with the Launch series, may be disqualified.

• All undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in Kansas State University during the semester of the competition are eligible to enter.
  
  
• Students (or teams) simply register for the competition at: ksu.edu/launch and complete the survey to register their concept by the due date. Teams selected as finalists will be notified.

• September 18 – Submission deadline for entries
• September 23 – All finalists announced
• September 30 – Day of Launch event

Workshop Dates (Encouraged but not required):
In the spirit of empowering students of all majors and disciplines from across campus to launch their business idea, the Launch faculty and staff will be hosting a workshop that discusses the components of the new format. The Launch staff has different dates and times available for this workshop in attempt to cater to differing schedules. The workshops will take place in the Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship in 1056 in the Business Building on the following dates and times:

• To Be Determined.

Please note: All submission deadlines are final. Late applications cannot be accepted and deadline extensions cannot be granted for any reason. The Launch staff encourages each team to submit requirements early so that any technical difficulties can be resolved before the deadline. All submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. (CST) on the due date.

Up to 40 student entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to give a three-minute elevator pitch. In the first round on the day of the event, students will be randomly assigned a judge where they will give their pitch without an audience. Each judge will then submit their top two pitches to compete in the final round. Finalists will then have the opportunity to give their pitch to a panel of judges and a live audience. Placing finalists will receive scholarships to use towards future entrepreneurship courses to allow them to continue to pursue their unique venture.

Elevator Pitch
No slide presentation, index cards, etc. are allowed for the elevator pitch. Teams may use props/prototypes at their own discretion, but no extra transition time will be allotted for setup.

• The Elevator pitch finals are open to the public. Audience members must remain silent during pitches.
• Time begins when the presenter(s) begins speaking.
• Presenter(s) must be physically present and give the presentation live and in person. Teams must be present to claim prizes.
• Presenters are scheduled to present in random order. A list with the presentation order will be generated the day of the event.
• There will be no guarantee of confidentiality. Presenters are encouraged to avoid speaking about topics or items that should remain confidential.

Cash prizes for the Launch will be awarded and paid to the legal entity where one exists. If no entity exists then the prizes will be awarded to individual student team members in proportion to the capitalization table or proposed capitalization table submitted. Cash prizes will not be paid at any time to non-students outside of an entity. If a non-student holds an equity position as indicated on a capitalization table where there is no entity present, the cash prize will be paid on a prorated basis to only the student members listed on the capitalization table. If no capitalization table exists, prize money will be split equally between student team members. Prize awards may be subject to taxation and are the sole responsibility of the entity or person(s) to whom the awards are distributed. Each entity or individual(s) will be required to provide a W-9 before receiving any prizes.

A total of $5,000 in scholarships will be awarded to the placing finalists. Details will be coming soon.