Gov. Pillen Announces Launch of New Venture Competition

The inaugural Nebraska Governor's New Venture Competition, as announced by Governor Jim Pillen, aims to provide young entrepreneurs across Nebraska with the opportunity to develop and pitch their business ideas. The top three finalists will receive financial awards in the following year to help jumpstart their business ventures.

Hudl's CEO, David Graff, highlighted the importance of business plan competitions in the early stages of Hudl's development and how they helped refine their business model. The Nebraska Governor's New Venture Competition will also include a mentoring component, with support from the state's startup ecosystem, including founders, funders, and service providers. This support will extend to judging at the competition and providing general technical assistance to the participating teams.

The competition is specifically designed for student-led businesses at the ideation and pre-seed stages. To be eligible, students must be at the undergraduate or graduate level and attending a Nebraska post-secondary educational institution at the time of application. They must also specify how their business falls into one of the seven industry tracks:

• AgTech
• FinTech/InsurTech
• CleanTech
• Advanced Manufacturing
• BioTech
• Emerging Media Arts
• SportsTech

More information can be found here, where applications will be accepted until December 1. Semi-finalists will have the opportunity to participate in a virtual pitch competition in December. Subsequently, six to eight teams will be selected to give in-person presentations to judges on February 1, 2024. The finals of the Nebraska Governor's New Venture Competition will coincide with the Nebraska State Chamber's annual meeting, and the top three finalists will receive prize awards of $20,000, $15,000, and $10,000 to help kickstart their entrepreneurial endeavors.