Business Plan Finalists Compete for $15,000 Prize

C ompeting final presentations for the WPI Venture Forum's 13th annual business plan contest will wrap up the season at the June 13 meeting. An all-investor judging panel will provide the contestants and the audience with business plan writing and presentation tips to increase the likelihood of angel, institutional and venture investor interest in a company.

The 2006 WPI Venture Forum Business Plan Contest was open to technology-based pre-start, startup, and ongoing businesses located in New England, as well as students and professors of WPI. Entries included the development of a new product, a new application or process in an existing business, and the start-up of a new business. Most of the contestants are startup technology-based businesses, spanning the spectrum of technology areas, from high tech to biotech, and medical devices to software.

The first round of contest judging took place in May. Each business entry made a presentation to a judging panel with expertise in the technology area of the business, selected from professional service and advisory groups. The judges provided feedback on the quality of the presentation and the business opportunity, and ranked the contestants.

Finalists Al Prescott of Crescent Innovations; Charlie Squires of Champion Metrics; and Katya Tsaioun of Apredica will present their full plans at the June 13 WPI Venture Forum meeting. The panel of judges includes Tripp Peake, Managing Partner of the venture firms Long River Ventures and Worcester Capital Partners, and Elliot Katzman, General Partner of Kodiak Venture Partners. They will select the winner immediately after the finalist presentations. The prize will then be awarded to the winner.

Come learn the key elements of a business plan, see how others present and critique their plans, and applaud the contest winner!