Entrepreneurship Competitions and Prizes
At the E-Lab we both run and partner with others to host a collection of competitions and prizes to support students, researchers and members of our entrepreneurial community to gain experience, resources, and guidance regardless of where they may be in their entrepreneurial journeys. From high school students to Professors, our range of opportunities are the perfect place to test your ideas and meet a community of aspiring innovators.
OUR CURRENT COMPETITIONS AND PRIZES
Pitch@King’s
Pitch@King’s offers you the opportunity to practice your pitching skills with support from across the E-Lab, and a chance to compete for a prize pot of £6000. Across Michaelmas and Lent terms, participants will have the chance not only to practice a short pitch for their venture (at any stage of development) in front of a live audience, but also to progress through newly introduced knockout rounds. Although competitive, the environment is friendly and inviting for those at any stage - whether MVP or bright idea - and each session offers constructive feedback from our E-Lab community, including Visiting Entrepreneurs, mentors, and Research Associates, who bring industry insight and practical expertise.
For more details click here.
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme Entrepreneurship Prize
In collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Cambridge, the E-Lab runs a year-long extracurricular program aimed at cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset which students can apply to their own projects. The aim is to encourage student innovators to challenge the status quo and re-imagine the world through sustainable and ethical projects that can have a positive social and environmental impact. As a part of this, each year a pitching competition culminates in six shortlisted entrants submitting a seed investment pitch slide deck (expanding on their previously submitted business idea) and pitching their ideas to a panel of judges in June for he chance to win up to $15,000.
For more details click here.
King’s Entrepreneurship Prize
In 2014, the King’s College Entrepreneurship Prize competition was founded with the mission to encourage the development of entrepreneurial ideas and concepts, where creativity and know-how can be converted into sustainable commercial and social benefit. The Prize has recognised 26 winning businesses, awarded over £360,000 in funding, and the expert panel of judges have provided many more start-ups, from a wide range of industries, with valuable advice and mentorship. Each year, after a long-listing and short-listing process, finalists compete at the final for a first prize of up to £20,000, with the judges also able to make discretionary awards. We at the E-Lab are proud to be involved with this competition.
For more details: click here
Cambridge Zero Climate Challenge
The Climate Challenge empowers postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers to take their first steps in climate entrepreneurship, or to progress early-stage ventures toward real-world impact. Participants benefit from a free programme of networking, training workshops, mentoring, and socials between the launch at the end of January and the final at the beginning of May. Prizes of up to £5,000 in cash are on offer for winning teams and runners-up. The Challenge is run by Cambridge Zero, in partnership with Carbon13, Cambridge Enterprise, the Maxwell Centre, Energy IRC, King’s Entrepreneurship Lab, and CISL Canopy.
For more details click here.
Essay Competition
Our Entrepreneurship Essay Competition is designed to encourage 16–18-year-olds to get excited about entrepreneurship and to show that an academic mindset and an entrepreneurial spirit are not opposing forces, but complementary ones. Regardless of whether they hope to pursue higher education, apprenticeships, or their own entrepreneurial ventures, this competition urges them to consider the relevance of innovative thinking to all career avenues. Each year the winners are invited to a prize-giving ceremony held at King’s College at the end of each year and receive a £1,500 cash prize, with the two runners-up prizes receiving £750, and many commendation prizes awarded.
For more details click here.
OxbridgeAI X Challenge
OxbridgeAIx is a pitch competition and incubator run by Oxbridge AI X, Oxford Artificial Intelligence Society, and Cambridge Entrepreneurs Society, where the previous finalists have raised over $34m USD in funding. The competition includes up to £60,000 in equity-free prize money, special AI and business resources including up to $150,000 in Microsoft Azure credits and the opportunity to be selected for a variety of exclusive programs with the partners of OxbridgeAIx. Early Rounds of the competition are run in Oxford and Cambridge remotely in early November with the semi-finals and finals held in London on at the end of November and beginning of December of each year.
For more details click here.
CUE Startup Competition in collaboration with King’s E-Lab
The CUE Startup Competition is the much anticipated end-of year competition hosted annually by Cambridge University Entrepreneurs. This year, CUE has partnered with King’s E-Lab to bring out the best of what each organisation can offer. The competition adopts a unique new format whereby each applicant will get a chance to do a 3-minute pitch in the morning. Lunch and coffee provided! The top 5 teams will advance to the final for a chance to win £5,000. Additionally, we're organising mentorship opportunities in the topics of strategy, pitching, legal, and intellectual property.
More details: https://www.kingselab.org/events/cue-competition-2024