The Intel Global Challenge showcases business opportunities with the greatest potential for a positive impact on society through the commercialization of new and truly innovative technologies. Only teams with a scalable business model that make integral use of novel technology, such as technologies in the following industry categories, will be chosen to participate:

• Internet, Mobile, and Software Computing
• Computing for Social Innovation
• Hardware and Computing

While the scope of technology innovation is not restricted to the above, business must have a strong technology focus in order to compete.

Team Deliverables and Registration Details Coming Soon.

Eligibility to Compete at the Intel Global Challenge

Startup teams may only participate in the Intel Global Challenge through nomination by a partner school or competition, and must meet the following criteria:

1. Each startup team must include a current student (bachelor, master, or PhD) or recent graduate (up to 4 years after bachelor’s or master’s graduation as of June 30, 2009 or point of entry) from an accredited university or college.  The student team member(s) must be actively participating in the development of and working on the business, and be available to attend the Challenge to present to the judges and answer questions.
2. Each startup team attending the Intel Global Challenge Finals should be comprised of no more than 4 team members and 1 mentor/advisor. At least one member of the team in attendance must be a founder or co-founder of the startup, be one of the two presenters during the judging round(s), and available to answer judges’ questions regarding the business.  Non-student team members will not be eligible to present and participate in the Q&A during the judging rounds.
3. Startup teams are limited to receiving up to a combined $250,000 in funding from debt and equity funding sources including, but not limited to, venture capital, angel investors, or private funding sources.  Funding limitations exclude any grants received.
4. The proposed venture must not have been in operation for more than 3 years, with the start of the venture marked by first income or first patent, whichever occurred first.
5. The proposed venture may not be a wholly owned subsidiary of an existing entity (either for-profit or non-profit).

Judging Criteria
The Challenge judging criteria is structured to select the business opportunity with the greatest impact through the deployment of new computing technology. Emphasis will be placed on the deployment of emerging and innovative technology products and services that have a high likelihood of generating significant benefits for all stakeholders – entrepreneurs, investors, and the broader industry ecosystem.

The judging committee will not exclusively reward businesses that generate the highest financial return however a requirement for entry is that the proposed business is scalable.  

Each entry will be judged on the following five criteria based on a 5-point scale:

1. Market opportunity and competitive positioning

• Is this a disruptive idea to create a large enough market or incremental innovation in a crowded market space?
• Does product/service target a market with growth potential?

2. Well defined value proposition

• Is the value proposition clearly defined for one/more customer segments with a pain point?
• Is the competitive position understood and value proposition differentiated?

3. Attractiveness of the business model

• Does the business model tell complete story how the company will be successful and shows go to market strategy?
• Does the team have a realistic and well justified revenue model?

4. Progress of the team to date

• Is the product/service prototype ready for a demo or in use by customers?
• Has the team identified and engaged strategic partners?

5. Team mix, qualification and experience

• Is the team balanced and have domain expertise they need?
• Does the team understand their intellectual property position and has taken steps to protect it if needed?
• Is the team agile and flexible to run rapid experiments to validate their hypothesis? Or are they only focused on executing their business plan?

6. Quality of the presentation

• Was the presentation delivered with passion and enthusiasm?
• Was the presentation complete and well balanced?

Judges will be notable venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and other industry and entrepreneurship experts.

Prizes
The 2013 Intel Global Challenge will award a total of $100,000 in cash prizes. The grand prize winner will receive $50,000. There will be three First Prize winners to receive $10,000 each in the catergories noted below. Three additional awards in the categories of Favorite All-Student Team, Social Media Challenge, Best Poster, and Best Presentation will also be awarded.  All participants will benefit from the education provided, introductions to potential investors, publicity, and feedback from industry experts that will occur at the Challenge.

Internet, Mobile, and Software Computing
The team that has the greatest opportunity to create a scalable business that leverages disruptive computing innovations including cloud computing, big data, high speed mobile connectivity, machine learning, artificial intelligence, mobile platforms, or advanced sensors.

Computing for Social Innovation
The team that has the greatest opportunity to create a scalable business that leverages computing with positive financial returns, as well as a significant impact on systemic social challenges in sectors including agriculture, education, energy, financial services, the environment, health, housing, or water.

Hardware and Computing
The team that has the greatest opportunity to create a scalable business that leverages hardware including wireless, embedded, or perceptual computing.

Partner Schools and Competitions
Partner schools and Competitions are chosen by the organizers of the Challenge based upon their ability to attract high quality businesses focused on scalable technology entrepreneurship.

Each partner school may nominate up to two (2) teams in any one year.

• The proposed teams/business models should not be in violation of any intellectual property rights.
• Te proposed startups should demonstrate a commitment to responsible and ethical business practices.

Funding
Teams or team members that have received any form or amount of venture capital financing for their business plan may not participate in the Challenge. Teams with seed financing from non-venture capital sources totaling less than $250,000 may compete in the Challenge, providing that the amount and source of all capital arrangements are clearly identified in the team’s entry materials.

Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Guidelines
The authors of the business model will retain all rights to the plan regarding its use at all times prior to and following the competition except as stated below. Due to the nature of the competition, we will not ask judges, reviewers, staff or the audience to agree to or sign non-disclosure statements for any participant. All public sessions of the competition, including but not limited to oral presentations and question/answer sessions, are open to the public at large. Any and all of these public sessions may be broadcast to interested persons through media such as radio, television, and the Internet. Any data or information discussed or divulged in public sessions by entrants should be considered information that will likely enter the public realm, and entrants should not assume any right of confidentiality in any data or information discussed, divulged, or presented in these sessions.

Intel and the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship may make photocopies, photographs, videotapes, and/or audiotapes of the presentations including the business plan and other documents, charts, or material prepared for use in presentation at the Challenge. Submitting teams retain all proprietary rights. The Challenge may use the materials in any book or other printed materials and any videotape or other medium that it may produce, provided that any profits earned from the sale of such items is used by Challenge to defray the costs of future Competitions. The partners have non-exclusive world rights in all languages, and in all media, to use or to publish the materials in any book, other printed materials, videotapes or other medium, and to use the materials in future editions thereof and derivative.