Baylor to Host 2026 New Venture Competition
The Hankamer School of Business (HSB) at Baylor University will host the New Venture Competition (NVC) March 27-28 at the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation.
NVC, hosted by HSB’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation, allows collegiate entrepreneurs from around the world to showcase their business plans and compete for more than $200,000 in cash prizes and resources, including the grand prize of $50,000.
“The business teams that compete in the NVC are not only encouraged to network and market their ideas to external sources but also have the opportunity to raise additional capital for their business venture,” Program Manager Priscilla James said. “Some of the winners have gone on to be recognized by Forbes’ ‘30 Under 30,’ and have partnered with the Department of Defense or Mayo Clinic.”
The top 10 finalists present their 10-minute pitches to a panel of accomplished experts and fellow innovators to determine the final three teams. Those competitors also deliver elevator pitches at the awards banquet, where the audience votes for their favorite.
The 10 teams competing at NVC are selected through two preliminary rounds prior to the on-campus event. In the first round, teams submit a two-page executive summary outlining their initial business pitch. The top 50 teams advance to the second round and submit a full business plan, cap table and tax and legal-entity forms.
Finalists are selected based on several criteria, including idea quality, viability and scalability of the model and strategy, market attractiveness and exit potential, quality of written work, financial projections and investor interest.
The 2026 top 10 finalists include:
• George Mason University – Doctors United DPT LLC
• Johns Hopkins University – PinPointDx
• Johns Hopkins University – SafeSock
• Northwestern University – HaptE
• Rice University – DialySafe
• Rowan University – Bobica Bars
• University of Michigan – Puffin Air Purifiers
• University of Pennsylvania – Olfaction
• University of Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh Coastal Energy
• Washington University in Saint Louis – NeuroFore
The two-day finals event is open to the public, allowing finalists to connect with attendees and share their ventures with potential partners and investors. Previous attendees have included lawyers, business owners, investors, bankers and other leaders from the community.
“Attendees have the opportunity to witness the wave of cutting-edge technology the collegiate entrepreneurs are developing while in an environment that promotes networking with members of the competing teams as well as other attendees,” James said. “It is a win-win for everyone.”
For more information on NVC and to register to attend, visit https://hankamer.baylor.edu/baugh-center/new-venture or email Priscilla James at Priscilla_James@baylor.edu.
