Seven entrepreneurs will be competing for $100,000 when they pitch their ideas to the judges and public at Enterprize Pitch Day on Friday October 13.
Among the most lucrative business plan competitions in Australia, the team that wins Enterprize will receive $100,000 in seed funding from UQ Business School (UQBS).
From a very competitive field of entries, seven projects were selected on the strength of their business plans. The elite judging panel interviewed the finalists yesterday, and will announce the winner after judging performances at the Pitch Day itself on October 13.
After the interviews, the panel of judges said that the competition will be difficult to decide as many of the finalists are ready to commercialize now.
Enterprize has attracted the involvement of several high profile members of Australia’s venture capital community, said Professor Tim Brailsford, Head of UQ Business School.
“Our elite judging panel for 2006 includes Bob Christiansen, Executive Director Allen and Buckeridge, Bruce Scott, Managing Director of NBC Capital, UQ Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield and Stewart Gow, Director, Venture Capital and Commercialisation Unit, Investment Division, Queensland Department of State Development,” Professor Brailsford said.
“Since its inception in 2001, Enterprize has captured the imaginations of our nation’s brightest entrepreneurs.
“While only one team will leave Pitch Day 2006 with the $100,000 prize, it is important to recognise the achievements of all our finalists.”
The finalists are GetCracking (concrete roads will be cheaper to build and last longer), Imprezzeo (image recognition software), PepFactants (technology break-through for industries using emulsions and foams), BioShield (vaccine for a virus that has devastated the aquaculture industry globally), Neutropharma (transfusible neutrophils), Ausonex (hearing test instrument that doubles speed of testing), and LanguageMap (cost-efficient way of testing English language skills).
To secure your place at Pitch Day contact Amy Hsylop a.hyslop@business.uq.edu.au
Media inquiries: Fiona Sutton (07 3365 6748 or 0423 637 699, f.sutton@business.uq.edu.au)
