Are you a business founder or have exciting business concept? Apply to compete in the Tigers Den and win an award of up to $20,000 sponsored by the Flemming Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Purpose
The Tigers Den program provides an incubator experience for founders with ventures that have launched or are close to launch. The pitch competition offers students from all over the college a chance to share their ideas and business progress regardless of participation in Flemming Center programming.
Founders who successfully navigate the pitch competition will be invited to join the 2023-24 incubator. The incubator will run throughout the following academic year and can include the spring EL-OFF course or be extra-curricular on a as needed basis.
Eligibility
Any student who is enrolled currently at Hampden-Sydney and alumni classes 2019-2022 are eligible to participate. You must have a developed business or non-profit model with customer validation that you will actively grow in the following 12 months.
Amount
The decisions whether to make any awards and the amounts of those investments will be at the discretion of the judges. If awarded, awards(s) may range from $1,000 to $20,000.
Presentation
You, as a Tigers Den presenter, will have 7 minutes to make a pitch in front of a panel of judges who are alumni and founders of businesses. You will have access to a projector, sound system, and PC computer. The content of the pitch is at your discretion – you can present a slide deck or create an infomercial video that meets the criteria below. Your goal is to convince your future customers and the panel of judges that you have an organization that can have meaningful impact on a significant problem.
Timeline
- early April—Submit your final presentation documentation for consideration for admittance to the competition
- late April—Finalists pitch to judges panel, top three awardees selected, and announcement of award denominations
Registration
- Submit your presentation and basic business details: Presentation Submission
- Sign up to participate as a guest: Guest Registration
Judging Criteria
- Business Purpose - Explanation of the problem that exists and how the business idea solves this problem
- Potential - Support for the commercial potential, viability, and prospects for success of the business idea e.g. you’ve achieved milestones
- Validation - The idea has been tested in some way, big or small, with real potential customers (customer interviews, prototypes, surveys, etc.)
- Team - The credibility, "back-ability," and passion of the individuals behind the business idea
Mentorship & Entrepreneurship Education
The following is a sampling of the benefits available to the finalist teams:
- Education - Prior to the pitch competition, student and local alumni teams can engage the Flemming Center directly for guidance and consulting. Winning teams receive semi-structured training in entrepreneurial decision making
- Mentoring - Work with experienced mentors and entrepreneurs in the Hampden-Sydney community and beyond
- Networking - Connect with the Hampden-Sydney entrepreneurial ecosystem including investors, entrepreneurs, and business leaders with a diverse range of expertise
- Community - Community is an important part of the Hampden-Sydney Venture Fund experience. Teams are expected to learn as much from one another as they do from the Hampden-Sydney College Venture Fund staff and mentors.