Idaho TechLaunch looking for students, entrepreneurs

Are you a student or entrepreneur with a great business idea? You might want to start making plans for Boise in mid-May and Idaho TechLaunch.

It's an annual business pitch contest designed to educate and provide a stage for entrepreneurs and students to practice and hone their pitches in front of the business/investment community. One of its sponsors is the Idaho National Laboratory.

Last year, more than $20,000 in prizes was handed out. Competition is in four categories:

• Entrepreneurial Idol - A pitch competition including regional businesses and start-ups on innovative products or services. Participating companies from all Idaho regions give 15 minute pitches with Q&A to a panel of judges that rate both the business viability and presentation.
• Next Gen - A pitch contest between participants of regional college and university business plan competitions. Student teams give 10 minute pitches with Q&A to a panel of judges that rate both the business viability and presentation.
• Idaho Ideas to Market (I2M) - Market assessments of patented technologies developed at the Idaho National Laboratory. Participating student teams from the region's colleges and universities give 10 minute semester project findings with Q&A to a panel of judges that rate the completenesss of their assessments.
• Crowd Pitch - Elevator pitch competition that provides an opportunity for individuals to pitch their idea to TechLaunch participants. In partnership with the Boise State Student Entrepreneur Club, individual entrepreneurs from the public will be selected to give a 1 minute elevator pitch with Q&A to the TechLaunch crowd, which will vote for its favorite pitch.

Here is a link to more information: http://www.idahotechconnect.com/home/techlaunch/