From Business Insider:

- Thursday, May 20, 2010 -

Startup 2010 is a business plan competition and one-day event about entrepreneurship and digital business that will showcase 10 top startups competing for bragging rights, buzz, and a $100,000 prize. The conference is co-hosted by Silicon Alley Insider and New York University’s Stern School of Business, with support from exclusive founding sponsor General Catalyst Partners.

If you attended last year, you know that the day was filled with insights from digital all-stars and business plan pitches from 10 aspiring startups, followed by tough questioning and feedback from a panel of judges. Thriving legal startup ArticleOne Partners won the grand prize — and set a high bar for this year’s participants.

Startup 2010’s sessions will explore the intersection of mobile and content. With the arrival of the iPhone and the Android, will mobile finally fulfill its hype?

TICKETS on sale now! Get early-bird tickets for just $295. NYU Stern students get in free.

$100,000 Prize: Ten aspiring entrepreneurs will pitch their business plans in the hope of winning a $100,000 prize. The prize includes a $25,000 cash investment from General Catalyst Partners and $75,000 in goods and services ranging from:

• Up to 6 months of office space in NYC at TechSpace
• Legal services from Cooley, Godward, Kronish
• Opportunity to launch at DEMO
• Web hosting
• And much more

ATTENTION ENTREPRENEURS: Submit your business plans now! Applications are open today through April 12. [Note: While the conference will focus on mobile + content topics, applications can be for any type of digital business.]

Don’t miss this annual forum for outstanding entrepreneurs and early-stage companies to meet VCs, investors, journalists, and other members of the East Coast startup community.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/startup2010

Israel :: Apr.02.2010 :: Comments
Business Plan Competition, Entrepreneur, Events, Startup

Silicon Alley Insider is a must read blog for every entrepreneur in the tech space.  Bookmark it, add it to your feed reader, and follow along.

This summer they are hosting their first conference and it’s shaping up to be a must-attend event.  Startup 2009 will be one-day conference that will feature interviews with entrepreneurs, expert panels, networking, and a 10-company startup contest.  The 10 companies selected will compete for bragging rights, buzz, and a $50,000 prize!

They are using Angelsoft to manage the screening process for the contest so if you already have an application, all you need to do is apply.

The Contest

Emerging online companies are invited to submit applications to present at the conference.  Their panel of VCs and experts will evaluate the applications in Angelsoft.  They will then choose 10 finalists from the pool of applicants to present at the event.

Applying to the contest is free and all companies that apply will be evaluated by General Catalyst, Softbank, and Venrock for possible investment.  One of the finalists will also win a $50,000 prize, which will consist of a $25,000 cash investment from General Catalyst Partners and $25,000 of in-kind services.  The latter will include:

• Up to 6 months of office space in NYC.
• Marketing campaign with Silicon Alley Insider.
• Legal services from a top-notch law firm.

How to Apply

Emerging companies in the online industry are invited to apply.  (They’re defining “emerging” as less than a few million of seed capital.)  Concept-only companies are fine, but you will need to describe your planned product and value proposition in detail.

Here’s how to apply:

1. Log-in to Angelsoft on the right hand side of the Startup 2009 Profile to start an application.  If you do not have an Angelsoft account click Sign Up directly under the Login button.

2. Ignore the “Apply For Funding” part.  You’re applying for the contest, not funding.

3. If you already have an Angelsoft account, you will be asked if you want to copy your answers from a previous application.  If not, fill in the information and upload your business plan–any other uploaded material will be discarded.

4. Save your work and submit your application.

Jason D. Schwartz :: Mar.31.2009 :: Comments
Business Plan Competition, Entrepreneur