DETROIT, MICH. – JUNE 6, 2011 – Applications open on June 6 for the 2011 Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition. The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition will award more than $1 million in cash winnings, plus in-kind awards of services, staffing and software to top entrepreneurial businesses. The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition includes a competition for college students with an idea for an innovative business.
“The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition showcases Michigan’s robust entrepreneurial support network, world class academia, and commitment to helping businesses grow. The Competition provides tremendous opportunities for businesses to thrive in our state,” said Doug Rothwell, president and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan. Accelerate Michigan, a key sponsor of the competition, is a strategic alliance between Business Leaders for Michigan and the University Research Corridor.
To qualify for the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, businesses must make a commitment to locate and grow in Michigan. These companies must also be at the commercial stage of business development, past proof of concept.
The Competition awards emerging businesses in key areas of opportunity for entrepreneurial growth and success, including alternative energy, IT, advanced manufacturing, life science, medical devices and advanced transportation.
Any undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in at least two classes in a Michigan public or private university or college for the fall 2011 semester is eligible for the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition. In the student competition, an individual or team can submit business plans.
For companies, the application deadline is August 10. Student applications are due September 21.
The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition will conclude with investor pitches on November 16-17 at the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti Marriott at Eagle Crest. The Competition Finals and Gala Awards Celebration will be held the evening of November 17 at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich.
About Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition
The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition is an international business competition offering more than $1 million in cash awards, plus in-kind awards of services, staffing and software. In addition to the prizes from the competition, entrepreneurs will have access to Michigan’s robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, which includes wet labs, incubators, and access to talent from the world’s leading research universities. The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition is a collaborative effort of the Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan, the New Economy Initiative of Southeast Michigan and Accelerate Michigan. For more information, visit www.acceleratemichigan.org.
