TEK CREATORS COMPETITION
Submit a tech related business idea that solves a problem and makes a difference
THIS YEAR'S GRAND PRIZE
$2,500
Get Started
Submit a tech related business idea that solves a problem and makes a difference
Create a new business (your Tech Idea) under the Business Management tab
Once inside, set up your personal profile
Under the Programs tab, select TEK CREATORS Competition
NOTE: If you want to add more members to your team, you can use the "Invite Member" button on the Business Management tab after you create a new business.
Grab the Big Idea Canvas, check out previous top pitches, and start exploring problems that need solving:
Winning pitches tell a story that captures judges' attention. If you use slides, use three, one for each judging criteria.
Submit a 90-second video selling your idea that's been uploaded to YouTube. Make sure to mark it as unlisted, NOT private.
Come to the big finale, the Big Idea Jam, where our top 20 selections will present their ideas to a panel of judges and live student audience.
Come prepared to network with experienced business people, get valuable feedback, and meet other Creators who can help you bring your idea to life.
To evaluate your idea, judges will use the following criteria (and you should too!):
Do you provide evidence and validation of a significant, painful problem or opportunity for innovation?
Do you provide a creative, unique solution to the problem or for the opportunity? Is your solution feasible?
Do you identify a significant market, with a clearly defined customer affected by the problem or interested in the opportunity? Is the market big enough that the solution can scale?
The top 20 people will receive the following cash prizes to validate their idea further:
Mark your calendars!
Start submitting your big ideas!
Before midnight - make sure to submit on time!
Finalists will be invited to pitch at the Finals via email
2:30 pm, Varsity Theatre - The Big Idea Jam!
Eligibility is determined by these eight areas:
If equity has been assigned, a minimum of 20% of the company must be owned by current BYU students.
Current BYU students must control a minimum of 51% of the company's voting rights at the time of application.
Student participants should fill key management roles (Presidency or C-Suite) in the venture.
Ventures with cumulative revenues of more than $100,000 are not eligible to apply.
Companies who have received $250,000+ of investment are not eligible to apply.
Ventures cannot be a buyout, expansion of existing company, real estate syndication, tax shelter, franchise, or licensing agreement.
Qualifying BYU-Provo students must be degree-seeking students enrolled in at least 6 credit hours for undergrads or 3 credit hours for grads.
Teams may resubmit businesses that have been submitted previously.
Judges and mentors are wholly committed to helping you succeed. Over our history, we cannot identify a single instance where a student's idea was stolen as a result of participating in this competition.
However, if you have an idea that you hope to sell internationally, we recommend you file for a provisional patent. Join Creators to get access to our legal and IP mentors who can help you do that.
Absolutely! The uniqueness of your idea is not as important as your ability to successfully understand and solve a customer problem. Solving problems may be as simple as offering an easier way to find parking, buy contact lenses, or get great pizza in Provo.
The Creators membership comes with access to our mentor network of seasoned entrepreneurs and tech professionals.
Yes you can! However, only one of your ideas can be selected into the Top 20. This means that if you are on two separate teams, and both teams' ideas end up in the Top 20 after the preliminary judging round, then only the higher scoring idea will be allowed to participate at the Final Event.
No idea is perfect. And great entrepreneurs learn to fail early and often. The TekCreators Big Idea Competition offers a unique opportunity to get feedback from successful entrepreneurs about your idea. This feedback can help you make necessary changes to improve your idea and ensure you're making the most of your limited time.
You should also consider using our Tek Creators Canvas to gauge how much potential your idea has.
No, not necessarily. The judging criteria rewards those who clearly articulate the problem, solution, and market.
We strongly encourage you to use the Big Idea Canvas as a tool to evaluate your idea. You can also ask yourself the following questions:
Another great way to evaluate your idea is to watch and compare yourself to past winners.
If you want to use slides in your pitch video, the recommended method is to record oneself on Zoom, or a similar platform/tool, and share your screen. You can then download the corresponding video and upload it to YouTube. There is also a way to record a slide show with narration in PowerPoint. You can find a walkthrough from Microsoft by googling "record a slide show with narration".
Email us at info@tekcreators.com with additional questions