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AUS New Venture Challenge

Official Rules, Requirements and Judging Criteria

February 3–5, 2019

Big. Bold. Brave.

American University of Sharjah | New Venture Challenge 2019 2

CONTENTS

Entering and Important Deadlines 3 Application and Submission 3 General Notifications 3 Eligibility Requirements 5 Submission and Presentation Guidelines 7 Invitation to Compete 8 Competition Format 10

2019 AUS New Venture Challenge 11 Tentative Schedule 11 Sunday, February 3, 2019 12 Monday, February 4, 2019 12 Tuesday, February 5, 2019 13 Wednesday, February 6, 2019 13 Event Locations 13

Judging Criteria and Evaluation Process 14 General Evaluation Criteria 14 Judging Criteria 14 Scoring Criteria 15 Scoring Process 16

Attendance, Presentation and Rules 27 Sunday, February 3, 2019 27 Monday, February 4, 2019 28 Tuesday, February 5, 2018 29 Wednesday, February 6, 2019 30

Logistics 31 American University Campus Map 32 Directional Map to AUS 33 Centro Hotel Sharjah Hotel 34

For questions or additional information about American University of Sharjah’s New Venture Challenge,

contact us at [email protected] ǀ Tel +971 6 515 4151 ǀ Fax +971 6 515 4065

mailto:[email protected]


Entering and Important Deadlines

Application and Submission How to enter: The AUS NVC uses the iLearn platform to manage applications. To enter, one member of the team, the designated team leader, should complete the online application found at www.nvc.aus.edu. The application consists of eligibility questions, a 2–5-page Executive Summary and an optional 1-2 minute Video Pitch, and must be completed by 5:00 pm UAE (GMT+4), Saturday, December 1, 2018.

Multiple student startup teams from the same school, institution or university center may apply to compete. There is no limit on the number of applications per school but no more than two teams per institution would be short listed to compete. The startup teams competing at AUS must include at least two degree-seeking students, including at least one graduate level student. (See full details in the Eligibility Requirements section). Once an application is submitted no changes can be made.

All teams invited to compete in the American University of Sharjah New Venture Challenge will be notified by email on or before Saturday, December 15, 2018.

Important Deadlines: Pre-Competition

Monday, September 10, 2018 Applications Open

Saturday, December 1, 2018 by 5:00 pm (GMT + 4)

Deadline to submit Application, Executive Summary, Video Pitch

Submit online: go to AUS NVC website to access YouNoodle platform

Saturday, December 15, 2018 AUS NVC will announce 16 teams to compete

Thursday, December 20, 2018 by 5:00 pm (GMT + 4)

Invited teams to confirm their commitment to complete Withdrawal Deadline – last day to withdraw without penalty (see below)

Thursday, January 10, 2019 by 5:00 pm

Deadline for semi-finalists to submit Written Business Plan and Media materials in online application

General Notifications Confirmation: Teams invited to compete have until December 20, 2018 at 5:00 pm (GMT + 4) to confirm their participation by email response to [email protected]. Teams who do not confirm by the deadline will forfeit their invitation and the invitation will be provided to another student startup team.

Withdrawal Penalty: If a confirmed team drops out after December 20, 2018 at 5:00 pm (GMT + 4) for any reason, their university/institution will be ineligible to compete in the AUS New Venture Challenge for two years. In addition, a letter will be sent to their faculty advisor and to the dean of their school informing them of the team’s failure to honor their commitment, and of their school’s disqualification for the next two years. Spaces are limited at the AUS New Venture Challenge, and a last-minute cancellation will prevent another university from competing.

Other Deadlines: Accepted teams have until January 10, 2019 at 5:00 pm (GMT + 4) to submit the 10-page (maximum) Business Plan and Media materials.

http://www.nvc.aus.edu/

https://nvc.aus.edu/

mailto:[email protected]


Non-Confidentiality: All sessions of the competition, including, but not limited to, oral presentations and question/answer sessions, are open to the public. Any and all of these sessions may be broadcast to interested persons through media, which may include radio, television and the Internet. Any data or information discussed or divulged in public sessions by entrants should be considered information that could possibly enter the public realm, and entrants should not assume any right of confidentiality in any data or information discussed, divulged or presented in these sessions

Due to the nature of the competition, we are not able to ask judges, reviewers, staff or the audience to agree to or sign non-disclosure statements. However, American University of Sharjah, the organizer of the AUS New Venture Challenge, will make every effort to limit distribution of business plans presented at the competition. American University of Sharjah cannot guarantee that other individuals will not obtain access to electronic or hard copies of the business plan. All presentations are open to the public, and some presentations may be videotaped. It is expected that media personnel will be in attendance.

Copyrights and Permissions: If a team uses copyrighted materials and/or images from a third party in their submissions or presentations, they MUST obtain permission and authorization in advance from the owners to use this material.

Information presented by the Competition Entrant Entity, herein after called the Company, at the AUS New Venture Challenge is the sole responsibility of the Company. American University, including the AUS New Venture Challenge and any of its affiliates (collectively “AUS”), has not taken, and does not intend to take, any steps to verify the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of any information, materials or statements presented by the Company. The Company, and not AUS, is responsible for ensuring the Company’s responsibility to comply with any of such laws that are applicable. AUS does not give investment advice, endorsement, analysis or recommendations with respect to any securities and is not a broker, venture fund or an investment advisor

Use of Conference Materials: American University of Sharjah reserves the right to use any material prepared for the New Venture Challenge in publicizing and promoting the event. American University of Sharjah may use these materials in any printed materials and any videotape or other medium that it may produce. American University of Sharjah may videotape any portion of the competition and utilize these tapes in any way that it sees fit.

Entry Fees: The AUS New Venture Challenge does not have an entry fee.

Changes to Competition Rules: While not anticipated, these rules and prizes are subject to change at the discretion of American University of Sharjah at any time. American University of Sharjah staff have the right to interpret these rules according to the university’s judgement.

Decisions Related to the Competition and its Winners: All decisions regarding the competition rules, procedures and processes are at the sole discretion of American University of Sharjah. Changes and/or interpretations of these rules may be made by American University of Sharjah at any time, even though they may be (or may appear to be) in conflict with some previously published information. The selection of the teams to compete and the decision of the winners are at the sole discretion of the judges and American University of Sharjah. Best efforts and practices will be made to make decisions in accordance with this Official Rules document.


Eligibility Requirements Teams must meet the following eligibility requirements in order to be selected to compete:

Student Enrollment: The competition is for degree-seeking students currently enrolled in a full time basis (i.e., in the academic year from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019). This includes students who graduated, or will graduate any time after July 1, 2018. (For example, December 2018 graduates are eligible to compete). Students who graduated before July 1, 2018 are not eligible to participate.

Scope: All ventures must be seeking outside equity capital, typically early-stage startup venture capital investment or early-stage angel investment. All ventures must be “for profit” entities. This an early-stage startup competition.

Prior Activity: Both student and other team members may have worked on an idea or new technology in previous academic years, or in the case of the student team members, even prior to entering graduate school.

Team Composition: This is a competition primarily for graduate-level students. All graduate students, not just MBA candidates, are eligible to participate in the competition. This includes, but is not limited to, PhD candidates, MBA students, MD students, JD candidates, and other master’s degree candidates. Competing team members may be from different disciplines and/or different universities.

However, undergraduates are allowed to compete fully, as long as at least one member of the presenting team at the AUS NVC is a currently enrolled graduate students and a member of the venture’s startup management team, and part of the team that presents in the competition (competing team). In other words, a team of two students could be comprised of one undergraduate student and one graduate student. Alternatively, a team of four students could be comprised of three undergraduates and one graduate student.

Minimum Team Size: The presenting team that competes at American University of Sharjah must include at least two current students and not exceed five current students. In other words, at least two members from each startup team must travel to AUS in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates to compete, and both of these two members must be current students. The purpose of this rule is to encourage startups to enlist at least two founders in order to increase the potential for a successful startup.

Maximum Team Size: Teams may bring up to five startup team members who participate in the presentations on Monday and Tuesday of the event. In other words, at least two and no more than five startup team members may participate in the verbal presentations on Monday and Tuesday. Others involved in the venture (non-students, faculty advisors or mentors) are welcome to travel to AUS with the competing student team, but are prohibited from participating in the presentations or Q&A sessions. More than five students can travel to AUS with the team, but only five students can serve as presenters. In fact, we encourage the team to bring a faculty, staff or other advisor with them to AUS.

Team Presentation: At least two student members of the startup should participate in every round of presenting the startup’s investment pitch (i.e., the startup business plan presentation) on Monday and Tuesday (February 4 and 5, 2019). Of the team members presenting, at least two of them must be verbally present in the rounds they are involved in. To “verbally present” means to give/speak at least 20–30 percent of the presentation. The intention is that at least two team members will share the speaking responsibilities in the presentation section. The Q&A does not count toward the presentation time. The team members may divide speaking time in their presentation however they choose, but a minimum of two members must speak at some point in the main presentation.

The exception is the Elevator Pitch Competition on Sunday, February 3, 2019 where only one member of the team will be able to give the 60-second presentation.


Student Involvement: The competition is for student-created and student-managed ventures, including new ventures launched by licensing university technology. Students participating in the competition (i.e., members of the founding team) are expected to:

1. be a driving force behind the new venture, 2. have played a primary role in developing the business strategy 3. have key management roles in the startup venture, and 4. own significant equity in the startup venture.

In general, a member of the student team should be CEO, COO or President of the venture, or members of the student team should occupy 50 percent or more of the functional area management positions that report directly to the CEO, COO or President.

Members of the student team are expected to own equity in the new venture. It is anticipated that students should own at least 20% of the total equity in the venture or at least 50 percent of the equity owned by the management team. One objective of this rule is to exclude ventures formed and managed by non-students who have given little or no equity to students for helping to develop the business strategy or create an investor pitch deck.

However, we recognize that the equity structure of some new university-based ventures may not yet be established; the 20 percent equity ownership rule may be waived in this situation. This waiver will be examined in a case-by-case basis.

In addition, we recognize that if the Intellectual Property (IP) is owned by the university, it is likely that a license for that IP may not have been finalized at the time of the competition. A license to the IP is not required to compete at the AUS NVC, but we encourage student teams to seek an option to obtain an exclusive license to the IP or provide other evidence that the startup will have the ability to obtain an exclusive license to the IP in the future. The owner of the IP should be aware that the team is competing using that IP.

Faculty Involvement: Each team MUST have the endorsement of a faculty advisor at their school and must provide contact information for their faculty advisor, regardless of whether or not the advisor will travel with the team to AUS. All faculty advisors will be asked to confirm the eligibility of the team.

Nature of the Ventures: The competition is for new, independent ventures in the seed, startup or early growth stages. Excluded are the following: buy-outs, expansions of existing companies, real estate syndications, tax shelters, franchises, licensing agreements for distribution in a different geographical area, and spin-outs from existing corporations. Licensing technologies from universities or research labs is encouraged, assuming they have not been commercialized previously.

Prior Activity: Technologies may be presented in the AUS NVC only once. Competing team members may participate in the AUS NVC more than once if entering with a new venture/new technology.

Attendance: To be considered for any award, all competing (presenting) team members must arrive at AUS on February 3, 2019 by 8:00 am (GMT + 4) and must be present for all team presentations, coaching sessions, networking sessions, the awards ceremony, etc. Teams may not add or substitute presenting members during the competition. Teams must attend the Awards Ceremony on Tuesday night to receive their awards. Teams should plan their return travel no earlier than Wednesday morning, February 6, 2019.


Prize Payments: Award payments will be issued to either the Company or the team’s affiliated university. All required taxes will be withheld, and tax refund documents issued by American University of Sharjah.

Required Forms: Each team will be required to provide appropriate documentation to receive award payments, which include W-9 and/or EIN forms for US teams, and W-8 BEN forms for international teams. No prizes will be awarded without the required forms submitted.

Sectors: Business plans and companies should fall in to one of the four categories, or sectors:

1. Life Science: includes (but not limited to) medical devices, therapeutics, diagnostics, health IT, biotechnology

2. Energy/Clean Technology: includes (but not limited to): sustainability, water, battery technologies, control systems, smart metering, PV technology, natural gas, transportation/mobility, oil & gas technologies, algae, fuel cells, hybrid vehicles

3. Information Technology: includes (but not limited to) software, SAAS, Internet, web, virtual reality, Big Data, machine learning, artificial intelligence, drones, hardware, robotics, unmanned vehicles

4. Other Technologies: includes (but not limited to) advanced materials, nanotechnology, composites

AUS NVC Selection Committee has the final decision on which teams are invited to compete in the AUS New Venture Challenge and reserves the right to include or exclude any teams for any reasons.

Submission and Presentation Guidelines

Executive Summary: Please submit the file in Adobe Acrobat PDF. No other format will be accepted. Files should be named according to the following format: ES_CompanyName_UniversityName.pdf and should be submitted as part of the team’s online application.

Requirements: Executive summaries should be a maximum of 2 to 5 pages of text and must include the following information:

• Company summary: In 1–2 paragraphs, describe the problem the startup company is addressing; the technology solution, product or offering; and who are the potential customers. You may also want to summarize the competitive differentiation.

• Company founders and their backgrounds. • Customer Analysis: Explain who the potential customers are and what problem you are

solving. Describe any customer/market validation (i.e., what evidence do you have that customers will pay for this product).

• Market Analysis: Describe the market size, targeted segments and potential market share. • Product or Service: Describe the current state of development of the product or service and

any technology validation to date (i.e., what evidence do you have that the technology works).

• Intellectual property: Provide a status of patents and licenses or other IP (if applicable). • Competitive differentiation: Explain the competition and show what makes this startup

better than competitive alternatives. • Company management team and/or advisor: Include brief bios of the founding team and

advisors and show how this team has the expertise to successfully launch this startup (including relevant experience).

• Financial: Show a 3–5 year projection of revenue, profit and cash flow. • Amount of investment you are seeking and use of funds.


Video Elevator Pitch (Optional): Teams should submit an optional 1–2 minute Video Elevator Pitch as part of the online application due before Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 5:00 pm GMT +4. Teams should upload their video to YouTube, and paste a link into the appropriate field in their application. You must ensure the YouTube video settings include permission to embed the video on an external site (check box). You may set the privacy setting to “Unlisted” but NOT “Private” if you wish to restrict viewing to the AUS NVC.

The video pitch should be in similar format to the elevator pitches presented at the competition—the format and guidelines are found below. You may use any recording device readily available (mobile phone, computer, etc.). The focus should be on your presentation and content, not video production quality.

Judging Criteria for Applications: When reviewing the business plans in advance of the competition, judges will be asking many detailed questions about the business viability and investment potential. Consider how your business responds to the following:

• Is there evidence that the startup is solving a big problem and customers will be willing to pay for their solution?

• Will the technology work? Is there evidence that the technology will solved the problem (i.e., lab results, field trials)?

• Is the problem big enough to build a company around? • Does the management team understand its strengths and any gaps in the current team? • Is the team coachable? Is this a team I want to invest in and work with? • How long will it take to generate revenue? How much additional product development is

required? • How much investment will the company need in order to reach breakeven cash flow? • Does the startup understand key milestones that need to be reached? Does the team

have a fund-raising strategy tied to those milestones and value inflection points? • Is there a credible exit available within a reasonable timeframe? • Should I invest in this business?

Invitation to Compete On December 15, 2018, 16 teams will be invited to compete at the American University of Sharjah’s New Venture Challenge. These 16 teams will have until December 20, 2018 at 5:00 pm (GMT + 4) to confirm or withdraw their participation.

Confirmed teams will have until January 10, 2019 at 5:00 pm (GMT + 4) to submit their formal, 10-page business plan. They will also submit media materials to be used in print, web and other media formats. Media materials include:

• team descriptions • team/team member photos • product or prototype photos (if applicable) • company logo • university logo/university external relations/PR/marketing contact information

Written Business Plan: The 16 teams that are invited to compete in person at the AUS NVC will be asked to submit a business plan after they are accepted into the competition. The plan will be similar to the Executive Summary, but 10 pages are allowed. Please submit the file in Adobe Acrobat PDF. No other format will be accepted. Files should be named according to the following format: BP_CompanyName_UniversityName.pdf and should be uploaded to the team’s online application.


Contents: Similar to the Executive Summary, we recommend that your business plan include the following information:

• Company summary: 1–2 paragraphs describing the problem the startup company is addressing; the technology solution, product or offering; and who are the potential customers. You may also want to summarize the competitive differentiation.

• Customer analysis • Market analysis • Product or service description • Intellectual property status • Competitive differentiation • Sales and marketing plan (how you will go-to-market) • Competitor analysis (competitors and your competitive differentiation) • Company management team advisors • Financial information for 3–5 years (e.g., cash flow, income statement) • Amount of investment you are seeking and use of funds • Offering of the company (how much investment you are seeking, uses of funding,

possible exits)

Business Plan Length and Contents: Written Business Plans are limited to 10 pages of text and should include and summary financial data. The text portion of the plan (10 pages) must contain all pertinent information in a clear and concise manner. Financial data should include a cash flow statement and income statement. This data should be included in a summarized fashion in the main section of the business plan.

Include an explanation of the offering to investors indicating how much money is required, how it will be used, and the proposed structure of the deal, (i.e., convertible debt, equity, etc.) and possible exit strategies.

Please note: The team is not required to reveal the exact desired terms of the deal (i.e., proposed company valuation and percentage of company being offered). However, teams should expect to be asked about these terms and should be prepared to answer these questions in some fashion (if this information is not already provided in the written plan). It is up to the team to assess the BEST way to address this question and whether the team wants to state the proposed valuation or reserve that for the future negotiations.

Appendices: The appendix should be included to provide detailed financial information or to include materials that supports the findings, statements and observations in the plan. The appendix is limited to six pages. Plans with fewer than six pages of appendices may not use the remaining pages to increase the size of their business plan beyond 10 pages. In total, the maximum number of document pages is 18: 10 for business plan, six for appendices, one for the cover page, and one for the table of contents (optional).

None of the 16 teams confirmed to compete will receive any written feedback on their applications from the judges prior to the event.


Competition Format Startup Presentations will take place on the American University of Sharjah campus in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday February 3–5, 2019. Teams should arrive on campus by 8:00 am on Sunday, February 3, 2019 and plan return travel no earlier than Wednesday morning, February 6, 2019.

• Elevator Pitch, Sunday, February 3, 2019: All teams will participate in the Elevator Pitch Competition on Sunday beginning at 5:15:00 pm in the Main Auditorium. One presenting team member from each team will give a 60-second pitch in front of the entire AUS NVC kick-off audience, including the judging pool (attendance is expected to be around 250 people in a large auditorium). The Elevator Pitch is your business overview that you should be able to deliver powerfully and concisely and should provide enough information to pique the interest of potential investors and strategic partners. It should provide a clear picture of the company and its solution. Each team will be given a maximum of 60 seconds to present its elevator pitch to the panel of judges, as well as to the general audience. Index cards or other notes are not allowed. This presentation will be given by one team member, who is a registered student in the university being represented. Only students can present at the elevator pitch, as in other competition rounds. The 99-second Elevator Pitch will be uninterrupted. There will be no Question-and-Answer period. Teams will be judged on their oral presentation alone. You will have a large time clock in front of you so that you can regulate your own time, and if you speak longer than 60 seconds, you will be stopped.

• Coaching Round, Sunday, February 3, 2019: All teams will participate in the Coaching Round on Sunday beginning at 1:00 pm. This will provide an opportunity for each team to present their startup pitch and receive specific, team focused feedback from a select group of judges prior to the start of the competition. You will have 15 minutes for this presentation, plus 15 minutes for coaches’ questions/answers and feedback. The coaching round will not be scored.

• Semi-Final Round, Monday, February 4, 2019: In the Semi-Final Round, each team will have 15 minutes to present its business plan. The presentation will be followed by a 20-minute question-and-answer session with the judges. THIS TIME LIMIT WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED.

• Wild Card Play-off Round, Monday, February 4, 2019: The Wild Card Play-off Round is formatted differently than the Semi-Final Round and will provide competitors with a third type of presentation experience for the 12 teams in this round. There will be six teams in each of two groups; each will have a total of 25 minutes for presentation and Q&A. Judges are encouraged to ask questions at the end of the presentation. Students should be prepared to make a shortened presentation to accommodate the less structured format. The top team of each of the two flights will advance to the finals round, making six teams in the finals round.

• Final Round, Tuesday, February 5, 2019: The six teams in the Final Round will each have 15 minutes to present, followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer session. There will be only five minutes between each presentation for teams to set-up in the Final Round. For the Final Round, teams should be in position at least 15 minutes prior to their designated presentation times. On Tuesday, teams will start early if the team before them finishes ahead of schedule.

Note: Teams may not observe other teams’ presentations until AFTER they have made their own presentations. Teams may not observe another team’s practice round or feedback session. The same observation guidelines apply to team faculty advisors and team special guests. In the practice round and feedback session, the presenting team, their faculty advisor and their team special guests are allowed only during the assigned presentation time, and cannot observe any other team.


2019 AUS New Venture Challenge

Tentative Schedule

Day Time Program of Events

Sunday Feb 3, 2019

8:00 – 13:00 Registration of Teams Booth Set-up for Venture Exhibits Team Briefing & Photo Session Lunch

13:00 – 15:30 Coaching Round 15:30 – 16:45 AUS Hard-Science New Venture Challenge Official Opening

Entrepreneurship Panel 16:45 – 17:00 Break 17:15 – 19:00 60-second Elevator Pitch Competition 19:30 – 21:30 BBQ Dinner on the Plaza

Monday Feb 4, 2019

8:00 – 10:30 Semi-Final Round Competition (4 groups, 4 teams each group) 10:30 – 11:00 Venture Showcase 12:00 – 14:00 Lunch 14:00 – 14:30 Semi-Final Round Winners Announcement

Play-off Round Draw 14:30 – 17:55 Wild Card Play-off Round Competition (2 groups with 6 teams each) 18:00 – 19:00 Judge Venture Exhibit (teams present at exhibits) 19:00 – 21:30 Networking Event

Announcement of Playoff Round Winners & Final Round Draw Dinner Register for Optional Sharjah-Dubai Tour for Wednesday, Feb 6

Tuesday Feb 5, 2019

8:00 Equipment Check 8:30 – 11:55 Final Round Competition (6 teams) 12:00 – 13:00 Venture Showcase– Judges’ Feedback 13:00 – 14:00 Lunch in Rotunda 14:00 – 15:30 Rehearsal for Award Ceremony 15:30 – 17:00 Award Ceremony – All prizes awarded 17:30 – 19:30 Gala Dinner – AUS Main Plaza

(competitors free to leave UAE after the Gala Dinner)

Wednesday Feb 6, 2019

Optional Cultural Tour: Sharjah and Dubai 8:00 – 17:30 Sharjah Corniche, Heritage Area, Old Souk, Al Naboodah House;

Dubai: Bastakiya, Al Fahidi Souk, Abra Ride, Heritage Area Departure from UAE


Sunday, February 3, 2019 8:00–13:00: Team registration, Briefing Session, Photos and Lunch Registration will open at 8:00 in the Main Building on the AUS campus and remain available until 13:00. Time will be allowed for setting up booths in the Rotunda of the Main Building at AUS. Booths will already be allocated and clearly named by university. Refreshments will be made available before the practice rounds begin. All participants are invited to the presentation “Making the Most of the AUS Hard-Science New Venture Challenge.” Team photo sessions will be made in the Main Rotunda. Lunch will be served in the Main Rotunda area of the Main Building.

13:00–19:00: Coaching Round, Official Opening, Elevator Pitch The official opening of the AUS NVC will take place in the main auditorium of the Main Building and lunch will take place in the Rotunda of the Main Building.

Teams will present their plan to a small panel of judges and receive feedback prior to the start of the competition. The Practice Round will not be scored and will NOT count toward the overall competition. This is an opportunity for teams to fine tune their presentation and check presentation equipment.

All teams will compete in a 60-second Elevator Pitch Competition highlighting the participants and their companies to all the attendees and officially kicking off the Challenge.

19:30–21:30: BBQ Dinner Following the Elevator Pitch Competition, teams, judges and guests will be treated to a barbecue dinner on the AUS Plaza. The weather may be cool so warm clothes are advisable.

Monday, February 4, 2019 8:00–14:30: Semi-Final Round, Venture Showcase, Lunch At 8:00, a session with judges will be held to explain the rules and selection criteria. Teams are welcome to attend. The 16 teams in the Semi-Final Round will begin competition at 8:30. The Semi-Final rounds will be divided into four flights of four teams each. Teams will not be clustered by industry category; however, we will try to keep teams from the same university from competing against each other. The top team from each of the four flights will be announced over lunch.

14:30–19:00: Wild Card Play-off Round, Venture Showcase In the Wild Card Play-off Round, the judges are encouraged NOT to ask questions throughout the presentation.

The group will then move back inside to the Main Rotunda where they will showcase their venture. All teams will be given a portion of a table to display information about their company and an opportunity to meet the judges and other competitors. Teams may bring table top displays that will fit on a 3’ x 2’ table top. Teams can use their laptop for a display, but outlet access is not guaranteed. Teams may hand out printed materials. (Trade show booths or similar full-sized displays will not be allowed).

19:00–21:30: Announcement of Semi-Finalists and Wild Card Play-off Round, Networking, Dinner The announcement of the semi-finalists to advance to the Finals Rounds and the Wild Card Play-off Round will be made at the dinner. The six finalist teams will present their business plans in the Final Round on Tuesday, February 5, 2019.

Participants will be able to network with investors in the Networking Session during the dinner, which will be held in the Rotunda of the Main Building.

During the dinner, those wishing to stay on after the competition to attend the Sharjah-Dubai Tour on Wednesday, February 6, 2018 will be requested to register their intent to participate.


Tuesday, February 5, 2019 12:00–14:00: Venture Showcase, Lunch: Venture Showcase will be examined by the judges with teams on hand to answer their questions. At the end of the exhibit evaluation the judges will give their feedback to the teams. Lunch will follow in the Rotunda area.

14:00 pm–15:30 Rehearsal for Award Ceremony: All teams will be present to rehearse for the Award Ceremony in the Main Auditorium.

15:30–17:00 Awards Ceremony: The winners of all awards will be announced in this ceremony. All teams must be present. Photo session after the ceremony.

17:30–19:30 Gala Dinner: The Gala Dinner will be held on the AUS Main Plaza, which is outdoors. The weather could be cool so please bring warm clothes. Participants will be transported back to the hotel.

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

8:00–17:30: Tour of Sharjah and Dubai (optional): For those who wish to take in a tour of Sharjah and Dubai, transportation will be arranged by AUS to take participants on the tour and back to the Centro Hotel Sharjah afterwards. You will need to sign up for this tour during dinner on Monday night, February 4, 2018.

Departures: All teams are permitted to leave any time after 12:00 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2019. Transportation for departing flights is the responsibility of the participant and will not be provided by the AUS NVC.

Event Locations Competitive Rounds: All competition rounds will be held at American University of Sharjah in various locations across the campus.

Sharjah Reception: The Sharjah reception will be held on the open plaza at the front of the Main Building, which looks down the avenue of the Sharjah University City.

Awards Ceremony: The Awards Ceremony will be held in the Main Auditorium in the Main Building.

Gala Dinner: The Gala Dinner after the Awards Ceremony will be held on the AUS Main Plaza.

Accommodation: Accommodation will be made available for up to four participants of each team at the Centro Hotel Sharjah, which is close to the AUS campus, on a twin-share basis. Room and breakfasts will be provided for four nights for up to four participants from each university team represented. Any additional participants will self-fund the accommodation and breakfasts. Transportation to and from the hotel will be provided by AUS. There are no other hotels close to AUS. Participants who plan to stay elsewhere will be required to pay for their accommodation and transport.

Transportation: AUS will only provide transportation to and from the Centro Hotel Sharjah and American University of Sharjah (location of the AUS NVC) for the duration of the competition and the tour day. The travel is approximately 15 minutes. Any participants who stay at other locations will be responsible for their own transportation. Since the morning programs start early (8:00 am), transportation from Dubai could take up to 1.5 hours due to peak-hour traffic.


Judging Criteria and Evaluation Process

General Evaluation Criteria The competition is intended to simulate the real-world process of entrepreneurs soliciting startup funds from early-stage investors and venture capital firms. The judges function as early stage venture capital investors deciding on which business venture they would most likely fund. The quality of the idea, the size of the market, the competitive differentiation, the strength of the management team, and the clarity and persuasiveness of the written plan and oral presentation all influence the judges’ decisions. Ultimately, the winning team should be the team in which the judges would most likely invest their money.

Most of the judges of the AUS NVC come from the investment community and are involved in making early-stage investment decisions on an ongoing basis. Their ranking of the top teams is guided by the scorecard (described below), but should be consistent with the approach that would be used by an early-stage venture capital or angel investor.

Judging Criteria While judging the competition, judges will be asking many detailed questions about business viability and investment potential. Consider how your business plan and presentation respond to the following:

• Is the startup addressing a big problem and is there evidence that customers will be willing to pay for their solution?

• Will the technology work? Is there evidence that the technology will solve the problem (e.g., lab results, field trials, etc.)

• Is the problem big enough to build a company around? What is the size of the addressable market?

• What is the competition? Does the startup have a significant, sustainable competitive differentiation?

• Is there intellectual property (IP)? What is the status of licensing of the IP? Does the startup have access to a license or option to license the IP? Are there other startups pursuing this marketing with similar IP?

• Does the management team understand its strengths and any gaps in the current team? • Is the team coachable? Is this a team I want to invest in and work with? • How long with it take to generate revenue? How much additional product development is

required? • How much investment will the company need in order to reach breakeven cash flow? • Does the startup understand key milestones that need to be reached? Does the team have a

fund-raising strategy tied to those milestones and value inflection points? • Is there a credible exit available within a reasonable timeframe? • Should I invest in this business?

We recognize that consistent with real-life investment situations, early-stage companies can be in very different stages of development. To compensate for this, we would expect that an investor would require the higher investment returns for a very early stage company than for a later stage company which has less risk (i.e., the greater the risk or longer the time to a liquidity event, the higher the required return).

Teams are not required to reveal the exact desired terms of the deal (i.e., their proposed company valuation and percentage of company being offered to investors). However, some investors prefer to have this information up font, (while some investors feel that it is not as important until later). We recommend that teams be prepared to address questions about their terms, but it is up to the team to decide how they want to answer these questions.


Teams should be aware that often seed investments are structured with a convertible debt note that doesn’t require a company to negotiate market value at the time of the competition. It is up to each startup team to decide whether to pursue equity or convertible note funding.

Unlike many venture capital funds, judges in this competition should not restrict themselves to investing in only certain types of new business ventures (such as biotechnology or information technology). Judges in this competition should assume that they would be open to investing in any type of new business venture, assuming that other criteria, such as those mentioned above, are met.

There are four main rounds of competition: the Coaching Round on Sunday, the Semi-Final and Wild Card Play-off rounds on Monday, and the Final Round on Tuesday. All teams must be in the UAE from February 3-5, 2019 to present their plan to the judges.

During the competition, judges are asked to evaluate each team individually and should not discuss their evaluation with other judges until all the judges’ evaluation forms have been submitted.

Scoring Criteria The winners of the competition will be determined by the judges’ ranking of the teams. This ranking will be based on the judges’ willingness to invest in the company as noted above. The ranking will be completed by the judges at the end of each day’s competition. Judges will rank the teams from 1 (least likely to invest) to 8 (most likely to invest).

To assist the judges on this decision process and to provide additional feedback to the teams, the judges will fill out the scorecards for each team. The scorecards will cover:

Part I Written Business Plan Part II Verbal Presentation & Business /Investment Viability

The individual feedback forms are designed to provide guidance for judges in evaluating the individual components of each team in order to develop their overall rankings. Feedback forms are also designed to provide feedback to the competitors, and will be given to competitors at the end of each round. Before arriving at the competition, each team will be assigned to a coaching round flight of four teams. Judges assigned to each flight will review the written submission of each of the four teams in their flight and complete Part 1 of the AUS NVC Scorecard for each plan in advance of the competition on campus. The scores provided to the teams in advance are for feedback purposes only, and will not be used to determine advancement or winners. During the competition, in each of the rounds, each team will be ranked against the other teams in their flight relative to the judges’ perceived investment opportunity. For example, in the Semi-Final Round, teams will be ranked from 1 to 8 where 1 = lowest: least likely to invest to 8 – highest: most likely to invest. Written Business Plan Evaluation Judges review the written business plans of each of the six teams in their flight and complete Part I of the AUS NVC Scorecard online for each plan in advance of the competition. Part I is designed to help assess the written business plan, focusing on key elements and the effectiveness of the summary financial data. The scores provided to the teams are for feedback purposed only, and will not be used to determine advancement of winners. Judges will evaluate the written business plan in advance of the competition and completed Part I of the scorecard online.


Scoring Process

There are four rounds of scored competition throughout the event, and all teams will complete in at least three of them. The scores of the coaching round do not count towards the final score. The first winners of the Semi-Final Round and the Play-Off Round will advance to the Final Round (six teams in total). Announcement of the Semi-Finalists and Wild Card Play-off Round participants will be made on Monday, February 4 at the reception on the AUS Plaza.

Coaching Round

In the Coaching Round, teams in the competition will be divided into four flights. The flights will consist of four teams. The Coaching Round is a pre-competition round to allow each Semi-Finalist team to practice their formal presentation and receive feedback, as well as familiarize themselves with the exact venue and equipment to be used in the following day’s Semi-Final Round. Teams will receive oral and written feedback from experienced panels of entrepreneurs, investors and business professionals. The scores of the coaching round will NOT be included in the final scoring for the winners.

Elevator Pitch

All attendees at the Elevator Pitch competition will judge the competition. Judges will score each team that presents on a scale of 1 (unacceptable) to 10 (excellent). The teams with the best (i.e., highest) aggregate overall scores will be the winners. All 16 teams are required to present their elevator pitch on Sunday evening. Each pitch will last up to 60 seconds. There will be a five-minute break between each pitch. The Elevator Pitch Competition is a stand-alone event and doesn’t factor into the team’s scoring for the Business Plan Competition part of the New Venture Challenge. There are cash prizes for the two Best Elevator Pitches.

Judges should evaluate teams based on how convincingly they present their business concept, such that the judge would want to learn more about the company as a potential investor. The best teams are those teams that an investor would want to schedule a follow-up meeting for further discussion because they believe this company represents a strong investment opportunity.

We encourage teams to clearly and succinctly describe the problem they are solving, their solution and the competitive advantage. Teams are allowed, but not required, to have a small hand-held prop if appropriate. The prop will simply be displayed and not passed around. No Power Point presentations or other audio-visuals are allowed.

Semi-Final Rounds–Startup Pitches

Teams will be arranged in four flights each with four teams (a total of 16 teams). Each will have a total of 15 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for Q&A. Judges will NOT ask questions throughout the presentation but only in the Q&A session, which will be strictly timed.

Each judge will listen to and evaluate the startup pitches of the four teams in their flight. Judges will use Part II of the AUS NVC Scorecard as a guide to determine their rankings:

Part II Feedback Form

The quantitative assessment provided by the Feedback Forms is only meant to serve as a guide to the judges for ranking the teams in the Semi-Final Round. The rankings will determine the overall winners based on where judges would invest their money.

Part II Ranking Sheet

The winning team from each of the four flights will be determined by the judges ranking of the teams within each flight. This ranking will be determined on Monday afternoon after all the


teams have presented to the judges. The judges will rank the teams within their flight 1 (least likely to invest) to 8 (most likely to invest).

The teams who placed second through fourth in each of their flights in the Semi-Final Round on Monday will advance to the Wild Card Play-off Round on Monday.

The winners of the Semi-Final Round will be chosen when the judges rank teams from 1 (least likely to invest) to 8 (most likely to invest). In total, six teams will advance to the Final Round (4 from the Semi-Finals Round and 2 from the Wild Card Playoff Round).

Wild Card Play-off Round

Teams that do not advance to the Final Round will advance to the Wild Card Play-off Round. A total of 12 teams will compete in the Wild Card Play-off Round, divided into two flights of six teams each.

Each will have a total of 15 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for Q&A. Judges will NOT ask questions throughout the presentation but only in the Q&A session, which will be strictly timed.

The winning team in each flight of the Wild Card Play-off Round will be determined solely by the judges’ ranking of the teams. This ranking will be determined after all four teams have presented to the judges. The judges will rank the four teams in the Wild Card Play-off Round from 1 (least likely to invest) to 4 (most likely to invest).

All teams that do not advance in the Wild Card Play-off Round will win cash prizes.

Final Round

Six teams will advance to the Final Round: four winning teams from each flight in the semi-final round plus the two winning teams from each flight of the Play-off Round. Each will have a total of 20 minutes for presentation and 15 minutes for Q&A. Judges will NOT ask questions throughout the presentation but only in the Q&A session, which will be strictly timed.

The winning teams in the Final Round will also be determined solely on the judges’ ranking of the teams. This ranking will be determined on Tuesday afternoon after all of the teams have presented to the judges. The judges will rank the six teams in the finals from 1 (least likely to invest) to 8 (most likely to invest).

The rankings from each of the judges will be aggregated, and the teams with the highest total scores will be the winners. As in the previous rounds, in the case of a tie, the team with the most first place scores will be declared the winner. The judges’ decisions are final.

Venture Showcase

A Venture Showcase is required of every team in the Semi-Final, Play-off and Final Rounds. Teams will present their business ideas, products and proposed venture and answer questions to judges, guests and interested individuals at the Venture Showcase. The Venture Showcase will contribute 10 percent to the judging criteria of the Semi-Final, Wild Card Play-off and Final Rounds. At least one team member who is a registered graduate student will be required to stay by the team’s display, as will be agreed and scheduled with the team, to answer any questions.

Each team will be provided with a booth space to showcase its startup prototype. The dimensions and details of the space to be provided will be made available at the time of acceptance by the 16 short-listed finalist teams. The booth will contain a table, chair and presentation stand.


Judging Criteria: 60-Second Pitch

Presentation (100%)

1. Presented in clear, logical and dynamic manner (40%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Unacceptable Mediocre Satisfactory Good Excellent

2. Maintained my interest (30%)


3. The opportunity presented is sufficiently intriguing to me to want more information (30%)



Judging Criteria: Semi-Final Round

A panel of judges will evaluate the Summary Business Plan, supplemented by the Video Pitch, on the following aspects, by using the following ranking system.

Summary Business Plan (100%)

Criteria Judge's Scores

Product or Service (15%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The venture's offering is neither unique nor provides value to the

customer

The venture’s offering is unique and provides some value to the customer but is still in an unproven stage.

The venture's offering is unique, fulfils unmet needs of the customer and proof of concept ensured.

The venture's offering is unique, fulfils unmet needs of the customer, proof of concept ensured and protected from being copied, which gives it a sustainable competitive advantage.

Market Opportunity (15%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 There is very little or no market need.

There is a market need but unclear strategy to capture the target market.

There is a market need with strategy in place that may be able to capture some of the target market.

There is a strong market need with credible strategy in place to be able to fully capture the target market with virtually no competitors.

Operations (15%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Plan for acquiring the required resources production/delivery of product or services is flawed.

There is a comprehensive plan for acquiring the required resources production/ delivery of product or services, but such a plan may not be practical.

There is a comprehensive and practicable plan for acquiring the required resources, production/ delivery of product or services.

There is a comprehensive and practicable plan for acquiring the required resources, production/ delivery of product or services well into the foreseeable future.


Management Capability (15%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The team seems unable to develop this venture or handle the associated risks.

The team consists of some individuals with relevant backgrounds and experience in their respective functions necessary to be able to develop this venture and handle the associated risks.

The team consists of all individuals with relevant backgrounds and experience in their respective functions necessary to be able to develop this venture and handle the associated risks.

The team consists of all individuals, including the idea originator, with relevant backgrounds and experience in their respective functions necessary to be able to comprehensively share responsibility in developing this venture and handling the associated risks.

Investment Potential (20%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The venture does not seem to be able to be successful and is thus unattractive for your investment.

The venture represents some investment opportunity and you would consider investing if further developed into a more solid business plan.

The venture represents a real investment opportunity and you would consider investing.

The venture represents a real investment opportunity and you would definitely invest.

Social, Environment and Economic Sustainability

(20%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The venture meets the needs of the present but clearly compromises the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and has no clear sustainability process.

The venture meets the needs of the present but arguably without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs through sustainability processes that encompass some of the venture's business operations.

The venture meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs through comprehensive sustainability processes that encompass all of the venture's business operations.

The venture meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs through cutting-edge /innovative, comprehensive and measurable sustainability processes that encompass all of the venture's business operations.



PART 2: Presentation (60% of the Total Score)

Section 2.1: Formal Presentation (45% of the Total Presentation Score)


Materials Presented (25)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Materials are not logically presented nor clear and concise.

Materials are logically presented though some parts need to be clearer and more concise.

Materials are quite clear and logically presented.

Materials are clear, concise, logically and creatively presented.

Relation to Examples and Practical Applications

(25%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The team does not relate the needs of the company with examples nor practical applications.

The team can relate the needs of the company with examples and practical applications, but needs to be more relevant, meaningful and practical.

The team has the ability to relate the needs of the company with examples and practical applications.

The team skillfully relates the needs of the company with meaningful examples or practical applications in a clear and concise manner.

Maintaining Judges' Interest (25%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 All team members need to improve their presentation skills to be more interesting and convincing.

Not all team members can maintain judges' interest and some parts of the presentation need improvement.

Every team member has the ability to maintain judges' interest throughout the presentation.

Every team member has the ability to convince the judges about the business plan.

Visual Aids (25%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The visual aids are not relevant to the presentation topic, nor clear or easy to understand.

The visual aids are relevant to the presentation topic, nor clear or easy to understand.

The visual aids are creative, easy to understand and relevant to the topic.

The visual aids are creative, easy to understand, aesthetically pleasing and relevant to the topic.




Section 2.2: Question and Answer (45% of the Total Presentation Score)


Understanding Judges' Inquiries (25%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The judges have to repeat the questions several times before the team understands.

The team has to ask the judges to repeat the questions or concur with each other in order to understand.

The team has the ability to understand the judges' inquiries well without the judges having to repeat the questions.

The team has the ability to both understand and anticipate the judges' inquiries.

Responses to Judges' Inquiries (25%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The team cannot respond to the judges' inquiries appropriately.

The team can appropriately respond to the judges' inquiries but the answers need to be more substantive and concise.

The team can appropriately respond to the judges' inquiries with substantive and concise answers.

Every team member convincingly responds to judges' inquiries with substantive and concise answers, according to each member's particular area of responsibility.

Use of Time (25%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The team does not use the time allocated well.

Some team members use more time than necessary to answer the judges' inquiry.

The team uses the time allocated adequately with minimum redundancy.

Every team member responds equally well to the judges' inquiries with minimum redundancy.

Poise and Confidence (25%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The team needs to improve its composure and confidence while answering judges' inquiries.

Some team members have good poise, confidence and ability to think on their feet, but some need improvement.

Every team member has good poise, confidence and ability to effectively think on his/her feet.

Every team member exudes considerable poise and confidence and effectively thinks on his/her feet without signs of nervousness.




Section 2.3: Venture Exhibit (10% of the Total Presentation Score)


Exhibition Booth Presentation (100%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Team members are not effective in attracting potential investors to their venture exhibit space and are unable to effectively convey the investment opportunity, while their venture exhibit does not complement well the message(s) the team attempts to convey.

Few team members are effective in attracting potential investors to their venture exhibit space but are able to effectively convey the investment opportunity, while their venture exhibit somewhat complements the message(s) the team attempts to convey.

Most team members are effective in attracting potential investors to their venture exhibit space and are able to effectively convey the investment opportunity in a clear, concise, and enthusiastic manner, while their venture exhibit complements the message(s) the team attempts to convey.

Every team member is effective in attracting potential investors to their venture exhibit space and are able to effectively convey the investment opportunity in a clear, concise, and enthusiastic manner, while their venture exhibit perfectly complements the message(s) the team attempts to convey


Judging Criteria: Wild Card Play-off & Final Rounds

A panel of judges will evaluate the full business proposal (from all of the following: Written Business Plan, Presentation and Question & Answer, and Venture Exhibit), on the following aspects, by using the following ranking system.

Business Viability (100%)


Product or Service (15%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The venture's

offering is neither

unique nor provides

value to the customer.

The venture’s offering is unique and provides some value to the customer but is still in an unproven stage.

The venture's offering is unique, fulfils unmet needs of the customer and proof of concept ensured.

The venture's offering is unique, fulfils unmet needs of the customer, proof of concept ensured and protected from being copied, which gives it a sustainable competitive advantage.

Market Opportunity (15%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 There is very little or no market need.

There is a market need but unclear strategy to capture the target market. Presence of existing competitors is not overcome.

There is a market need with strategy in place that may be able to capture some of the target market. Some competitors exist but the team can outperform the competitors.

There is a strong market need with credible strategy in place to be able to fully capture the target market. There are virtually no competitors and the team can clearly outperform the competitors.


Operations (15%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Plan for acquiring the required resources production/ delivery of product or services is flawed. The venture's offering is not unique nor provides a competitive advantage.

There is a comprehensive plan for acquiring the required resources production/ delivery of product or services, but such a plan may not be practical. The venture's offering is unique and special but is still in an unproven stage.

There is a comprehensive and practicable plan for acquiring the required resources, production/ delivery of product or services. The venture's offering is unique, special and proven, which gives it a competitive advantage.

There is a comprehensive and practicable plan for acquiring the required resources, production/ delivery of product or services well into the foreseeable future. The venture's offering is unique, special, proven and protected from being copied, which gives it a sustainable competitive advantage.

Management Capability (15%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The team seems unable to develop this venture or handle the associated risks.

The team consists of some individuals with relevant backgrounds and experience in their respective functions necessary to be able to develop this venture and handling the associated risks.

The team consists of all individuals with relevant backgrounds and experience in their respective functions necessary to be able to develop this venture and handling the associated risks.

The team consists of all individuals, including the idea originator, with relevant backgrounds and experience in their respective functions necessary to be able to comprehensively share responsibility in developing this venture and handling the associated risks.

Investment Potential (20%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The venture does not seem to be able to be successful and thus unattractive for your investment.

The venture represents some investment opportunity and you would consider investing if further developed into a more solid business plan.

The venture represents a real investment opportunity and you would consider investing.

The venture represents a real investment opportunity and you would definitely invest.


Social, Environment and Economic Sustainability

(20%)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The venture meets the needs of the present but clearly compromises the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and has no clear sustainability process.

The venture meets the needs of the present but arguably without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs through sustainability processes that encompass some of the venture's business operations.

The venture meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs through comprehensive sustainability processes that encompass all of the venture's business operations.

The venture meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs through cutting-edge/innovative, comprehensive and measurable sustainability processes that encompass all of the venture's business operations.


Attendance, Presentation and Rules

** There may be slight schedule changes to accommodate space and time for the competition. All attendees will be notified of scheduled changes before arriving at the event.**

Sunday, February 3, 2019 Coaching Round: All teams will participate in the Coaching Round on Sunday. Teams will present their plan to a panel of coaches and receive feedback prior to the competition on Sunday. This will provide an opportunity for each team to present their startup pitch, fine-tune their presentation, check their presentation equipment and receive specific, team-focused feedback from a select group of coaches prior to the start of the competition. Teams will have 15 minutes for this presentation, plus 15 minutes for coaches’ questions/answers and feedback. The Coaching Round will not be scored and will not count toward the overall competition.

• Equipment: Teams should plan to bring a laptop and a copy of their presentation on a flash drive. Each presentation room has a large-screen projector and equipment to run your presentation (each room type has a presentation guide that will be available to all competitors). IMPORTANT NOTE: Teams using a Mac laptop should bring their own video adaptor to be able to connect into the A/V system in the room.

• Please note that if your presentation contains video, graphics and/or sound, there is every expectation that your presentation will work properly at the competition. However, based on experience, we cannot guarantee that video, graphics and sound will work 100 percent of the time.

Elevator Pitch: All teams will participate in the Elevator Pitch competition on Sunday afternoon beginning at 5:15 pm. One presenting team member from each team will give a 60-second pitch in front of the entire AUS NVC kick-off audience, including the judging pool. The Elevator Pitch is your business overview that you should be able to deliver powerfully and concisely and should provide enough information to pique the interest of potential investors and strategic partners. It should provide a clear picture of the company and its solution.

Elevator Pitch Rules:

• All teams will compete in the Elevator Pitch Competition on Sunday afternoon, February 3, 2019.

• Each team will be given a minimum of 60 seconds to present its elevator pitch to the panel of judges and general audience.

• This presentation will be given by one team member. Only current graduate students can present at the elevator pitch, as in other competition rounds.

• Index cards or other notes are greatly discouraged and will detract from your pitch. • The 60-second Elevator Pitch will be uninterrupted. There will be no question time after

your pitch. Teams will be judged on their oral presentation alone. You will have a large time clock in front of you so that you can regulate your own time, and if you speak longer than 60 seconds, you will be stopped.

Venture Showcase: Teams set up their company displays for an hour of presentations and networking with all attendees. Team will have a booth set aside for their use to display their company information and a prototype. Teams can use their laptop for their display, but electric power is not guaranteed. Teams may also hand out printed materials. There will be space available to place posters, banners and the prototype. Trade show booths or similar full-sized displays will not be allowed.

Networking Dinner: Following the Venture Showcase, teams, their representatives and coaches, judges, investors and friends will attend a large informal BBQ on the AUS plaza. This is a great opportunity to network with judges, coaches and investors.


Monday, February 4, 2019 Semi-Final Round: The 16 teams of the Semi-Final Round will be in four flights of four teams each on Monday morning. They will have 15 minutes to present their plan, followed by 10 minutes of Q&A from the judges. Teams will not be clustered by industry category. We will try to minimize the chance that a team would compete against another team of the same school or industry. The top team of each of the four flights will advance to the Final Round, along with two winners from the Play-off Round.

Rules:

• The Semi-Final Round will consist of 16 teams in four flights of four teams each. • No Semi-Final team or team representative is allowed to observe another team’s

presentation in front of judges until that team has made its own presentation. After a team has presented, its members are welcome to watch other teams’ presentations.

• Each team will have a total of 25 minutes in front of judges (15 minutes of uninterrupted presentation, followed by 10 minutes of Q&A).

• This presentation must be given by at least two team members and no more than four team members. At least one of the team members presenting must be a registered graduate student at the university they represent.

• The presentation part will be uninterrupted. The Q&A session will be a back-and-forth exchange with the judges. Moderators will be in the room and help guide the flow of discussion.

• Teams will be judged on their oral presentation of their investment pitch (i.e., their startup pitch), based on the criterial included earlier.

• The moderator will announce time remaining and time stoppages. • Four teams from the Semi-Final round will advance to the Final round, along with two

winners from the Play-off Round. • Equipment: Teams should plan to bring a laptop and a copy of their presentation on a

flash drive. Each presentation room has a large-screen projector and equipment to run your presentation. Each room will have a volunteer guide to help with A/V. IMPORTANT NOTE: Teams using a Mac laptop should bring their own video adaptor to be able to connect into the A/V system in the room.

Wild Card Play-off Round: Teams that do not advance to the Finals Round will participate in a Wild Card Play-off Round, providing competitors with another type of presentation experience. Teams will not be clustered by industry category and not compete against teams they faced in the Semi-Final Round. We also try to minimize the chance that a team would compete against another team from the same school.

Rules:

• The Wild Card Play-off Round will have 12 teams in two flights of six teams. Every team in the Play-off Round will win a cash prize.

• No Wild Card Play-off Round team or team representative is allowed to observe another Wild Card Play-off Round team’s presentation in front of judges until that team has presented. After a team has presented, they are welcome to watch other teams’ presentations.

• Each team will have a total of 25 minutes in front of the judges (15 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for Q&A).

• This presentation must be given by at least two team members and no more than four team members. At least one team member must be a registered graduate student at the university being represented.

• Teams will be judged on their oral presentation of their investment pitch (i.e., their startup pitch) based on the criteria included earlier.

• The moderator will announce time remaining and when the 25-minute time limit has been reached.

• Equipment: Teams should plan to bring a laptop and a copy of their presentation on a flash drive. Each presentation room has a large-screen projector and equipment to run


your presentation. Each room will have a volunteer guide to help with A/V. IMPORTANT NOTE: Teams using a Mac laptop should bring their own video adaptor to be able to connect into the A/V system in the room.

Networking Dinner: All teams and team members must be present at this reception to receive the announcement of which teams will advance to the Final Round from the Semi-Finals and Play-off Rounds. Those wishing to attend the tour after the event on Wednesday need to register for the tour at the reception dinner. Announcements for the following day’s events will be made to ensure that all teams are present for the Venture Showcase, Final Round, Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner.

Tuesday, February 5, 2018 Final Round: The six Semi-Final teams that were announced at the previous evening’s dinner will advance to the Final Round to be held in the Main Auditorium at 8:30 am. The order of the Finalist presentations is determined randomly and will be announced at that time. Each team will have 15 minutes to present (uninterrupted), followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer session by judges.

For the Final Round, each team should be waiting outside the Main Auditorium at least 15 minutes prior to their designated presentation times.

Rules:

• There will be one Final Round flight with six teams. • No finalist team or team representative is allowed to observe another Final Round team’s

presentation in front of judges until that team has made its own presentation. After a team has presented, they are welcome to watch other teams’ presentations.

• Each team will have a total of 25 minutes in front of judges (15 minutes of uninterrupted presentation, followed by 10 minutes of Q&A).

• This presentation must be given by at least two team members and no more than four team members. At least one team member must be a registered graduate student at the university being represented.

• The presentation will be a mix of oral presentation and Q&A. There is no set time for either; the session will be a back-and-forth exchange with the judges. Moderators will be in the room to help guide the flow of discussion.

• Teams will be judged on their oral presentation of their investment pitch (i.e., their startup pitch) based on the criteria included earlier.

• The moderator will announce time remaining and when the 25 minutes time has finished. Equipment: Teams should plan to bring a laptop and a copy of their presentation on a flash drive. Each presentation room has a large-screen projector and equipment to run your presentation. Each room will have a volunteer guide to help with A/V. IMPORTANT NOTE: Teams using a Mac laptop should bring their own video adaptor to be able to connect into the A/V system in the room.

Venture Showcase: Teams set up their company displays for an hour of presentations and networking with all attendees. Team will have a booth set aside for their use to display their company information and a prototype. Teams can use their laptop for their display, but electric power is not guaranteed. Teams may also hand out printed materials. There will be space available to place posters, banners and the prototype. Trade show booths or similar full-sized displays will not be allowed. Judges’ score will account for 10 percent of total score.

Lunch and Practice for Award Ceremony: Lunch will be served in the Main Building Rotunda area after which at least one representative from each team will be required to attend


the practice for the award ceremony. The representative attending the practice should be a registered student in a graduate program from their university being represented.

Award Ceremony: The award ceremony will be attended by VIPs. On their arrival, they will visit the venture exhibits at which one representative of the team will need to be present at the team’s exhibit to respond to any questions or comments. After a tour of the exhibits, all team members, judges, investors, guests and attendees will be seated in the Main Auditorium for the Award Ceremony. All are requested to be seated at the beginning of the event and to not leave the room until after the VIPs have left the auditorium.

Gala Dinner: All teams and team representatives along with judges, investors and guests will attend the gala dinner to be held on the AUS Plaza and participate in the closing event of the NVC.

A bus will be available to take all team members to the hotel after the Gala Dinner so they can either prepare for their homeward travel or stay for the optional tour day on Wednesday.

Wednesday, February 6, 2019 Tour of Sharjah and Dubai: Those who registered to participate in the Sharjah and Dubai tour will be met at the hotel by the bus and taken to AUS to pick up other participating AUS guests. The tour will first travel to Sharjah city and take in such sights as the Corniche, the Heritage Area, Al Naboodah House and the Old Souk. A lunch of local cuisine will be arranged at a restaurant in either Sharjah or Dubai. A tour of the heritage area of Dubai will follow, with a visit to the Spice Souk and School Museum, as well as an abra trip across Dubai Creek to Al-Fahidi Souk and Bastakiya. The bus will return to AUS and the hotel at approximately 5:00 pm. Participants will arrange their own transportation to their departing airport for their homeward journey.


Logistics

• Hotel/Accommodation: A block of rooms are being held at the Centro Hotel Sharjah, Al Dhaid Road, Sharjah, UAE (next to Sharjah International Airport and diagonally opposite AUS) for individuals participating in or attending the competition. AUS will cover the accommodation (with breakfasts) for a maximum of four persons per team. Any additional participants will need to arrange their own accommodation, for which rooms will be set aside at a discounted rate. The link to the hotel website is https://www.rotana.com/centrohotels/unitedarabemirates/sharjah/centrosharjah

• Shuttle: AUS will provide shuttle buses to bring you to and from the AUS campus. Those who choose to stay elsewhere will be responsible for their own transportation to and from campus.

• Venue: All competition events will be held on the AUS campus. Buses will transport you to the Centro Hotel Sharjah. Those who choose to stay elsewhere will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the campus.

• Meals: Competitors will be provided meals at no cost during the competition. This

includes lunch and the two dinner events held on campus on Sunday and Monday. Breakfast will be included at the Centro Hotel Sharjah for the maximum of four participants per team.

• Travel: Teams should plan to arrive on AUS campus by 7:30 am on Sunday, February 3,

2019 for registration and should plan to leave UAE no earlier than 00:00 Wednesday morning, February 6, 2019. The competition will end after the Gala Dinner and awards ceremony on Tuesday night, February 5, 2019 at approximately 10:00 pm.

• Travel Expenses: Competitors must handle their own travel expenses to and from the

UAE. Those who choose to stay somewhere other than the Centro Hotel Sharjah will be responsible for their own transportation to and from campus, as well as to and from the airport.

• Air Travel: The closest international arrival/departure points to AUS are Sharjah

International Airport (SHJ) and Dubai Airport (DXB) (Terminals, 1, 2 and 3). Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) at Dubai World Central is to the south of Dubai and at least a one-hour drive to Sharjah.

• Taxi to and from Airport: A cab from Sharjah Airport to Centro Hotel Sharjah will cost

approximately AED 20 or $4.50, from DXB approximately AED 85 or $23 and from DWC approximately AED 200 or $55.

• Currency: The Dirham (AED) is the currency of the UAE, which has an exchange rate to

the USD of approximately 3.68. Local stores and restaurants take only Dirhams. Some hotels may take USD. Credit cards are easily accessible at various ATMs throughout malls, banks, service stations and supermarkets.

• Sharjah Decency Code: The UAE is a Muslim country and observes Islamic dress and

behavior laws. For more information, visit https://www.aus.edu/discover-sharjah

• Weather: UAE weather is mild with winter temperatures between 12C and 25C and occasional rain.

https://www.rotana.com/centrohotels/unitedarabemirates/sharjah/centrosharjah

https://www.aus.edu/discover-sharjah


American University Campus Map


Directional Map to AUS


Centro Hotel Sharjah Hotel

www.rotana.com/centrohotels/unitedarabemirates/sharjah/centrosharjah

https://www.rotana.com/centrohotels/unitedarabemirates/sharjah/centrosharjah

Documents

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