The 2026 Rice Business Plan Competition is presented by Rice Business, home of the #1 graduate entrepreneurship program in the country!
Organized for 25 years by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, which is Rice University's internationally-recognized initiative devoted to the support of entrepreneurship, RBPC offers an educational program mirroring real-world experience through this multi-day event for graduate student startups from across the world.
Beyond just the world-renowned prizes, graduate student startups spend time interacting with our judges and prize sponsors—providing valuable access and experience with both early-stage and later-stage investors.
The Rice Business Plan Competition exists so that graduate student founders pushing to create new possibilities in technology, energy, healthcare and more can surround themselves with a powerful network; learn what it takes to secure investor funding; hone their pitch; and compete for big money. After a competitive application season, 42 startups have risen to the top and are invited to compete on a global stage for more than $1M in prizes at the 2026 RBPC.
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