UD community invited to submit business startup ideas for Hen Hatch competition

11:31 a.m., Nov. 21, 2014--Hen Hatch, the University of Delaware’s premier startup funding competition, is now accepting applications for the 2015 competition.

Hosted by UD’s Horn Program in Entrepreneurship, Hen Hatch provides $50,000 in startup funding and in-kind services to help UD’s best startup ideas and entrepreneurs pursue and improve their business concepts.

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Last year’s student finalist was Board to Death, a fully customizable snowboard manufacturing company led by Chris Melillo and Krista Adams. 

“The money from Hen Hatch went toward the tools and materials to build the interchangeable snowboard press,” said Melillo. “This was huge for us as it is literally the main component in building boards.”

“Most recently we are getting ready to begin prototyping,” Melillo added. “The rest of the necessary materials should be here soon and we can then begin testing the process of making the boards to custom sizes.”

WholesomeOne’s Kevin Burke, a finalist in 2013, said his team used its Hen Hatch success to attend industry conferences and make website design improvements.

Hen Hatch separates applicants into two tracks so that current students, regardless of major, compete against other current students while alumni, faculty and staff compete against each other.

The contest’s preliminary round consists of a written 3-5 page business concept, which is evaluated by seasoned entrepreneurs, investors and business consultants. 

Business concept submissions are due Jan. 19, 2015. The Horn Program has published an outline and suggestions for what to include in this submission here.

For the semifinal round, the Horn Program will invite the top 10 preliminary round scorers in each track to the Venture Development Center for an investment pitch to a new and equally accomplished panel of judges. The semifinal round will take place on March 13 and 20, 2015.

The final round on April 28, 2015, will showcase the top three teams from each track with an investment pitch to an audience and panel of judges.

For more information on how to register, please visit the Horn Program’s Hen Hatch page.