This is a great new resource for entrepreneurs and those looking to invest in their ideas!
Business Plan Competition Administrators can:
- Create & customize your competition
- Manage applicants and judges
- Brand it as your own
- Facilitate the start of future businesses
Student Entrepreneurs can use the site to:
- Search participating competitions
- Enable your business plan to be discovered
- Post your resume
- Find a startup that needs you
About iStart
The iStart Web site is the leading online community for business plan competitions. iStart began as studentbusiness.com – the big idea of three Harvard University students, who have since graduated and gone on to launch even bigger ideas. In 2009, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation bought the site and renamed it iStart. We added more functionality and the public side to increase transparency. Our goal is for iStart to become the go-to site for entering business plan competitions from around the world, browsing pages of plan abstracts and networking with hundreds of innovative, energize entrepreneurs.
The iStart Web site is:
* The catalyst for new businesses. We are dedicated to increasing the number of new firms formed – that’s our big idea.
* Accessible. Thirty days after a competition ends, applicant teams can make their plan abstracts – and their companies – searchable to anyone on iStart. If you want your big idea to get noticed, this is the place.
* Easy to use. Whether you are a competition administrator, a judge or an applicant, iStart helps you work at maximum efficiency and speed.
* Standardized. We offer one simple platform for everything you need – from the call for entries to the final judging round. More functionality. Less time. Sweet!