Next Top Entrepreneur Competition

Applications are for the 2025 competition are closed

The UGA Entrepreneurship Program invites current students from any college or university to take part in UGA’s Next Top Entrepreneur Pitch Competition on Thursday, April 3, 2025, from 5–8:30 p.m. at the UGA’s Studio 225 (225 W. Broad St.) in Athens.

UGA’s Next Top Entrepreneur is open to student startup teams from all over the country. During this live event, teams pitch their existing business plans or business idea in front of a live audience and a panel of judges. At the end of the competition, the 1st place team receives $10,000, 2nd place team receives $5,000, and 3rd place team receives $2,500.

About the Competition

Current students from any college or university with a solid business idea, concept, product and/or existing business are invited to pitch in front of a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs for a chance to win top prize of $10,000.

Teams are evaluated on their business model, the validity of their idea, and their ability to execute. Our judges are looking for the business with greatest potential for success.

Teams traveling out of state for the competition are eligible for travel reimbursement of up to $1,500 (not per student).

Eligibility & Rules

  • Undergraduate and Graduate-level students only. Doctoral students are not eligible.
  • If a member of the team has graduated, they must have graduated within the past three semesters.
  • Businesses must have less than $2 million in cumulative life-time sales plus cumulative lifetime third party funding, grants or awards.
  • There is no limit on the type of business eligible.
  • A maximum of 4 members of the team may participate in the competition (no exceptions).

How to Apply

In your application, please include:

  • Business abstract: include in your abstract who is the target market and who is the addressable market
  • Two-minute pitch video
  • Statement of revenue for the last 12 months
  • Additional photos, videos, and/or website links to help your business stand out

Only completed applications are accepted.

The applicant pool is judged by an internal committee. The top ten teams advance to the final round in Athens, Georgia.

The pitch competition takes place in front of a live audience with a panel of judges who have experience in the startup and business world. These judges pick the winning team that walk away with top prize of $10,000, 2nd place prize of $5,000, and 3rd place prize of $2,500.

Dates and Deadlines

Competition Day:
Join us on Thursday, April 3, 2025 in Athens, Georgia at 5 p.m. in Studio 225 to see teams pitch their business.

Application Deadline:
Friday, February 28, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EST

Finalists Announced:
Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Fiserv logo
D12 Cimmerical Interiors

UGA’s Next Top Entrepreneur Competition is sponsored by Fiserv and D12 Commercial Interiors.

Congratulations to our 2025 Winners!

Winners of the Next Top Entrepreneurship Program pose with novelty checks

Kareem Elfoulie, was the representing team member of, Senior Shield Technologies that took home top prize of $10,000! “Senior Shield Technologies preserves patient dignity and supports caretakers; improves standards and provides insights into operations efficiency.”

Kareem (center) and his co-founders attend Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia.

Logan Cuvo (left) from West Virginia University won second-place prize of $5,000 with Best Dam Tape, tape designed for hockey sticks. Blake Mischley (right) from the University of Michigan won third-place prize of $2,500 with MeetYourClass, opportunity to “Meet Your Class” before your college career begins.

Previous winners