Congratulations to Sonica Health, the 2020 Winner of the $10,000 Business Plan Competition, read the press release.
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Business Plan Competition

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Business Plan Competition Criteria & Rules
Technologies to Support the Needs of Older Adults in the Time of COVID-19.

Do you have a business plan or startup venture that shows significant business potential for the burgeoning baby boomer market, which represents more than $2 trillion in spending power? We invite you to enter your business plan for the 2020 What's Next Longevity Venture Summit and Business Plan Competition. ​If you have a business plan or start-up targeting the longevity market, specifically Technologies to Support the Needs of Older Adults in the Time of COVID-19, we invite you to enter your business plan for the 2020 What's Next Longevity Venture Summit Business Plan Competition.

The impact on older adults during this pandemic has been horrific. Many have died in nursing homes and elsewhere. For others, visits with family members have been eliminated. And in-person healthcare visits were replaced with phone and online appointments. Further complicating the situation, many of the oldest were not yet comfortable with new technologies to stay connected -- like Facetime, Skype, and Zoom, for example. In the post-Covid-19 world, what innovations would help prevent this level of isolation and inadequate care -- or keep families and their oldest family members better connected? Five companies will be pitching for growth stage investing. The finalist entrepreneur groups will compete for the $10,000 grand prize by presenting their boomer business plans before a panel of judges comprised of leaders in the field of aging and the venture capital community.

From early-stage ventures to fintech - health and money to connected care - the connected home and caregiver, plans that bring services to people & chronic disease management and more (see categories below). The 2020 Business Plan competition aims to generate the best ideas from the best universities that answer the investment theses of our investor community. and tap into the business expertise and creativity of entrepreneurs around the globe.

Business Competition Highlights
  • International Applications from 6 countries:  U.S., Canada, Israel, Taiwan, Singapore, Ireland
  • ​15 University Applications including: UCSF Medical School, NYU, Princeton, Haifa University, Taipei Medical School, Columbia, University of Colorado at Boulder, and  University of Hawaii
  • Highly Competitive Applicants relevant during COVID-19: 19 companies focused on social isolation, 12 companies focused on Virtual Care, 9 companies focused on AI and Voice Enabled Technology, 11 companies focused on Predictive Analytics and Chronic Disease Management
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Guidelines

Criteria:
  • Less than $1M capital raised or revenues
  • Focused on one of these categories:
    • Mobility
    • Cognitive fitness 
    • Ai and voice enabled tech 
    • Gig economy and services 
    • Marketplaces 
    • Chronic disease management
    • Connected home
    • Personalized care 
    • Financial tech 
    • Predictive analytics and chronic disease management 
    • Leisure time 
    • Managing the latest stages of life 
    • Telehealth
    • Virtual Care
    • Social Isolation
  • You must agree to participate virtually and present your business plan to a panel of venture capitalist judges. Date tbd.

Application:
Please apply for the Business Plan competition HERE by June 30, 2020 11:59pm PST
 
First Round
All entries submitted by the deadline of June 30, 2020 11:59PM PST will be judged by professionals within the venture capital, business, media and education communities. First Round Judges Review the 10 Page Slide Deck Submission for Financials and Executive Summaries. Each judge brings expertise in the Boomer Market and various segments of the space. Selected finalists will have an opportunity to make any revisions up to the several days before the competition (deadline will be communicated).
 
Finalists
Finalists selected will be asked to commit to presenting their respective plans virtually. Date tbd. Finalists will have access to the What's Next Longevity Venture Summit online content. Judges will review the entrepreneurs’ presentation of their 10 Slide Deck Business Plan at the summit.
 
Moderator: Richard Lui, Journalist and News Anchor, MSNBC
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Speaker: Mel Barsky, Director of Business Development, CABHI
FINAL Judges Include:
  • Christine Brocato, Director of Strategic Innovation, Dignity Health
  • John Hopper, Chief Investment Officer, Ziegler Link·Age Funds
  • Andre Bierzynski, Innovation Director, AARP Innovation Labs
  • Hope Walls, Analyst, Nationwide Ventures
  • Miriam Rivera, Managing Director, Ulu Ventures
  • Lynne Chou O’Keefe, Founder and Managing Partner, Define Ventures
  • Dr. Allison Sekuler, Managing Director, CABHI
 
Prize
Winners receive a $10,000 cash check with no restrictions.

Prize Contributors
  • Blue Star Senior Tech
  • First Republic Bank
  • Life Bio

Timeline:
May 8 - June 30: Applications open
June 30: Deadline for applications
July 9: Finalists Announced
​July 21: Competition Broadcast

Judge’s Criteria:
 
PROBLEM STATEMENT –
  • Is the problem statement and solution to the problem statement clear and well defined?
  • Is the value proposition sound?

MARKET OPPORTUNITY –
  • Why is there a need for this company’s solution?
  • What is the market opportunity?
  • Are there any market issues that the plan did not acknowledge but that need to be addressed?
  • Is the market opportunity/need distinct for the Boomer Population?

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE –
  • Competition: What does the market look for?
  • Who would be the initial competitors and who would be likely competitors in the future?
  • What is the company’s unique competitive advantage?
  • What are the hurdles to entering the business?

PROPOSED SOLUTION –
  • Is the solution to market clearly articulated?
  • Is the product/service unique and defensible, patentable?
  • Can the company make money with this product?
  • Is there a demonstrated ability to achieve market leadership?
  • Is there a well-defined plan to penetrate the market?
  • How difficult would it be to enter the defined market segment with the proposed business idea?

BUSINESS MODEL –
  • Is the business model clearly articulated?
  • Is it operationally feasible?
  • Is the value proposition sound?
  • Does the company address major relevant risks and appropriate mitigation plans?
  • How strong is the ability to get break-even capital? How reasonable are projections?
  • Is the model scalable? Financially viable?

MANAGEMENT –
  • Has the management team been defined?
  • Is there industry expertise/prior success in the management team?

Questions? Contact boomerventurecompetition@gmail.com
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2019 Winner - Toi Labs
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2018 Winner - Zeit Medical (formerly Wavelet)
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2017 Winner - BaroStitch
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2016 Winner - Noctrix Health
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2015 Winner - Vynca

Previous Business Plan Winners

2019
Toi Labs
Toi Labs presented its premiere product, TrueLooTM, a complete digital health solution that addresses chronic lower digestive and urinary conditions prevalent in senior populations. It is a connected toilet seat that can be installed in minutes and doesn't require any change in behavior.
Once in place, TrueLoo™ monitors stool and urine 24/7 for a myriad of chronic health issues. Toi Labs was represented by CEO Vik Kashyap.
2018
Zeit Medical
​Zeit Medical developed an Implantable stroke monitor for high risk atrial fibrillation patients to reduce time to treatment after an ischemic stroke. The Stanford team includes: Ayo Roberts, Patrick Thompson, and Orestis Vardoulis.
2017
BaroStitch
​BaroStitch is a suture-based closure device that induces hemostasis of an arteriotomy following endovascular procedures. It is commonly used for large-bore access to the femoral artery. By closing large-bore arteriotomies in a percutaneous fashion, BaroStitch has the potential to decrease length of stay, and could potentially save hospitals $2,600 per hospital stay day. The Stanford team includes: Chirag Chauhan, Katie Blevins, Eric Kramer, and Vivian de Ruijter.
2016
Noctrix Health
​Noctrix Health’s wearable medical device is used to treat the symptoms of restless leg syndrome, which affects over 8 million adults in the United States. Noctrix Health is a Stanford Biodesign spinoff that intends to commercialize a wearable medical device that harnesses the power of neural circuitry to relieve symptoms and thereby facilitate undisturbed sleep.
2015
Vynca
Vynca, is a population health management technology focused on improving care delivery at the end of life. Vynca's goal is to align care preference with care provision in order to provide high-quality, cost-effective care at the end-of-life. Vynca's technology helps patients and healthcare providers to have meaningful conversations about care preferences, document wishes accurately and most importantly provide real time access to this critical information throughout the care continuum. Vynca's system provides a full single sign on integration within the EHR.
2014
Bikanta
At the 2014 SV Business Plan Competition, Ambika Bumb, PhD, presented her new company for consideration. Bikanta developed a process for nanodiamonds to be used to detect molecular abnormalities in cancer much earlier than conventional methods, to help stop the spread of the disease.
2013
Resido Medical
Resido Medical was the grand prize winner of the Business Plan Competition at the Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit of the 28 entries submitted. The Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellow and Resido Medical Co-Founder Kate Rosenbluth accepted the $10,000 for the budding research & design company. More than 10 million Americans are affected by Essential Tremor, the most common movement disorder, which can inhibit independent living as patients lose the ability to perform daily tasks such as writing a check, buttoning a shirt, cooking, and eating.
2012
​HyloMimetics
HyloMimetics was the $10,000 winner of the 2012 Business Plan Competition. HyloMimetics is developing a bioinspired molecule that prevents the progression of osteoarthritis and restores healthy cartilage, getting patients out of pain and remobilizing their lives.
2011
PuraCath Medical, Inc.
​Julia Rasooly
2010
CatheNect Medical
​Julia Rasooly and team
2009
HemRx Medical
​Ruey Peh and Erika Palmer
Disclaimer
Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, mutilated or illegible entries nor for electronic transmission errors resulting in omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, network, telephone equipment, electronic, computer, hardware or software malfunctions or limitations of any kind, or inaccurate transmissions of or failure to receive entry information by Sponsor or presenter on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website or any combination thereof. If for any reason the Internet portion of the program is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of the sponsor which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this contest, the Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the contest.

Intellectual Property Protection
Organizers and sponsors of the 2020 What's Next Longevity Venture Summit Business Plan Competition have taken reasonable measures to ensure that all contestants retain their rights to their business plans and any intellectual property. Organizers and sponsors shall make no claim to any of the property or rights.
Additionally, the finalists will present their business plans virtually. The content of presentations is at the discretion of each contestant.

By entering this contest all contestants indemnify organizers and sponsors of the 2020 What's Next Longevity Venture Summit and Business Plan Competition from any liability whatsoever arising out of this contest.