Application for Pitch Competition at Innovation Festival 2025 |
We invite Animal Science and Agriculture Startups to apply to the BioKansas Pitch Competition, taking place during the annual BioKansas Innovation Festival on August 12th, 2025 at the Overland Park Convention Center. Applications are due by June 21st 2025.
This is an opportunity for startups focusing on animal science and agriculture innovation to pitch their company, product, or service concept to a panel of experienced life sciences investors and professionals. Participants will receive expert feedback on their concept and their pitch, will have the opportunity to network with others in biosciences-related industries, and are invited to participate in the entire one-day conference.
Each pitch will entail a four (4) minute presentation by a company founder or representative, followed by a six (6) minute Q&A with the panel of judges. Selected applicants will receive a free exhibitor table and one (1) free registration to the Innovation Festival. Winners will receive a cash prize and a free one-year membership to BioKansas.
To be eligible for the Pitch Competition companies must:
- Be in the life sciences or closely related industries. Life sciences may include (but are not limited to) human, animal, or crop health science; drug or diagnostics development; biosecurity, biodefense, or biosafety; novel applications of bioprocesses; medical devices; innovative digital health or digital agriculture products
- Be 5 years or less from company formation.
- Not yet have secured Series A (or equivalent) financing
- Be 5 years or less from company formation.
- Not yet have secured Series A (or equivalent) financing
Pitches will be evaluated by the following criteria:
-Impact: Does the proposed program address a critical unmet need?
-Innovation: Is the proposed solution, product or service novel? Is the technology new? Does it involve a new application for existing technologies?
- Opportunity: What is the current or potential market for the proposed solution, product, or service? How competitive is the market for the program? How sustainable is the market and how many people will be served?
- Feasibility: Is there data demonstrating the technical or market feasibility of the solution, product or service? How has the company or the program been de-risked? What is the potential for attracting future R&D capital?
- Team: What are the credentials and background of the founding team? How will the founders’ expertise propel the company? Are there key skill sets missing from the current team?
With your application, please also include a brief narrative description or executive summary of the company (no more than one (1) page). Narrative or executive summaries should concisely describe the concept, company history, the key market and unmet need, the innovative solution, an assessment of feasibility, a summary of the founding team, and projected future financing requirements. Company descriptions will be used for evaluation purposes and to advertise the Pitch Competition and competitors to the conference attendees.
Please e-mail a brief video (no longer than two (2) minutes) summarizing your company concept, current progress, and near-term plan to communications@biokansas.org to complete the application. Videos will be used exclusively for pre-competition evaluation – production quality or professional videography is not expected. All videos will remain strictly confidential and will not be retained after the Pitch Competition.
Please contact communications@biokansas.org with any questions.
*Please note: This form shoul