Sprint Challenge Brief:


Subject Matter Expert: Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship

Submissions Closed

BACKGROUND

TechConnect is proud to support the third annual NASA Entrepreneurship Challenge. As a Challenge partner, TechConnect will host the live pitch event at Defense TechConnect Innovation Summit and Expo in November 2023.

This year's Entrepreneurship Challenge encourages startup founders from across the country to develop and commercialize new technologies that could benefit two important NASA missions: lunar science and climate science.

To support this exciting Challenge, TechConnect seeks venture experts from across the United States able to serve as judges at the live event.

Requirements

As this program supports a US federal agency, all interested venture experts must be US citizens or permanent residents. Furthermore, potential judges must meet at least two (2) of the following criteria:

  • Experience supporting and working with startups led by founders from historically excluded communities
  • Validated experience supporting and mentoring deep tech startups
  • Subject matter expertise in lunar and/or climate science-focused entrepreneurship
  • Expertise with venture-building from pre-seed through growth stage as a co-founder or early employee
  • Former experience as a founder of a deep tech startup with a dual-use business model
  • Former experience winning SBIR/STTR awards and commercializing the supported technologies
  • Accreditation and recent experience investing in deep tech startups
  • Background as an entrepreneur from a historically excluded community

We encourage and welcome applications from all qualified venture experts including those from historically excluded communities, especially women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities.

Selected judges will receive a fully paid registration for the Defense TechConnect Innovation Summit and Expo (travel and lodging not included). Additionally, judges will network with presenting startups, receiving mentorship and investment opportunities.

To express interest in becoming a venture expert for the NASA Entrepreneurship Challenge, applicants should highlight relevant experience, as well as briefly explain their motivation for participating as a judge. Applicants will also need to share a one-page version of their resume.

Venture Experts: Submissions Closed

TechConnect will notify applicants via email, if they have been selected as a venture expert for the 2023 NASA Entrepreneurship Challenge.

Download Challenge Brief