Official Rules – Open Challenge Sprints

TechConnect Ventures' Open Challenge Sprints

1. ORGANIZER AND SPONSOR. TECHCONNECT VENTURES ("ORGANIZER" OR "SPONSOR") IS THE ADMINSTRATOR, EXECUTOR AND SPONSOR FOR THE SPRINT.

2. LEGAL TERMS: LEGAL TERMS: BY SUBMITTING A RESPONSE (DEFINED HEREIN AS AN "ENTRY") TO ANY TECHCONNECT VENTURES INCENTIVE-BASED OPEN CHALLENGE SPRINT ("SPRINT"), YOU ARE AGREEING TO BE BOUND BY THE FOLLOWING LEGAL TERMS, RULES AND REGULATIONS ("RULES").  ANY PARTICIPANT, INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS, TEAMS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF ORGANIZATIONS, THAT SUBMITS AN ENTRY INTO ANY SPRINT IS DEFEINED HEREIN AS A "SOLVER".  THESE OFFICIAL RULES SUPERSEDE ANY OTHER RULES OR TERMS & CONDITIONS ON THE WEBSITE OF TECHCONNECT, TECHCONNECT VENTURES OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES OR SUBSIDIARIES TO THE EXTENT THERE IS ANY CONFLICT OF TERMS. THE RULES SHALL GOVERN EACH INDIVIDUAL INSTANCE OF A SPRINT. BY YOUR ENTRY AND PARTICIPATION IN ANY SPRINT YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE RULES AND ANY ADDITIONAL RULES, REGULATIONS OR TERMS SO DESCRIBED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OR CHALLENGE WEBPAGES OF THE APPLICABLE INDIVIDUAL SPRINT.

THE ORGANIZER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO AT ANY TIME, CANCEL OR AMEND ALL OR ANY PART OF AN INDIVIDUAL SPRINT AND/OR OF THE RULES AS IT DEEMS FIT AND WITHOUT NOTICE. THE ORGANIZER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ADD, AMEND, OR ASSERT ANY ADDITIONAL RULES OR MODIFICATIONS TO RULES UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF ANY INDIVIDUAL SPRINT. IN SUCH INSTANCE, THE INDIVIDUAL TERMS OF THE SPRINT SHALL TAKE PRECEDENCE. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO REMAIN INFORMED AS TO ANY CHANGES TO THE SPRINT AND/OR THE RULES. IN THE EVENT OF ANY QUESTION OR MATTER ARISING OUT OF ANY POINT THAT IS NOT EXPRESSLY PROVIDED FOR IN ANY OF THE RULES, THE DECISION OF THE ORGANIZER SHALL BE FINAL.

IN THE EVENT OF ANY DISPUTE REGARDING THE RULES, THE CONDUCT OR RESULTS OF THE SPRINT, OR ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE SPRINT, THE ORGANIZER'S DECISION SHALL BE FINAL AND UNCHALLENGEABLE AND NO CORRESPONDENCE OR DISCUSSION SHALL BE ENTERED INTO, COMMENT ISSUED, OR REASON GIVEN IN RESPECT OF ANY DECISION MADE BY THE ORGANIZER.

3. CHALLENGE DATES: Sprints shall be held according to the timelines described on the applicable Challenge webpage. The Organizer reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel, modify or suspend the Sprint or any part thereof at any time or re-schedule the dates of the Sprint or extend the Sprint timeline. Except where specified otherwise, the Deadline for submitting an Entry shall be 11:59 PM EST on date of Submission Close or Deadline ("Deadline") listed on the applicable Sprint webpage.

THE ORGANIZER MAY TERMINATE OR SUSPEND THE SPRINT AT ANYTIME AT ITS SOLE AND ABSOLUTE DISCRETION. SUCH TERMINATION OR SUSPENSION WILL NOT GIVE RISE TO ANY CLAIM BY THE SOLVER. THE ORGANIZER RESERVES THE RIGHT NOT TO ISSUE AWARDS IF IN ITS OPINION NONE OF THE SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED IS OF SUFFICIENT MERIT.

4. GENERAL INFORMATION: Participation is subject to all federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Multiple Entries are permitted. Each Entry will be reviewed independently and shall have no bearing or influence over the review of additional Entries submitted by the Solver. Multiple individuals or entities ("Teams") may collaborate to submit a single Entry, but a single individual must be designated as an official representative for each Entry. You are responsible for checking applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction before participating in the Sprint to make sure that your participation is legal. You are responsible for abiding by your employer's policies regarding participation in the Sprint. Organizers disclaim any and all liability or responsibility for disputes arising between you and your employer and any other party related to this Sprint. You are responsible for all taxes and reporting related to any award that you may receive as part of the Sprint.

5. SPRINT OBJECTIVE: Open Challenge Sprints are fast-tracked, competitive open innovation challenge programs that are wholly owned, hosted and sponsored by the Organizer. The objective of the Sprint is to encourage Innovation Solvers to identify, describe, propose and/or pitch novel innovations, emerging technologies, processes, research, business models and other innovative solutions with viable commercial potential which can influence or address the technical challenge scenario described in the Sprint Challenge and related Sprint documents, and which may be of commercial interest to TechConnect Ventures community of potential commercial partners and investors, including corporations, government agencies, non-profits and other investors (collectively "Innovation Seekers" or "Seekers"). Organizer is not obligated to identify the names, organizations, background, contact information or any information about all or any Seekers enrolled in the Sprint

6. SPRINT FORMAT & PROCESS:  The Sprint is comprised of a two-stage process: a) the Innovation Challenge ("Challenge"); and b) the Innovation Showcase or Pitch Event ("Pitch").

The Challenge stage of the Sprint shall consist of all activities related to the digital submission of Entries through the Organizer's Sprint webpage and submission form, including Entry evaluation, judging and the creation of any reports for distribution to participating Seekers. See the Sprint Guidelines and applicable Sprint webpage for specific details. Each individual Sprint shall have its own dedicated Entry submission and evaluation process. In order to participate in the Sprint, all Solvers must submit an Entry to the Innovation Challenge stage of the Sprint. All eligible Entries will be compiled into a comprehensive Sprint Opportunity Report, which will be accessible to Seekers who are enrolled in the Sprint as clients of TechConnect Ventures. Participating Seekers may also be invited to attend the Pitch as part of their enrollment.

Entries submitted in the Challenge stage will be evaluated by the TechConnect Ventures Judging Panel (see section Judging below) to select top-rated Solvers ("Top Innovators") from among the Sprint Entries. The Organizer reserves the sole and unchallengeable right to select one, more or no Top Innovators for any Sprint. Top Innovators selected from the Sprint may be invited to participate in the Pitch, in order to present their Entry, technology, innovation and organization to the exclusive group of Seekers who have demonstrated interest in the Sprint topic(s) and/or the Solver's Entry in particular. Submission of an Entry does not guarantee an invitation to participate in the Pitch.

The Pitch stage of the Sprint shall consist of all activities related to the presentation of Entries by Solvers to the Organizer and Seekers participating in the Sprint. Instructions, timelines and details of the Pitch may be provided on the applicable Sprint webpage, within the Sprint Guidelines or may be communicated directly to Top Innovators selected for participation in the Pitch. Pitches may be held in any format (virtual, digital, physical, etc.) at the discretion of the Organizer. Pitches may be held as events unique to the applicable Sprint or may combine presentations by Top Innovators from one or more unrelated Sprints. Organizer may elect to change, suspend or terminate Pitches at any time. Organizer offers no guarantees that the Sprint shall include a Pitch Event.

7. ELIGIBILITY: The Sprint is open to all individuals over the age of 18 at the date of entry and to all validly formed legal entities. Employees and families of TechConnect and its subsidiaries are not eligible to enter.

Responses from any Solvers, including but not limited to, companies (small to large), academic researchers, other research institutes, accelerators, incubators, technology transfer firms, consultants, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, or inventors are welcome.

Responses from teams and collaborative groups ("Teams") of Solvers are welcome. For all Teams, a primary contact must be designated for the submission and any follow-up communications. Organizer is not responsible for any engagement of or communication with Team members not designated as the primary contact. Organizer shall not be held responsible for or party to any teaming agreements, verbal, written or implied, between members of a Team in generation or submission of an Entry. All working relationships related to your Team are your own.

Solvers are solely responsible for all equipment, expenses, resources, insurance and/or costs incurred by the Solver or on behalf of any Solver in participating in the Sprint.

8. HOW TO ENTER: To enter, you must submit an Entry through the Submission Form on the Sprint Website. The Submission Form will provide further instructions, requirements, criteria and the required response format. You must submit your completed Entry (hereinafter your "Entry" and referenced interchangeably as your "proposal," "submission" and/or "response" on the Sprint Website and in the Submission Form) using the Submission Form and following the instructions provided therein. By submitting your Entry, you formally accept the Official Rules for this Sprint.

All Entries must be in English, without exception. Where applicable, Entry attachments must be submitted in .pdf format unless otherwise specified. Except where otherwise specified, Entries including formats other than .pdf (including, but not limited to, .xls, .xlsx, .doc, docx, .ppt, or .pptx formats) may be considered incomplete or non-compliant with the Sprint Rules and may face disqualification.

All Entries must be submitted through the Submission Page by:

  • Completing all fields of the Submission webform;
  • Uploading any required files via the provided upload field at the time the Entry is submitted;
  • Completing submission by clicking the "Submit" button.

Entries submitted in any other manner than that described above shall be considered ineligible. Organizer will not accept any Entries or supplemental files that are attempted to be submitted via email, physical mail, courier, fax or otherwise.

By submitting an Entry, you agree that (a) all required fields are complete and all information in your Entry is correct and accurate; and (b) your registration may be rejected or terminated and all Entries submitted by you may be disqualified if any of the information provided is (or the Organizer has reasonable grounds to believe it is) incomplete, incorrect or inaccurate. All submitters of Entries ("Solver", "Submitter", "Respondent", "Solution Provider", "Entrant" or "Innovator") are solely responsible for their Entry. All registration information is deemed collected in the United States of America.

The Organizer is not responsible for: (a) late, lost, stolen, damaged, garbled, incomplete, incorrect or misdirected Entries or other communications; (b) errors, omissions, interruptions, deletions, defects, or delays in operations or transmission of information, in each case whether arising by way of technical or other failures or malfunctions of computer hardware, software, communications devices, or transmission lines; or (c) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or alteration of Entry materials, loss or otherwise.

The Organizer is not responsible for electronic communications or emails which are undeliverable as a result of any form of active or passive filtering of any kind, or insufficient space in any email account to receive email messages. The Organizer disclaims any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participation in, or accessing or downloading of information in connection with the Sprint.

The Organizer reserves the right to modify, remove or add data to the Sprint Website at any time and by reasonable means as the Organizer may determine. The Organizer reserves the right in their sole discretion to extend or modify the dates of Sprint and/or Entry submission dates, and to change the terms of these Official Rules governing any portion thereof taking place at any time and by reasonable means as the Organizer may determine. Solvers are urged to consult the Sprint Website regularly during the Sprint.

The Organizer shall have the right, in their discretion, to remove from the Sprint Website any comments, postings or other information related to the Sprint, at any time and for any reason.

BY SUBMITTING AN ENTRY FOR THE SPRINT, YOU ACCEPT THE CONDITIONS STATED IN THESE OFFICIAL RULES, AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE DECISIONS OF THE ORGANIZER AND THE JUDGES PANEL AND WARRANT THAT YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SPRINT. IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT ALL OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES, THEN DO NOT SUBMIT TO THE SPRINT. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU PRINT A COPY OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES FOR YOUR FUTURE REFERENCE.

9. ENTRY CRITERIA GUIDELINES: Solvers will submit Entries via the online Submission Form provided on the Sprint Website. Entries will serve as an introduction to the Solver's approach for meeting the Sprint objective, in addition to providing information about the Solver's background and expertise in the area. Instructions, requirements and guidelines for Submissions are available on the applicable Sprint Challenge page and in the Sprint Guidelines document. ENTRIES MUST ONLY INCLUDE NON-CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

10. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS: By submitting an Entry and participating in this Sprint, you affirm that the Entry is yours/your team's original work and that you have the necessary rights to submit the Entry. You further warrant that the submission does not violate any law or regulation or any rights of any third party. The Organizer reserves the right to disqualify any Solver in a scenario where the Organizer believes in its sole and absolute discretion that the submitted Entry or any part thereof infringes upon or violates the rights of any third party. You shall indemnify and hold harmless the Organizer, any Challenge Partners, participating Innovation Seekers, and their respective officers against any claims or costs relating to a breach of this term.

Your submission of an Entry and participation in this Sprint grants the Organizer certain rights. Upon submission, you agree and thereby consent to the use, by Organizers and their affiliates, agents and representatives, of your name, likeness, image, biographical information, award and award information (if an Award winner), your company or institution name (if your Entry is from a company or institution), any personal data submitted with your Entry, and the contents in your Entry (including any created works), in connection with the Sprint, in any media or format, in any and all locations worldwide, and without any payment to you or further approval from you. You agree that this consent is perpetual and cannot be revoked. For uses beyond the consent that you grant herein, you agree that Organizer's use of your personal data will be governed by the Privacy Policy posted on the Sprint Website.

You agree that nothing in the Official Rules grants you the right or license to use of any intellectual property of Organizer, including without limitation the Organizer's trademarks or service marks. Your submission thereby grants to Organizer the limited right to include your name or company or institution name (if your Entry is from a company or institution) as an Solver on the Sprint Website and in materials related to Organizer's promotion or fulfillment of the Sprint. Other than for these uses, you are not granting Organizers any rights to your trademarks.

11. BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP: The intent of the Sprint is to encourage people to submit, suggest, propose or demonstrate their solutions and innovations to the Organizer, and by extension any participating Seekers. Participation in this Sprint and acceptance of any Awards does not create an obligation on either your part, the Organizer's part or the part of any participating Seeker organizations, to negotiate or enter into any business relationship or to sign any commercial agreement.

Business relationship generating from connections between Seekers and Solvers participating in the Sprint are their own. Organizer is neither party to, nor obligated towards, any such relationships so generated, in matters financially, legally or otherwise,

12. PRIVACY: As part of the registration process for the Sprint, Solvers will disclose personal information which may constitute "Personal Data" for the purposes of applicable information privacy and data protections laws. Each Solver is deemed to have consented to the Organizer's collection, use and processing of the said Personal Data for the purposes of administering and conducting the Sprint, and further consents to the receipt of marketing material from the Organizer and/or any Sprint Partner(s) and any of its related companies.

By entering this Sprint, you acknowledge and agree that the Organizer will have access to and use of any personal data provided in connection with your Entry for purposes as described in the Official Rules and as governed by the Privacy Policy posted on the TechConnect website here: https://www.techconnect.org/privacy_policy.html. You further agree that the Organizer may share this personal data in connection with your Entry with designated third parties for purposes as described in the Official Rules.

13 CONFIDENTIALITY: Since the Organizer does not wish to receive or hold any submitted materials "in confidence," it is agreed that, with respect to your Entry, no confidential relationship or obligation of secrecy is established between the Organizer and you, the company you represented when submitting an Entry, or the owner of any part of your Entry. The Organizer shall have no liability or responsibility for use by any other individual or Entity of any aspect of your Entry. Furthermore, you acknowledge that Organizer may share in part or whole details of your Entry with designated third parties for purposes as described in the Official Rules.

14. WARRANTIES: By submitting an Entry, you represent and warrant that all information in your Entry and all information that you submit via the Sprint Website is true and complete to the best of your knowledge, that you have the right and authority to submit the Entry and disclose the information therein on your own behalf or on behalf of the persons and entities that you specify within the Entry, and that your Entry (both the information and materials submitted in the Entry and the underlying technology/method/solution described in the Entry):

(a) is your own original work and representative of your capability, or is submitted by permission with full and proper credit given within your Entry;

(b) does not contain confidential information or trade secrets (yours or anyone else's);

(c) does not, to the best of your knowledge, violate or infringe upon the patent rights, industrial design rights, copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity;

(d) does not contain malicious code, such as viruses, malware, timebombs, cancelbots, worms, Trojan horses or other potentially harmful programs or other material or information;

(e) does not and will not violate any applicable law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, confidentiality agreement or other agreement; and

(f) does not trigger any reporting of royalty or other obligation to any third party for which Organizer would have any liability.

A breach of any warranty set out in this provision of the Official Rules will result in the corresponding Entry being invalid. In addition, you agree to indemnify the Organizer against all loss, damages and costs incurred by Organizers arising from your breach of any such warranty.

15. SPRINT JUDGING (CHALLENGE STAGE): Entries submitted to the Challenge stage of the Sprint will be evaluated by a panel comprised of individuals who may be both internal and external to TechConnect Ventures who are competent in the subject matter of the Sprint (collectively the "Judging Panel" or "Judges"). TechConnect Ventures reserves the sole and exclusive right to assign or remove members to the Judging Panel at any time. The Judging Panel for the Challenge Entries may differ from that evaluating the Pitch. TechConnect Ventures is under no obligation to notify Solvers of any changes to the Judging Panel. TechConnect Ventures is under no obligation to disclose the names, organizations, backgrounds or contact details of any Judges.

Entries will be evaluated based on compliance with the Sprint Guidelines document and with the information, Call for Innovation and/or Entry Criteria provided on the applicable Sprint Challenge webpage.

Judging of Entries will occur after the Challenge Sprint Entry submission period formally closes and will be completed in advance of the announcement of any Top Innovators. Any Top Innovators selected from the Challenge Stage may be awarded with Top Innovator Awards (see section 17) or Showcase Awards (see section 18) or other incentives as determined by the Organizer at its sole discretion.

16. SPRINT JUDGING (PITCH STAGE): During any Pitch Event, a Judging Panel will evaluate all Pitches to name a Winner or Winners based on the overall strength of the pitch relative to the overall body of pitches in the Pitch Event, along with any additional criteria described on the Sprint Challenge webpage or communicated directly to the Solver's in preparation for the Pitch.

All decisions of the TechConnect Ventures Judging Panel, including any decisions to name no Winners, will be final and binding on all matters relating to this Sprint.

17. TOP INNOVATOR AWARDS:  Following evaluation by the Judging Panel, the Organizer will confirm any Top Innovators selected from the Sprint Entries. Any and all Top Innovators so selected will be notified of their selection and the Organizer will announce the Top Innovator(s) via the Sprint Website. In the event of any Awards issued to Top Innovators, the Organizer will notify the Top Innovator in order to secure (if applicable) any necessary information, agreements or documentation necessary to process the Award.

Top Innovator Awards may include, but are not limited to, announcements or features on the Organizer's webpage or marketing materials, Showcase Awards (see section 18), invitations to participate in a Pitch ("Invitations"), or other incentives and opportunities as determined by the Organizer.

When a Top Innovator is awarded with an Invitation, the Organizer will contact that Top Innovator to inform them of their selection. The Invitation is a non-cash award and is non-transferrable and non-substitutable.

Participation in the Pitch is voluntary. If a Top Innovator must decline the Invitation for any reason, including due to requirements of its organization, scheduling conflicts, and other restraints, the Top Innovator will forfeit the opportunity to be considered during Pitch evaluation and selection of Winners for any final awards ("Awards") offered by the Organizer. All such forfeitures are permanent and cannot be rescinded. TechConnect Ventures is not obligated to accommodate or provide alternative Pitch Event opportunities for Solvers who are unable to participate.

18. SHOWCASE AWARDS: Following evaluation of the Pitch Event, the Organizer will announce any Winner or Winners ("Winners" or "Awardees") via the Sprint Website based on the strength of competing Entries and Pitches. Selected Winners will receive a fully subsidized Showcase Package in the form of a fee waiver ("Waiver") for participation at an upcoming TechConnect Conference and Expo, which may include but is not limited to, TechConnect World Innovation, Defense TechConnect, Smart Cities Connect, and more. Details of the Award may vary based on the Conference to which it applies, but shall include, generally:

  • One (1) full conference pass with access to co-located programs
  • Turnkey 6'x8' showcase booth with basic materials and furniture
  • Access to TechConnect Networking Platform
  • Listing in the official Show Guide and Opportunity Reporting

The Waiver is the sum total of the final Award and has no cash value. Waivers are non-transferrable and may not be redeemed for cash or other prizes. The Waiver does not include any financial remuneration except where otherwise noted explicitly on the Sprint webpage. The Waiver does not include reimbursement or payment for any expenses related to costs of Entry or participation in the Sprint. The Waiver does not include reimbursement or payment for any expenses related to the Winners participation in the Showcase Package, include travel, accommodations, expenses, materials, production, shipping, booth upgrades or any other costs incurred in any way by the Winner.

19. AWARDS (GENERAL): All Top Innovators and Winners will be notified by the e-mail address provided in the Entry. Return of any notification as "undeliverable" will result in disqualification. All Awards are subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with these Official Rules. The Organizer reserves the right to examine Entries for compliance with the Sprint Rules. Failure of Solver to demonstrate eligibility will result in disqualification.

All decisions of the Organizer and Judges will be final and binding on all matters relating to this Sprint. After verification of eligibility and receipt of the requisite documents, Awards will be issued to the official representative specified in the winning Entry. No substitution or transfer of Award is permitted.

If a winner is unable to accept an Award due to requirements of its organization, TechConnect Ventures will continue to acknowledge the Winner on the Sprint webpage. Organizer is not obligated to provide Winners with alternative Awards, regardless of circumstances. Organizer may choose to issue one, more or no Awards for any Sprint anytime, for any reason and at its own discretion, including if it determines that no Entries sufficiently exceed the Sprint requirements.

This is a voluntary contest of skill and innovation and no fee is required to enter or participate. Whether or not your Entry is determined as a Winner depends on how your Entry addresses the Sprint Challenge, and how your Entry compares to the other Entries submitted in the Sprint when evaluated based on the sole judgment of the Judging Panel and Organizer. All Awards are final and this is a one-time offer. There is no offer of a license, royalty, or other financial compensation implied beyond the award described above. No costs or expenses of a Solver for any aspect of this Sprint will be paid by the Organizer. Each Award Winner is responsible for any and all tax reporting obligations and any and all tax payments as applicable.

20. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: By participating in the Sprint, you agree to release, indemnify and hold harmless, the Organizers, Seekers and all of their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotions agencies, and each of their respective agents, representatives, officers, directors, shareholders, and employees (collectively, "Entities") from and against any injuries, losses, damages, claims, actions and any liability of any kind (including attorneys' fees) resulting from or arising out of your participation in, association with, or submission to the Sprint (including any claims alleging that your Entry infringes, misappropriates, or violates any third party's intellectual property rights). Entities are not responsible for any technical failures related to communication or submission failures, such as unavailable networks or server connections; other failures related to hardware, software, viruses, or incomplete, late or misdirected Entries. Any compromise to the fair, proper and legal conduct of this Sprint may result in the disqualification of an Entry, the termination of the Sprint, or other remedial or legal action at the sole discretion of Organizers. Organizers reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to extend or modify the dates of the Sprint and to change the terms of the Official Rules governing any phase or portion thereof. By entering, you agree to be bound by these Official Rules and acknowledge that all decisions of Organizers, and their respective agents and representatives are final and binding in all respects.

21. NO OBLIGATION: You acknowledge that multiple Solvers may submit Entries that contain designs, concepts, approaches, or technologies similar to your Entry and that the Organizer, and/or its respective subsidiaries and business partners may already be investigating or developing technical solutions or have business activities that are related to or similar to those disclosed in your Entry. You acknowledge and agree that Organizer's actions with respect to another Entry or one of its own solutions, investigations, or business activities, even if similar to your Entry, shall not create any liability, of any kind, by Organizer to you or others. Further, Organizer is not or shall not be restricted in any way from pursuing, developing, or commercializing, in any way that they see fit, independent of you and at its sole discretion, any activity or technology that is created independent of your Entry. For the avoidance of doubt, you acknowledge that Organizer is not obligated to take any action whatsoever with regard to your Entry.

22. SEVERABILITY: The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Official Rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, these Official Rules shall otherwise remain in effect and be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision was not contained herein.

23. WAIVER: By entering the Sprint, you thereby waive all rights to seek injunctive or equitable relief, or to claim punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or attorneys' fees against Organizers or their affiliates, employees, agents or representatives.

24. ENTIRE AGREEMENT: This is the parties' entire agreement on this matter, superseding all previous negotiations or agreements and can only be modified by written agreement.

25. APPLICABLE LAW: You agree that these terms and the relationship between you and Organizers shall be governed and construed under the laws of the State of Texas, U.S.A. You acknowledge and agree that all aspects and content of your Entry, including all information, developments, inventions, and works of authorship, shall be treated as if made in the United States of America and U.S. laws relating to patents, inventions, assignments, and innovation compensation shall supersede the relevant laws of any country in which the Entry may have been conceived, developed, or reduced to practice.

For Solvers living outside the United States of America, you expressly acknowledge that this Sprint is free and voluntary. By entering this Sprint, you accept Texas State law as governing law, the specific terms, conditions and policies outlined in the Official Rules, and consent to having your Entry data, including all provided personal information, transferred to, processed in, and stored in the United States of America pursuant to the TechConnect Privacy Statement.