Big Bang! is the annual UC Davis Business Plan Competition organized by MBA students of the Graduate School of Management. The goal of the contest is to promote entrepreneurship at UC Davis and the region supported by the University.

Big Bang! provides a year round forum in which UC Davis students, alumni, staff and faculty can collaborate to develop and test their business vision and plans. The competition provides a network of resources for mentorship, team creation, education, networking and financing for these aspiring entrepreneurs.

Many groups and constituencies benefit from the competition, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, venture capitalists, business professionals and local entrepreneurs.

The competition is generously sponsored by local corporations and the venture capital community.

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NEW FOR 2012:

The Big Bang! Business Plan Competition is excited to announce the addition of a Med Tech prize track for the 2012 competition. This is in addition to our 1st place, 2nd place and People's Choice Awards.

What:

• A Partnerships for Innovation grant funding the Medical Technology Commercialization Clinic at UC Davis has the opportunity to fund up to three (3) $15,000 grants for the 2012 competition for the leading Med Tech entrants in the Big Bang!
• Up to three companies teams will be selected from the category to win $15,000 (please add here the limitations to the award). The award money must be used in the lab of a UC Davis or California State University, Sacramento faculty, to advance the technology towards commercialization.
• All Med Tech track entrants will also compete for the the general Big Bang! competition and be eligible to win the 1st place, 2nd place and People's Choice award.

Who

• Any Big Bang! team that qualifies as a Med Tech company will be automatically entered into the Med Tech track.
• All Med Tech entrants must connect with the PFI Program Managerand may receive access to additional resources and educational opportunities, specific to med tech.
• The Big Bang! uses the medical technology definition provided by the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), as encompassing a wide range of health care products that, in one form or another, is used to diagnose, monitor or treat every disease or condition that affects humans.

When

• When you submit your team registration, select on the Registration Form that your company is a Med Tech company. We will evaluate that it fits the definition and notify you if we have any questions.

Why

• A Partnerships for Innovation grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) established the Medical Technology Commercialization Clinic (MTCC) at UC Davis. It provides an engine for transforming knowledge at the intersection of engineering, life sciences and medicine into innovations that contribute to the Sacramento region’s economic development, while also educating STEM* students (including underrepresented groups) and clinicians in technology transfer and entrepreneurship. Partners from academia, economic development entities and the investment community come together to advance promising medical technologies and bring them closer to commercialization.