Judging Process

HKUST-SINO One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition 2024

 

Judges

  1. The Judges shall be experienced entrepreneurs, investors, academics and industrial professionals appointed by Entrepreneurship Center.
  2. HKUST and the Judging Panel reserves the right to disqualify any entry that in its judgment violates the “Application & Eligibility” and/or “Submission Rules” of the Competition.
  3. HKUST and the Judging Panel reserve the right to amend the procedure and/or the timing for the competition on one or more occasions without giving prior notice to any of the participants. HKUST and the Judging Panel reserve the right to decide that all or any of the entries or plans do not meet the judging criteria, or to defer in whole or in part all or any of the cash and/or in-kind contribution awards to the following year.
  4. The decisions of the Judging Panel are final and binding.

 

Judging Process

The assessment process consists of 3 rounds and the winners will be announced after the Competition.

  1. Round 1 Assessment

5 July 2024

Deadline of Application with Round 1 Pitch Deck (with minimum 5 pages but no more than 10 pages)

9 July 2024 - 28 July 2024

Evaluation of All Entries
31 July 2024 Result Announcement of Round 1 Assessment

 

  1. Round 2 Assessment

2 Aug 2024

Info Session

13 Aug 2024

Deadline of Round 2 5-min Pitch Deck and 1-min Product Introduction Video

14 August 2024

HKUST Track Pitching Assessment
15 August 2024 International Student Track Pitching Assessment

16 August 2024

Result Announcement of Round 2 Assessment

 

  1. Final Round Assessment

23 September 2024

Deadline of Final Round 5-min Pitch Deck Submission

4 October 2024

Final Round Presentation and Award Ceremony

 

Judging Process of Each Round

(A) Round 1 Assessment: 10-page Pitch Deck

The core assessment of the entries will focus on the innovativeness, the proof of feasibility, viability and commercial potential of the proposed product.

  1. All Round 1 entries are required to submit a Pitch Deck (with minimum 5 pages but no more than 10 pages).
  2. Each pitch deck will be assessed by 3 or more independent judges formed by experienced entrepreneurs, investors, academics and industrial professionals. They will make their evaluations and score the teams according to a common judging criteria based on “Round 1 Pitch Deck Guidelines”. Top 30 with highest scores will enter the Round 2 Assessment.

(B) Round 2 Assessment: 5-min Pitch, 3-minute Q&A session via Zoom and 1-min video

The core assessment of the entries will focus on the market strategy and impact of the product/services you are providing.

  1. The 5-min Pitch will take place on 14 & 15 August 2024 via Zoom.
  1. Each Team is required to make a 5-min pitch in front of a Judging Panel of 3 to 5 Judges.
  2. Each Team is required to submit a 5-min Pitch Deck. The submitted version will be sent to the judging panel for background study before the Pitch. Teams not meeting this deadline may be disqualified.
  3. The Judging Panel will make their evaluations and score the teams according to a common judging criteria based on “Round 2&3 5-min Pitch Deck Guideline”.
  4. The winner of the "Impact Sustainability Award" will be decided by this Judging Panel. Judging criteria of the award can be found here.

 

(C) Final Round Assessment: Full Business Plan Presentation

Business Plan Presentation

The Final Round Business Plan Presentation will take place in October 2024. The full business plan should explain the practicability of the plan execution and fundability potential.

  1. Each team will conduct a 5-min, uninterrupted Business Plan presentation in English followed by up to 7 minutes of Q&A by the Judging Panel of 3 to 5 Judges. It is not compulsory for all team members to speak in the presentation. But the whole team should be there for the Q&A section, the judging panel would ask questions to specific members of the team as per their role and expertise inside the team.
  2. The Judges will make their evaluations and give their scores by using a common “Round 2&3 5-min Pitch Deck Guideline”.
  3. The winner of the "Innovation Award" will be decided by this Judging Panel.

Shortlisted teams in the Final Round will have a chance to give an elevator pitch in the Award Ceremony to compete for the Elevator Pitch Award. The Pitch should be done by one of the HKUST members in the team.