Global Midwest Alliance
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Driving Innovation and Growth
Press Release
Entrepreneurs, Innovators and Start-Ups Invited to Participate in the
8th Annual Innovation Competition presented by Polsinelli
CHICAGO – Global Midwest Alliance is pleased to invite you to participate in the 8th Annual Innovation Competition presented by Polsinelli. The Innovation Competition will be held during the Corporate Venturing program on April 4, 2017 in Chicago, which will focus on the Midwest's excellence in technology innovation, products and services.
The Innovation Competition presented by Polsinelli was created to help emerging and venture ready companies gain visibility and make connections. The competition will provide a showcase for developers of new technologies that offer competitive returns for investors and customers while providing solutions to global challenges. The companies featured in this competition are developing products and services which:
- Improve resource utilization
- Promote the productive and responsible use of natural resources
- Reduce negative ecological impact
- Provide superior performance at lower costs
Competition entries may include, but are not limited to, products, services and technologies that improve resource utilization in the areas of renewable and alternative energy, infrastructure and community, food and agriculture, manufacturing and industrial, water products, logistics and sustainable distribution.
Submissions will be judged by a panel of experts representing venture capitalists, business executives from a variety of industries and regional universities. All finalists will receive recognition in program materials and the Global Midwest Alliance website, and will be eligible to attend the April 4 program free of charge. Additional finalists’ representatives will also be eligible to attend at a reduced registration rate.
The top five competition finalists will receive coaching from a qualified competition judge and have the opportunity to compete, presenting their technologies during the program to an audience of early stage investors, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and financiers, and corporate R&D and business development executives. The top three finalists will be selected and receive cash prizes during the April 4 showcase. In addition to a cash prize, the competition winner receives a credit of $10,000 to be applied toward corporate review and transaction legal services from Polsinelli.
Criteria for Entry
- Applicants must be focused on products, services and technologies that improve the resource utilization in the areas of renewable and alternative energy, infrastructure and community, food and agriculture, manufacturing, water products, logistics and sustainable distribution
- Applicants must have a sound business plan
- Ideally, applicants will have completed an initial or angel round of funding
- Companies presenting and/or sponsoring the April 4 Corporate Venturing program are not eligible to participate
Schedule
The 8th Annual Polsinelli Innovation Competition will be held on April 4, in conjunction with the Corporate Venturing program.
The Polsinelli Innovation Competition is presented by the Global Midwest Alliance and sponsor Polsinelli.
About Our Sponsors
Polsinelli
Polsinelli is an Am Law 100 firm with more than 800 attorneys in 20 offices, serving corporations, institutions, and entrepreneurs nationally. Recently ranked #17* for client service excellence among firms servicing Fortune 500 clients, the firm has risen more than 50 spots in Am Law's annual firm ranking over the past five years. Polsinelli attorneys provide practical legal counsel infused with business insight, and focus on health care, financial services, real estate, intellectual property, mid-market corporate, labor and employment, and business litigation. Polsinelli attorneys have depth of experience in 100 service areas and 70 industries. The firm can be found at www.polsinelli.com. Polsinelli PC, Polsinelli LLP in California. *2017 BTI Client Service A-Team Report.
Global Midwest Alliance is a business-led, region-wide not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to transforming the Midwest into an internationally recognized leader in innovation and business growth. The Alliance aligns and integrates resources throughout the Midwest helping businesses to grow by leveraging existing resources to develop new products and find customers throughout the world. The Alliance is the Private Sector Liaison Office for the World Bank and a member of Global CONNECT. Through these and other affiliations, the Alliance facilitates access to global business opportunities for Midwest business through 160 groups in 100 countries around the world. The Alliance offers educational and networking opportunities through a variety of programs and resources designed to promote innovation, technology development and access to global opportunities in the clean technology, energy, food, logistics, manufacturing and water industries. For more information, visit www.globalmidwestalliance.org.
