December 9, 2021
The 2022 EIC is the place to take your idea and combine it with a passion for shaping and impacting the environment during a critical time in human history. Student finalists will showcase scalable technological solutions, non-profit services, and/or other sustainable spins on existing industries in front of local entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders in the environmental space. Learn more about the competition and judging criteria on our website. Finalist teams are eligible to win more than $15,000 in prizes. Watch last year’s award presentation, read the recap of last year’s event, and the announcement of the 2021 finalist teams on the Foster blog.
The deadline to apply is Monday, February 14. Questions? E-mail EIC manager Lauren Brohawn at brohal@uw.edu. Apply Here!
The applications are open, so now what? You most certainly have questions! Let our competition managers give you the answers. Be sure to tell your friends at other schools to join you and then meet up after on your own, in our Discord server, or on StartupTree. If you have questions, please reach out to our Buerk Center competitions managers at startup.uw.edu.
REGISTER: Environmental Innovation Challenge Info Session
Students can register now for a virtual information session on Thursday, December 9 from 12:30 to 1:30 pm PST. Students will talk directly with competition manager Lauren Brohawn and also have a chance to connect with other student innovators from across their own campus and the region!
Please register in advance for the zoom link
Need Inspiration?
· READ: What ideas did teams compete with over the past 3-4 years? Check out the StartupTree Yearbooks for the HIC and for the EIC
· READ: Life science and health startup scene booming across Seattle and Pacific Northwest
· TAKE NOTE: 2019 HIC Grand Prize winners Nanodropper recently raised $1.4 million for their eye drop bottle adapter
· READ: Climate related startups across the Pacific Northwest have raised more than $1B since 2020
· TAKE NOTE: 2020 EIC Grand Prize winner Aquagga recently won an EPA 1st Place Award (and $40K) and a third SBIR Phase 1 contract ($50K)
· READ: Seattle ranked #9 for Global Startup Ecosystems
Need examples of past entries and more resources? Head to startup.uw.edu and click the STARTUP RESOURCES tab in the navigation bar!
Keep in mind that launching a startup is one goal, but students who participate in the HIC and EIC also set themselves up for success down the road in careers related to two booming sectors of our ecosystem!