Shark Tank Competition 2024

 

Please note: In 2024, Shark Tank will consist of prize money of up to $200,000.

Do you have an innovative idea to help people with epilepsy and seizures?
Throw it to the sharks!

The Epilepsy Foundation is inviting entries that represent the most innovative new ideas in epilepsy treatment and care for the annual Shark Tank Competition. The winner(s) of the 2024 Shark Tank Competition will receive international recognition and compete for monetary prize awards of up to $200,000 to support the development and commercialization of an important new product, technology, or therapeutic concept to help people with epilepsy.

The deadline for submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI) is May 20, 2024. The Shark Tank review committee will select as many as six (6) finalists. All finalists will be invited to present their product concepts or candidates at the 2024 Epilepsy Foundation Pipeline Conference, currently scheduled for September 25-26, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. The winning entry (or entries) will be selected through live voting by conference attendees, and a panel of judges (Sharks) representing physicians and scientists, corporate executives, leading industry investors, people with epilepsy, and advocates. The project(s) deemed to be the most innovative will be announced at the conference, and the winner(s) can receive award money up to $200,000 to accelerate the idea towards improving the quality of life of people with epilepsy. All finalists are eligible for a travel stipend to attend the conference and free conference registration.

Examples of Novel Concepts

  • Device or treatment that stops a seizure, especially those already developed or approved for a different indication
  • System that helps patients manage their treatment or their epilepsy (less invasive, less costly anti-epileptic drug measurement, for example)
  • Device that prevents personal injury from a seizure
  • Any other concept that could improve the lives of people with epilepsy potentially in the near future

Submission Details

LOI applications due May 20, 2024.

The proposal must include information about intellectual property, and a brief development outline with milestones for deliverables. Explain the potential impact on people with epilepsy in terms of the creativity/ingenuity of the concept, as well as significance of this concept as an advancement for people with epilepsy.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must demonstrate an ability to move the proposed plan to completion, showing how the prize can accelerate any step along the path to market.
  • Inventors who submitted ideas for previous Shark Tank Competitions are encouraged to re-submit their ideas if substantial progress has been made.
  • Applicants may reside in any country.
  • Finalists must be prepared to present at the 2024 Shark Tank program.
  • The winner is expected to complete a written report on progress made within each year and present progress at the 2025 Shark Tank Competition which will be held during the Epilepsy Therapies & Diagnostic Development (ETDD) Symposium (date and venue tba).
  • Address questions to sharktank@efa.org.

Proposal Content and Layout

  1. Title of proposed project (maximum 50 characters)
  2. Leader (name, title, affiliation, address, telephone, email address)
  3. Key collaborators (names, titles, affiliations)
  4. Brief summary of project goals and plans/approaches (not to exceed ½ page)
    • Focus specifically on what your project would bring to people with epilepsy and when
  5. Brief description of what is unique about the project. If it is competitive to any existing product or service, please describe how your project compares to any competitor (1 paragraph)
  6. Detailed description of how you plan to accomplish the overall plan (1 page) including:
    • Estimated steps/milestones/timeline to reach patients
    • Go/No Go decision points
  7. Brief description of intellectual property position and potential for commercialization: Investment potential and likelihood of ongoing funding support to reach patients (1 paragraph)
  8. Anticipated total budget and outline of what a prize of up to $75,000 will allow you to accomplish

Proposal Submission

  • Must not exceed 4 pages, inclusive of all information listed above
  • Minimum 10-point font
  • Convert LOI document to a PDF and send to sharktank@efa.org
  • A confirmation email will be replied to within 24-48 hours upon receipt of your LOI submission. If you have not received confirmation, please call: 1-301-918-3726.

Proposals will be scored based on the following criteria:

  1. Potential benefit and appeal to people with epilepsy and their families
  2. Likelihood of Development: Investment potential and consideration of ongoing funding support
  3. Intellectual Property Strategy and Status: Freedom to operate
  4. Timeframe and probability of success
  5. Fit with program mission
  6. Overall Impression

Selected Proposals

As many as six (6) finalists will be selected to present at the 2024 Epilepsy Foundation Pipeline Conference, currently scheduled for September 25-26, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.  Each presenter will have 5 minutes to present the concept, followed by 5 minutes of questioning. The "Shark Tank" event will feature live voting among audience members and a panel of judges (Sharks) representative of industry, advocacy, investors, and the research and medical communities. The winning project, or projects, deemed to be the most innovative will be announced at the conclusion of the competition.  After winner(s) have been announced, the Epilepsy Foundation will issue an award agreement that includes a return on investment (ROI) expectation from the Epilepsy Foundation only in the event the innovation generates sufficient revenue to support it, and not to exceed the two times the prize amount.

    What are the selection criteria?

    We select our finalists based on the uniqueness of the solution proposed, the potential for transformative impact, and the likelihood that the solution could get to market in a timeframe that matters.  

    If selected as a finalist, what should I expect?

    After we select our six finalists, we provide pitch coaching sessions prior to the big event. You can find out more about the shark tank and view videos of the actual event here. See a sample template agreement, here.

    Authored By:

    Epilepsy Foundation Research

    on Thursday, July 29, 2021

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