Yale Innovators' Prize
The Yale Innovators’ Prize is a $15,000 cash prize awarded to the for-profit or non-profit startup that has the potential to produce the greatest impact (financially, socially, or otherwise). The Yale Innovators’ Prize is open to any project, campaign, solution, venture, or non-profit led by a current Yale student(s). In addition to the potential prize money, the competition provides opportunities for mentorship, feedback, supportive services, and networking.
The Yale Innovators' Prize supports the broadest array of student innovation at Yale University. Open to any team led by a currently enrolled Yale student, the Yale Innovators Prize is agnostic to the field of work or industry that each applicant's innovation may fall into.
This prize is possible due to the support of the Yale School of Management Program on Entrepreneurship and Tsai CITY. It is managed by Tsai CITY and intended to:
- Stimulate applications of entrepreneurship and innovation at Yale University;
- Generate ideas that are scalable, achievable, quantifiable, and financeable; and
- Educate entrepreneurs about the process of converting an idea into a successful startup.
Application Selection & Judging Criteria
- Opportunity: The problem the venture/organization/idea seeks to address is clearly defined, and there is evidence that there is a significant target population who considers it important.
- Viability: The team has developed a clear solution to the problem, has a realistic path for getting the solution to the end user, and can continue to deliver the solution in a way that is financially and operationally sustainable.
- Innovation: The idea is truly innovative. It presents a new model, product, or service that fills a unique gap and/or applies an existing model to a new context.
- Team: The team has the knowledge, skills, passion, energy, and ability to execute.
- Catalytic-ness: The prize will be meaningful in driving the team/project forward in ways that may otherwise not have been possible as quickly or at all.
- Impact: The innovation demonstrates significant social or financial impact
Past Recipients
EcoPackables (2021)
Questions about the Yale Innovators' Prize?
For questions about the Yale Innovators' Prize, contact Matt Gira.
Startup Yale
The Yale Innovators Prize is part of Startup Yale, a collaboration between the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, InnovateHealth Yale, Dwight Hall, and the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale.