Starting next week, aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators are invited to participate in the 2021 JumpStart Challenge, an entrepreneurship competition sponsored by the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, the University of Nebraska Athletics Department and ALLO Communications, an internet service provider headquartered in Lincoln.
Open to teams and solo entrepreneurs alike, the JumpStart Challenge connects corporations with entrepreneurs to solve business problems and spin up new startups. The winning participant(s) will receive $1,000 from the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, three months of free coworking space at FUSE or Turbine Flats, one year of free internet from ALLO, and a partnership with either ALLO or the University of Nebraska Athletics Department.
“The time is right to bring people together,” said Christina Oldfather, director of innovation and entrepreneurship for the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development.
Lincoln coffee shop The Mill will host a kickoff event Tuesday, Sept. 21, at 5:30 p.m. to reveal the two industry-specific challenges that competitors are asked to address with an innovative solution. Participants will then have a little over two weeks to develop their ideas for a pitch competition that will take place Oct. 7, also at The Mill (located in the Telegraph District on the eastern edge of downtown Lincoln).
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Both the kickoff and pitch competition will be held outside, weather permitting.
Although exact details about the challenges are unavailable until Tuesday’s kickoff, Oldfather revealed that one challenge will relate to the broadband industry and another will relate to sports tech.
Winners will also have the opportunity to win a $25,000 LaunchLNK grant with their solution.
Previous JumpStart Challenges have led to the launch of thriving new startups, such as Nobl Health, Oldfather said.
This is the sixth iteration for Lincoln’s JumpStart Challenge. No event was held last year due to COVID-19.
For more information, visit the JumpStart Challenge website or the Eventbrite registration page.
