MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition

MIT $100K Launch Contest

Supports MIT-affiliated teams building full business plans through a final competition and broader venture exposure.

The MIT $100K Launch Contest is the grand finale of the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition, a student-organized program founded in 1989 through MIT Sloan School of Management. Held each May, the Launch contest requires full business plan submissions and awards a $100,000 grand prize — the largest single non-dilutive prize in the three-contest annual cycle. MIT and the competition take no equity. The competition is funded by corporate sponsors, foundations, and alumni; total annual non-dilutive awards across all three contests exceed $300,000. Notable alumni demonstrate the program's commercial track record across industries: HubSpot (Finalist 2006), Akamai (Runner-up 1998), and Harmonix (Finalist 1995). The Launch contest has operated continuously since 1989 and is recognized as one of the most established university entrepreneurship competitions in the United States.

Eligibility requires at least one MIT-affiliated founding team member — student or researcher. Greater Boston community participants may compete via mixed teams with an MIT-affiliated member. The contest is sector-agnostic, accepting entries from all industries. As the most advanced of the three MIT $100K contests, Launch requires a comprehensive business plan including market analysis, financial projections, go-to-market strategy, and competitive positioning — teams are expected to have a product and early commercial traction. The 2026 Launch contest was scheduled for May 2026 and has likely concluded as of June 2026; the 2027 cycle will follow the same May academic calendar.

The Launch contest provides meaningful commercial exposure beyond the prize itself: finalist presentations before judges who include venture capitalists, corporate executives, and MIT faculty create direct investor access. Teams that have moved through the Pitch (September, $5,000) and Accelerate (March, $10,000) contests earlier in the same academic year arrive at Launch with refined pitches and broader visibility within the MIT entrepreneurial ecosystem. Applicants targeting the 2027 cycle should monitor mit100k.org beginning in the fall semester for application requirements and deadlines.