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DataCert's CEO Eric M. Elfman to Judge Rice University's Business Plan Competition
Houston-Based Competition is One of the Nation's Largest Supporting Start-Up Ventures
HOUSTON, March 19, 2007 - DataCert, Inc., the leading provider of electronic invoicing and legal spend management solutions, today announced that its CEO and president, Eric M. Elfman, will serve as a judge for the Rice University Business Plan Competition (RBPC). The RBPC, committed to recognizing and funding start-up business ventures, is scheduled for March 22-24, 2007.
"The Rice University Business Plan Competition encourages the growth of entrepreneurial skills," said Elfman, who has judged the event each year since 1993. "This competition offers valuable experience on how to plan a new business and solicit funding. As an entrepreneur myself, I consider it an honor to support the development of creative ventures by the next generation of business professionals."
Hosted by both the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and the Jones Graduate School of Management, the RBPC accommodates 36 teams from MBA programs worldwide as they compete for $300,000 in prizes. During the three-day event, the participants share business plans with judges in varying formats such as elevator pitches and formal presentations. Judges select the winners based on which business plan they would most likely fund.
The grand prize winner is rewarded with a $100,000 investment, $20,000 in cash, branding design and marketing communications services valued at $25,000, free office space for one year, free web site hosting and maintenance, and two roundtrip tickets on Continental Airlines. Additionally, the seven finalists receive $90,000 in in-kind services and the top 24 teams share a cash prize of $95,000.
To help the teams secure future funding, each team also has the opportunity to schedule meetings with potential investors during the competition.
Judges for the event, hand-picked and personally invited by the Rice Alliance, include 150 experienced investors, successful entrepreneurs and senior business leaders. Judging is broken into two rounds. The semi-final round begins on Friday, March 23 and the final round starts on Saturday, March 24. Judges evaluate each team on their written business plan, verbal presentation and business viability.
The event culminates with an awards banquet on Saturday, March 24. The RBPC winners are announced after a presentation from the keynote speaker, Garrett Boone, founder and chairman of The Container Store.
For more information on the RBPC, please visit http://alliance.rice.edu/alliance/RBPC.asp.
About the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship is Rice University's flagship initiative devoted to the support of technology entrepreneurship. Since its inception in late-1999, the Rice Alliance has assisted in the launch more than 170 new technology companies. Rice Alliance companies have raised more than $300 million in early stage funding. The mission of the Rice Alliance is to support the creation of technology-based companies and the commercialization of new technologies. Information about the Rice Alliance can be found at www.alliance.rice.edu.
About the Jones Graduate School of Management
The Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University is one of the world's leading business schools. Founded in 1974, it is already among the top ten percent of business schools. The mission of the Jones School is to educate business leaders. For more information: www.jonesgsm.rice.edu.
About DataCert, Inc.
DataCert, Inc. is the largest and fastest-growing supplier
of electronic invoicing and corporate legal spend management solutions. DataCert's products
and services provide a substantial return on investment to corporations looking to take
control of their outside legal spend. With more than 11,000
customers in 150 countries,
including 71 of the Fortune® 500, DataCert
processes in excess of $9 billion of electronic
invoicing data on an annualized basis. DataCert is headquartered in Houston with regional
offices in London, Paris and Austin. Visit DataCert at www.datacert.com for more information.
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