Your Questions Answered

The competition is open to any education venture worldwide addressing learning in any educational setting, from early childhood through corporate and adult training. Applicants who have raised less than $2 million in venture capital in the last 12 months and/or have generated less than $2 million in annual gross revenue are eligible to apply.

If you’re passionate about addressing educational inequalities through innovation, we encourage you to apply. You do not need to be affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania to enter the competition.

Winning isn’t the only way to benefit from this competition. As a semi-finalist, you’ll gain lifetime access to Catapult’s virtual accelerator, personalized feedback, and mentorship from top industry experts. You’ll build valuable connections with a global network of educators, entrepreneurs, and investors. Many past participants have leveraged these relationships to secure funding, scale their ventures, and drive meaningful change in education. The journey itself is a launchpad for lasting growth, impact, and success.

Expect a transformative journey that combines structured, self-paced learning in leadership, product development, market positioning, and finance strategy with personalized feedback from startup advisors and Penn GSE researchers. You’ll have the chance to grow your venture, connect with a global community of education innovators, and gain insights that will drive impact and propel your venture forward.

From May to August, semi finalists are expected to commit 2 to 6 hours per week to the Catapult Virtual Accelerator. This involves taking a detailed assessment of your business to identify areas of focus, engaging in structured learning modules, participating in personalized feedback sessions, and collaborating with mentors to grow your venture and prepare for the final competition in September.

As a semifinalist in the Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition, you’ll gain complimentary access to Catapult, our new virtual accelerator.* This includes a structured, yet self-paced program with personalized mentoring from industry experts, learning resources, and networking opportunities, including our global education innovation event in Philadelphia in June. You’ll also build lasting relationships within the Catalyst community, providing ongoing support beyond the competition.

*This includes free access to Catapult’s new advanced membership.

Finalists receive advanced pitch support from mentors, a travel stipend to attend the final competition, and the opportunity to present at the prestigious Holon IQ Back to School Summit in September in New York City. The summit attracts the best in class investors and educational leaders from around the world. You’ll compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes, gain exposure, and form valuable connections within the education innovation ecosystem.

Finalists are chosen based on the quality of their venture, the strength of the team, their growth during the accelerator, and their commitment to using research and evaluation to benefit all learners. Industry leaders evaluate both your progress and potential to make a meaningful contribution to the education sector.