The annual Big Bang! Business Competition provides a forum for innovators to collaborate, develop and test business ideas—and compete for cash prizes.
The 25th annual Big Bang! kicked off in November 2024 and concluded with finalist presentations and an awards ceremony in May 2025.
Register for the Big Bang! on Startup Tree
StartupTree is our competition platform where you will register your team and submit all deliverables. Please note that we cannot accept emailed submissions.
The UC Davis StartupTree community is also your hub to expand your network—and learn about events, competitions, resources and programs on campus and beyond. Access the 2026 Big Bang! registration link here in fall 2025.
The Big Bang! Workshop Series will give you the knowledge and skills you need to move from concept to company—and to effectively compete in the Big Bang! Business Competition. You can watch the 2025 workshops on YouTube.
For competition details and specifics, read more here:
Overview, Eligibility + Requirements
Meet a 2025 Big Bang! Winner: Buzzit
UC Davis students Parinita Gupta (right) and Cyrus Foroudian are two of the seven-member Buzzit team. Their Pinterest-inspired app allows students to search for a range of creative services provided by fellow students. Users can easily search for services, book appointments, and pay via the app, simplifying the process for both providers and customers.
Buzzit won the $12,500 Social Entrepreneurship award in the 2025 Big Bang!. They plan to use the prize money for marketing on social media as well as creating a Buzzit ambassador program that will take advantage of community-driven growth.
Competition Deliverables: Templates + Examples
Download the templates and examples below as needed.
Round 1 | Round 2
| Round 3
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Judging Criteria
Your entry to the UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition will be judged on the following criteria:
| Problem/ Solution/ Value Proposition | Customer and Market | Business Model and Plan | Team and Advisors | Customer Calls | Two-minute Video Pitch | Presentation and Pitch |
| • Well-defined problem • Well-articulated solution • Clear Value Proposition | • Clearly defined customer • Well-understood marketplace • Well-structured go-to-market approach | • Well-defined revenue model • Clear financial assumptions (revenue, costs, timeline) • Clear understanding of revenue requirements and usage | • Relevant domain and functional expertise • Clear roles and responsibilities • Well-positioned and relevant advisors | • Points will be deducted for summaries that do not include the required number of calls | • Well-presented pitch • Stays within the 2-minute maximum timeframe •Is creative and informative | • Well-crafted and structured presentation • Well-presented pitch • Clear call to action |
Big Bang! Competition Rounds
Round 1: Executive Summary / Team Member Biographies
Round 1 requires submission of a two-page executive summary and a maximum one-page team member biography (for each team member) submitted via Startup Tree by the deadline listed below. Refer to templates and guidelines provided.
• Round 1 Deadline—To be announced for 2026: Submissions received after the deadline will not be accepted. This is a required submission to advance to the next round.
• Top teams advance to Round 2.
Round 2: Semifinals
The top teams advanced to Round 2 must submit the following deliverables via Startup Tree. Deadline to be announced for 2026. Refer to templates and guidelines provided.
• Two-Minute video pitch
• Detailed pitch deck (10 slides)
• Summary report of 20 customer call interviews (maximum five pages)
Submissions received after the deadline will not be accepted. This is a required submission to advance to the next round.
Top teams advance to Round 3.
Round 3 teams have the valuable opportunity to receive presentation feedback from mentors in an OPTIONAL "dry run" practice session rotation. Date to be announced for 2026. The Dry Run Sessions will take place over Zoom.
Round 3: Finals
The top teams advanced to Round 3 must submit the following deliverables. Deadline to be announced for 2026. Refer to templates and guidelines provided.
• Presentation pitch deck (10 slides)
• Additional 10 customer call summary (maximum three-page summary)
Finalist teams present to a live panel of external judges. Date to be announced for 2026. We will announce award winners at the Big Bang! Awards Ceremony.
All finalist teams must attend the final judging and awards ceremony in person at UC Davis.
Questions?
Please check out our FAQ page. If your question isn't answered there, email aggieinnovators@ucdavis.edu.