Each fall, Harvard students and select alumni and affiliate founders are invited to apply for the chance to win a share of $515,000 in non-dilutive funding from the Bertarelli Foundation.
PIC participants are not in it alone. You’ll develop your venture with robust support from the Harvard Innovation Labs at every step of the way.
Why Join the PIC?
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01
Tailored Resources
As a PIC participant, you get access to the i-lab's venture-building resources, including 1:1 industry advising, expert office hours, mentorship opportunities, pitch review and coaching, and more.
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02
Expert Feedback
We assemble a top-notch panel of 150+ judges across industries who provide tailored feedback to semifinalists and finalists on their application materials and live pitches.
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03
Publicity
The i-lab features PIC ventures online and in the press throughout the competition, and the award ceremony is attended by thousands from Harvard’s global innovation community.
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04
Prize Money
Ventures compete for a share of $515,000 in prize money from the Bertarelli Foundation. Each track has two winners, receiving $25,000 and $75,000, respectively.
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05
Community
As a participant, access the i-lab's vibrant community of entrepreneurs for support, celebration, and assistance extending well beyond the PIC experience.
Who's Eligible for the PIC?
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Alumni and affiliate-led ventures currently participating in Launch Lab X GEO (Harvard Innovation Labs’ alumni accelerator) and/or the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab or Blavatnik Harvard Life Lab Longwood (Harvard’s launchpads for biotech and life science ventures) are eligible to apply for the PIC.
If selected as a semifinalist, your venture will be placed in the appropriate alumni and affiliate track. For more information, please contact your program administrator.
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Ventures led by at least one fully matriculated, degree-seeking Harvard student, from any Harvard school – including undergraduates, graduates, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical fellows – are eligible to apply for the PIC.
While we encourage collaboration with entrepreneurs, scientists, and industry executives – and welcome team members who are outside of the Harvard community – we require that a Harvard student be a founder, committed leader, and integral part of each venture. The Harvard student will be the primary point of contact and will be required to pitch on behalf of their venture.
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Ventures that qualify for the PIC typically have made substantive progress beyond the initial ideation and validation stages. They usually have gained market traction such as customers, revenue, pilots, partnerships, engaged users, or funding from professional investors or donors. High-impact biotech, life sciences, or tough tech ventures that have done substantial technology validation and initial commercialization explorations are also encouraged to apply.
To see which ventures have been successful in this competition, browse last year’s PIC finalists and winners.
If you are unsure whether your venture would qualify for the PIC, we recommend meeting with a staff advisor.
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- All student ventures must submit an application by the stated application deadline to be considered.
- Ventures may only submit one (1) application.
- Applicants may be listed on only one (1) application and not be part of multiple teams.
- For student applicants, one of the venture’s founders must not graduate from Harvard until May 2024 or later.
- For ventures with additional team members who are not Harvard affiliates, the Harvard founder must submit the application and serve as the primary point of contact.
- Use of the i-lab and its resources will be subject to the i-lab’s Terms of Use.
- Ventures or team members may be removed from an i-lab program and/or the President’s Innovation Challenge at the discretion of i-lab staff.
- The limit for capital raised is $750,000 or less in dilutive funding. Ventures that have raised more than $750,000 by the stated application deadline are ineligible to participate.
- Ventures that have won a $75,000 or $25,000 PIC prize within the past two years, across any track, are not eligible to participate in the PIC.
It's such a valuable experience, even if you don't win. [Leading up] to the day of the final pitch, I had already learned so much from meeting with advisors every week and going through the virtual pitch. My business model had exponentially improved, and how I spoke about the organization as well as the problem had improved as well. So it's overall such a valuable experience, regardless of the final outcome.
Nathan Mallipeddi Founder + CEO, MySpeech | 2022 PIC Grand Prize Winner![]()
| Dates | Milestones |
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October–December |
Student ventures apply by December 7, 2023, at 11:59 pm EST. |
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December–January |
An internal PIC selection committee evaluates which stage your venture has reached and selects semifinalists. |
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January–February |
Student semifinalists are notified. Student semifinalists update their application with new milestones and traction for the finalist selection. Alumni and affiliate ventures apply. |
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March |
Judges select 15 student ventures and 10 alumni and affiliate ventures as finalists (five per track) to pitch for the awards. Finalists are notified at a special Finalist Selection Event at the i-lab. |
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April |
Finalists pitch live in front of an online judging panel who will determine the runner up and grand prize winners in each track. |
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May |
At the President’s Innovation Challenge Awards Ceremony, grand prize and runner-up awards are announced for the $75K and $25K Bertarelli Foundation prizes in each track. |
