We’d like to welcome aboard our latest Contributing Sponsors for the 2012 BPC!

DecisionDesk is offering their support by providing us with a great set of online application and collaboration tools to streamline the application process, screening of applicants, and even the final review of the full business plans by the judges. They are dedicated supporters of both the BPC and the Foundation, and we are thrilled to have them onboard

Nanotechnology Now is one of the best and most comprehensive nanotech news and information sites around. They, too, support the efforts of the BPC and SFF, and understand full well that our long term future in space will ultimately owe much to the rapidly growing nanotech industry.

We offer our sincere thanks and a big welcome to these two great companies!

With thanks to Kitt Walsh and CNNMoney.

San Francisco, CA– April 2, 2012 – Space Angels Network, a national network of seed and early-stage investors focused on aerospace and aviation startups, today announced its participation in producing the 2012 Space Frontier Foundation Business Plan Competition.  Serving as a Contributing Sponsor, Space Angels Network will screen applicants, serve as a presentation coach for finalists, and provide the first place finisher complementary investment guidance, including an opportunity to meet in-person with Space Angels Network members, to the.

The Space Frontier Foundation Business Plan Competition will be held during NewSpace 2012, a three-day event at NASA Ames in July 2012 (http://newspace.spacefrontier.org). The NASA supported Grand Prize will include an award of $100,000 for the best business plan. NASA also is supporting a second prize of $10,000.  Important dates for the completion include:

July 25 – Teams arrive at conference hotel for a preparatory 2-day “Boot Camp”

July 27 – Business Plan Competition

July 28 – Business Plan Competition winners announced during an Awards Gala

The Business Plan Competition is designed for new, independent companies in the seed, start-up, or early growth stages. The competition simulates the real-world process of entrepreneurs soliciting for start-up funds from early stage investors and venture capital firms.

“We are excited to be involved in producing the Space Frontier Foundation’s Business Plan Competition,” said Amaresh Kollipara, Principal, Space Angels Network.  “Space Angels Network, and its investor members, have unique expertise in assessing aerospace business plans.  We look forward to working with the Space Frontier Foundation and NASA to help catalyze the next generation of aerospace startups.”

The competition website, http://newspacebpc.com, has more information including rules, guidelines, and “Intent to Compete” information for prospective applicants.  The recommended deadline for submitting the “Intent to Compete” notice is April 30^th, 2012.

Sponsorship packages are available for companies, organizations, and other entities which would like to support this effort.  For more information, please contact Jeff Krukin, Managing Partner, Exodus Consulting, at jakrukin@exodus-consulting.com.

About Space Angels Network, LLC

Space Angels Network is a professionally-managed national network of seed- and early-stage investors focused on aerospace-related startups. Space Angels Network members share a common passion for promoting the development of the aerospace industry and related technologies while also earning attractive returns on private investments.  The network helps members to find unique aerospace investment opportunities, to connect with like-minded accredited investors and aerospace industry experts around the world, and to collaborate on due diligence and deal negotiations. Through its extended strategic relationships with venture capital firms, federal science and technology agencies, state economic development organizations, incubators, research universities, incentive prize organizations, and other partners, Space Angels Network creates a robust ecosystem for both aerospace entrepreneurs and investors to connect for seed- and early-stage financing. For more information, please visit www.spaceangelsnetwork.com.

About the Space Frontier Foundation

The Space Frontier Foundation is an organization dedicated to opening the space frontier to human settlement as rapidly as possible. Its goals include protecting Earth’s fragile biosphere, creating a freer and more prosperous life for each generation by using the unlimited energy and material resources of space, and unleashing the power of free enterprise to establish a permanent human presence in space. For more information, please visit www.spacefrontier.org/.

Nyack, NY, 4/2/2012

The Space Frontier Foundation and the BPC Project Management team from Exodus Consulting Group are proud to announce the first two gentlemen who have graciously agreed to serve as judges for the NewSpace 2012 Business Plan Competition:  Hoyt Davidson and Art Dula.

Mr. Davidson is the founder and Managing Partner of Near Earth LLC. Previously, he was a Managing Director in the Telecomm Group at Credit Suisse First Boston. Mr. Davidson’s investment banking career began in 1987 as an associate and one of only approximately 100 bankers at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. He was part of the phenomenal growth and success of DLJ to over 1,000 bankers by the time of its acquisition by CSFB in 2000. At DLJ, Hoyt Davidson was a co-founder of the firm’s Space Finance Group, Wall Street’s first dedicated industry coverage group for the satellite industry. Mr. Davidson was one of two Managing Directors of the Space Finance Group. The group raised over $25 billion for satellite related entities and held a number one market share for several years. Prior to investment banking, Hoyt Davidson was a Senior Research Engineer in the Space Systems Division of Lockheed Missiles and Space Company before leaving to get his MBA at MIT’s Sloan School. Mr. Davidson also earned his undergraduate degree in Physics from MIT.

Art Dula has been working in the field of IP law for over 30 years and began his firm in 1980. He received a bachelors degree in chemistry and mathematics, from Eastern New Mexico University, in 1970, and his Juris Doctor, in civil law, from Tulane University, in 1975. He is a registered broker with US State Department, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Office of Defense Trade Controls. Art is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Furthermore, he is AV rated by Martendale Hubble and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and Texas State and Federal Courts. Art is an adjunct professor at the University of Houston and lectures in Space Law. As a Board member of the Heinlein Prize Trust, Art has also been a patron of many previous BPC’s.

The Space Frontier Foundation will host the annual Business Plan Competition during its NewSpace 2012 Conference at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, July 26-28, to help entrepreneurs creating NewSpace startups and firms developing supporting, problem-solving, and game-changing technologies in support of the NewSpace industry.

As many as 10 Finalists will present their plans to a distinguished panel of judges, featuring venture capitalists, angel investors, and business development leaders, receiving professional feedback and exposure to the public, press, and investor community. The winner will receive a $100,000 Grand Prize funded by a grant from NASA/Ames. This grant has also funded a $10,000 Second Prize.

This Competition is seeking entries from seed, startup, or early-growth firms from the following fields:

Entrepreneurial space: Those firms directly involved in launch systems hardware technology and supporting infrastructure, including data acquisition, communications, exotic fuels, space suits, flight safety, etc.

Space-related: Process engineering, power systems, bioregenerative systems, tourism, media, software, and other supportive solutions.

Space-scalable (New!): Technologies primarily developed to solve problems here on Earth for commercial benefit and profit, but are also scalable to solve key long range space problems when the demand ultimately exists, to help make the settlement of the space frontier a reality. This could include biotechnology, nanotechnology, medicine, radiation mitigation, smart materials, alternative energy, or next-gen IT hardware, among many other possibilities.

Irrespective of niche, applicants must be able to explain why their product or service helps with the economic development of space.

This Competition wishes to assist and showcase new startup and expanding firms who can demonstrate both the ability to make money and contribute to the commercial development of space, advancing the NewSpace movement.

Entries must have at least 51% US-citizen ownership to qualify.

Key dates:

May 25, 2012    5:00 PM PDT    Deadline to submit Executive Summary
June 11, 2012    5:00 PM PDT    BPC2012 announces Teams that are invited to compete
Jul 6, 2012        5:00 PM PDT    Invited Teams will confirm participation by submitting their full written business plan
Jul 25, 2011        11:00 AM PST        Teams arrive at NewSpace 2012 Conference Hotel, for registration and Boot Camp (Boot Camp begins 1PM July 25th, and runs all day July 26th)
Jul 27, 2011        9:30 AM PST        NASA/NewSpace2012 Business Plan Competition
Jul 28, 2011        6:00-9:00 PM PST    Awards Gala, Business Plan Competition winners announced

NewSpace 2012 is a single-track conference focusing on entrepreneurial space activities. Sessions are intended not only to provide interesting presentations, but also to generate lively discussions among NewSpace entrepreneurs, established space industry leaders, NASA & military space experts, regulators, space policy advocates, the investment community, and anyone else who wants to ensure humanity has a bright and abundant future in the space frontier.

Registration for NewSpace 2012 is now open. Click here to sign up!

To apply for the BPC, simply go to the “How to Apply” section and follow the instructions.

For full rules, click the tab “BPC 2012 Rules”.

UPDATE: (4/23/12)  Since our new contributing sponsor, DecisionDesk, provided us with a new set of comprehensive online application and screening tools, it was decided that the Intent to Compete, due 4/30, was no longer needed. The deadline date that matters is 5/25/12, the date by which the Executive Summaries are due.