02.19.2009

In the early 1980’s, two Texas MBA students yearned for a business school activity as challenging and prestigious as “moot court” in law school. They envisioned a competition in which MBAs working in teams would conceive an idea for a new business, develop the idea in a written business plan, and present the plan to a panel of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, accountants and lawyers.

In 1984 this vision was fulfilled when the Graduate School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin held its inaugural Moot Corp Competition. It was the first competition of its kind for MBA students and is still considered the most prestigious in the world. The Moot Corp Competition has been crowned “the Super Bowl of world business plan competition.”

With aspiring entrepreneurs soliciting start-up funds from experienced investors, the Moot Corp Competition simulates the real-world process of raising venture capital. MBAs from business schools around the globe come to The University of Texas at Austin each May to present their business plans to panels of investors. From among myriad offerings, judges select the best new-venture opportunity. With a 24-year history, the Moot Corp Competition is the oldest operating inter-business school new-venture competition and hosts teams from top-ranked MBA programs around the world.

Three of the seven semifinalists in the 2009 Texas Moot Corp Competition Semifinals on February 4th were MSTC student teams. Among the MSTC Teams were:

• Naga Machines - Naga Machines is a fabless semiconductor chip design company utilizing the world’s most efficient polymorphic ASIC chip platform to deliver cutting edge dynamic and flexible semiconductor solutions.
• Biopulp - The company will commercialize Biopulp, a biopharmaceutical for use with endodontic procedures. Whereas a standard root canal procedure leaves the tooth “dead,” Biopulp has the ability to regenerate damaged dental pulp to restore vitality to an infected tooth.
• Zeolite Solution Materials - Zeolite Solution Materials is a chemical company that provides environmentally friendly solutions to metallurgical problems. We manufacture ZeoCorr, a Corrosion Resistant High-Silica-Zeolite MFI Coating.

Not only did Biopulp win their division in the semifinals, they went on to compete in the Texas Moot Corp Competition Finals on February 18th. This is the fourth consecutive year that MSTC teams have competed in the Texas Moot Corp Finals.