UT San Antonio Draper Data Science
Business Plan Competition
Friday, April 10, 2026
Now accepting applications through January 4, 2026
The UT San Antonio Draper Data Science Business Plan Competition will be held on Friday, April 10, 2026. The competition is designed to empower student entrepreneurs from the United States, Canada and Mexico to advance business ventures that harness the power of data science to create impactful solutions worldwide.
Student-led teams will compete for up to $100,000 in cash prizes while receiving invaluable feedback from industry experts.
This event is made possible by a generous donation from venture capitalist Timothy Draper and his wife, Melissa Parker Draper, highlighting the powerful intersection of data science and entrepreneurship.
| General Competition Timeline | |
|---|---|
| November 3, 2025 | Applications open. Teams begin Phase I of the online application. |
| January 4, 2026 | First phase of the application closes. |
| January 14, 2026 | Teams advancing to Phase II of the competition are announced. |
| January 24, 2026 | Mandatory Phase II workshop. |
| February 23, 2026 | Teams advancing to the final round of the competition are announced. |
| April 6, 2026 | Executive summaries and pitch decks are due. |
| April 9, 2026 | Pre-competition briefing and rehearsal. |
| April 10, 2026 | In-person competition. Presentation of final pitches and winners announced. |
“Data science will drive the greatest transformations of the next few decades. Business plan competitions tend to encourage and attract those people who are going to make those transformations. Melissa and I have found these competitions to be a magnet for progress and change.”
