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        The Tiger Cage

        The Tiger Cage Business Idea Competition is held annually to identify and support innovative early-stage products or services ideas created by Auburn University students.

        • If you have an idea for a new business venture and are looking for an opportunity to secure early-stage seed funding to incubate your idea, this program is designed for you. You will have the opportunity to describe your startup idea, pitch it to a seasoned group of judges playing the role of investors, and potentially win startup capital that will help jumpstart your business.
        • You will compete for a share of $100,000 in startup capital, sponsored by the Harbert College of Business as well as a $5,000 innovation award sponsored by the Thomas Walter Center for Technology Management
        • Competing teams will have access to mentors from the Auburn family of business professionals, entrepreneurs-in-residence, and other successful entrepreneurs.

        Required submission materials

        1. A 250-word summary of your business idea. This will be used to introduce the judges to your business concept. Clearly state the problem you are addressing, your solution, and the market opportunity.
        2. A one-page Business Model Canvas that describes your business model. You can find the Business Model Canvas template and additional information at businessmodelgeneration.com/canvas.
        3. Three to five PowerPoint slides that describe the problem you are addressing, your solution, and the market opportunity. Your slides should be designed to interest a panel of angel investors, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and experts experienced in business development and funding. Your goal is for members of the judging panel to see the market potential of your idea and want to learn more.
        4. A video, up to three minutes in length, describing your business idea, your business model, and the problem it is designed to solve.

        A series of workshops, conducted by Auburn faculty, staff, entrepreneurs-in-residence, and other guest speakers, will be offered to assist you in preparing to compete in the event. You will also have the opportunity to schedule individual coaching and mentoring sessions.


        Tiger Cage Rounds

        Tiger Cage competitions are often broken into several rounds to allow judges plenty of opportunity to award the best ideas. Check out the details below for more information. 

        • Tiger Cage Quarter-Final Round: January 30, 2026

          Each of the top twenty teams selected from the online submissions will deliver a business plan pitch to a group of judges with extensive experience in business formation and funding. The presentation environment is designed to simulate a typical pitch to an angel investor or venture capital firm. Teams will prepare a PowerPoint presentation to be used during their presentation.

          • Each team will have up to 10 minutes to tell their story (5 minutes for their presentation and 5 minutes for questions from the judges.)
          • Judges will select the top eight teams to advance to the Tiger Cage Semi-Final Round.
        • Tiger Cage Semi-Final Round: February 27, 2026

          Judges will select the top four teams to advance to the Tiger Cage Final-Round.

        • Tiger Cage Finals: March 25, 2026

          This is a public event where the top four teams will compete for a share of the startup capital prize pool.

        Eligibility and Guidelines

        1. Individuals and teams of up to six Auburn students are eligible to enter. This is a competition for Auburn University, Auburn University Montgomery undergraduate and graduate students, and Southern Union State Community College students. On-campus and online students are eligible to participate. Students enrolled in Fall Semester 2025 classes from any school, college, or academic department can participate. Students planning to graduate at the end of the Fall 2025 Semester may participate.
        2. An active student, or Fall 2025 Semester graduate, must lead the team but recent Auburn alumni (within one year of graduation) can join teams.
        3. We strongly encourage teams to be inter-disciplinary and consist of a minimum of three members, however, one-person “teams” are permitted.
        4. Teams that have received prior outside investment from venture capital firms, private investors, or industry sources are not eligible to compete.
        5. Previous Tiger Cage first place winners are not eligible to compete.
        6. All entry materials will be treated as confidential. The only individuals with access to the entry materials will be judges and members of the event faculty and staff. No other provisions are made to protect intellectual property.
        7. Startup capital awards will be granted only to seed the startup of the submitted idea and will be paid out in stages according to mutually agreed-upon milestones and proper documentation. No substitutions or pivots are permitted without the approval of the Director of the New Venture Accelerator.
        8. The Harbert College of Business reserves the right to disqualify, at its sole discretion, any team participating in the competition at any time, for any reason. Reasons for disqualification include, but are not limited to, plagiarism and any other form of academic dishonesty, misrepresentation, misappropriation, or infringement of the intellectual property of others, as well as any failure to comply with these guidelines. Disqualified teams shall forfeit any and all awards and other benefits.
        9. Only one submission per student team is permitted.

        Questions: Contact Lou Bifano, Director, New Venture Accelerator (loubifano@auburn.edu)

        Student workspace is available in the New Venture Accelerator located in the Research and Innovation Center (Suite 101, 540 Devall Drive)

        Previous Tiger Cage Winners

        • 2025

          First place, receiving $30,000 in startup capital, went to Protector Innovations. Led by Sophia Aulisio, Harbert College of Business junior, majoring in Accounting, Protector Innovations offers a new volleyball knee pad, which unlike the traditional pad, allows for better mobility, stays in place, and truly delivers on the “one size fits all” model because it is adjustable. It is also made of highly durable material. The product is patentable, and the design differentiates from other pads because they all stick to the traditional look.

          Second place, receiving $20,000 in startup capital, went to Planet of Snacks. Co-Founded by Liam Heary, sophomore in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and Harrison Rainer, Sophomore majoring in Apparel Merchandising, Planet of Snacks is in online retailer designed to meet the growing demand for international snacks, candies, and drinks in the United States. Many international students with diverse backgrounds who are studying in the U.S. lack access to their favorite snacks from abroad, particularly at affordable prices and with original ingredients from each country.

          Third place, receiving $15,000 in startup capital, went to Tradition Apparel. Founded by Harrison Irby, Harbert College of Business junior, majoring in Finance, Tradition Apparel is built on creativity and emerging fashion trends to deliver the special apparel that fans love. We all have a deep-rooted need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. This need materializes in different ways with different people; in the South and increasingly across the nation, this need materializes in the form of college football. Unfortunately, the current collegiate apparel market is antiquated and boring.

          Fourth place, receiving $15,000 in startup capital, went to Polar Docks. Founded by Vince Visser, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering sophomore, majoring in Industrial & Systems Engineering, Polar Docks provides liquid cooling to docks across the southeast through strategically placed misters. Docks, patios, and wood surfaces can get up to 150 degrees burning feet, paws, and radiating heat in the summer. Polar Docks provides relief from this extreme heat allowing people to spend more time out on the dock.

        • 2024

          In first place, receiving $30,000 in startup capital, was AbGlo. Led by Holli Michaels and Courtney Montague of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and Marianne Madsen, AbGlo is a fitness device that corrects lumbar position during core strength exercises through visual and sensory feedback. AbGlo strengthens muscles deep within the core to significantly alleviate low back pain and improve fitness outcomes.

          Second place receiving $15,000 in startup capital went to Mammoth Super Sod. Led by Chera Howard of the College of Agriculture, Mammoth Super Sod is a natural grass that can stand up to drought, contains an efficient irrigation system that can reduce up to 70% in water usage, serve as a fire barrier for homes, and produce safer sod for players. The environmental benefits of super sod include carbon sequestration, oxygen production, groundwater replenishment, and pollutant filtration. Mammoth SuperSod was also the recipient of the Burr & Forman legal services in-kind award in the amount of $5,000.                                                         

          Third place receiving $10,000 in startup capital went to Early Bird. Led by Thomas Lester of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and Eugene Asante, a graduate of the College of Liberal Arts, Early Bird is a groundbreaking product with a user-friendly side-mounted push-point that activates rapid interior heating. It is a single-use canned beverage (coffee, tea, or hot chocolate) that heats up faster than a Keurig and is more affordable than a coffee shop.  Early Bird was also the recipient of the Thomas Walter Center for Technology Management special award in the amount of $5,000 that will be used for hardware/software prototyping.

          Fourth place receiving $5,000 in startup capital went to ROME.  Led by Alex Washburn, Jordan Snyder, Emily Glaze, Mandy McCutchin, and Madie Robinson of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, ROME,“Roller to Optimize Material Efficiency,” is an innovative solution addressing the labor-intensive and physically tolling task of laying materials in diverse industries. The flagship product, the CowPaw, is an ergonomic device specifically designed to streamline the process of laying paper in poultry farms.

          Focus Friends was named as the winner of the Social Impact Award in the amount of $10,000. Led by Abby Stansell of the Harbert College of Business, Focus Friends is a membership-based platform designed to address the underserved adult ADHD and ADD community. Focus Friends aims to revolutionize ADHD support by empowering individuals, fostering community, and providing a one-of-a-kind platform to enhance the lives of adults with ADHD and ADD.

          PALS Palettes was named as the winner of the Exemplary Undergraduate Award in the amount of $5,000. Led by Luke Dixon of the College of Architecture, Design and Construction, PALS transforms the way the public perceives and uses discarded pallets, addressing the current problem of millions of pallets ending up in landfills each year.. Pals Palettes will transform discarded pallets into beautiful, functional art that makes a positive impact on the world.

        • 2023

          In first place was Dropplel who received $25,000 in startup capital.  Led by Parvin Fathi-Hafshejani,  Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, Dropllel is a diagnostic tool that provides accurate, rapid, and cost-effective detection of virus’ thereby successfully lowering the possibility of large-scale spread.

          Second place, receiving $12,000 in startup capital, went to Rodopto, led by Scott Rowe, Harbert College of Business. Rodopto is an agricultural company dedicated to sustainable crop production utilizing advancements in drone technology. 

          Third place, receiving $8,000 in startup capital went to OMNIS, led by Zakariya Veasy, and Evan Henley, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.  OMNIS is a peer-to-peer social platform that allows individuals to borrow money through the community with short-term, micro-loans that meet their immediate needs.

          Fourth Place, receiving $5,000 in startup capital went to Archangel Defense, led by Shay Pilcher, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. Archangel Defense is a provider of customized equipment for any combat situation imaginable, designed for peak mission performance, and above all to make sure everyone who defends our country makes it home.

          Click here to learn more about 2023's Tiger Cage Business Idea Competition

        • 2022

          In first place was IGNTE who received $25,000 in startup capital. Led by Jacob Cordero, business administration, and Emmett Deen, Computer Science, IGNTE is a platform that gives organizations a means of showing their sponsor’s ads on Twitch.

          Second place and $12,000 in startup capital went to The Best Roping Dummy. Led by Will Jordan, Agricultural Communications, The Best Roping Dummy is an autonomous team roping training system that reduces the need for live cattle and improves practice capabilities. 

          A tie for third place, and splitting $15,000, went to Toft by 2153 and Feature Finder. Led by Jesse Stewart, Software Engineering, Studio Art; Brooke Hopton-Jones, Computer Science; and Sydney Pham, Software Engineering, Toft by 2153 is a game development studio specializing in next-generation, cross-platform, multiplayer games.  Led by Zane Barbao, Management and Entrepreneurship and Luke Matthews, Professional Flight, Feature Finder is a social music platform designed to revolutionize the entire music industry.

        Contact Us

        Have questions about the Tiger Cage competitions? We can help.

        Lou Bifano

        Lou Bifano

        Director of Entrepreneurship Strategy