Pitch:90 — Rhode Island .edu Pitch Competition
Ninety seconds. One idea. No slides, no props, no follow-up questions.
Pitch:90 is a fast-paced competition for student researchers and founders from Rhode Island’s colleges and universities. Each contestant gets 90 seconds to explain their work to a panel of venture professionals and a live audience.
Describing your work clearly and concisely, in a way that makes people lean in, is one of the most useful skills a researcher or founder can build. Pitch:90 is a chance to practice it in front of the people who fund, build, and staff Rhode Island’s life sciences ecosystem.
Presented by RI Bio in partnership with Ocean State Labs (powered by Portal Innovations) and Adler Pollock & Sheehan, as an extension of Portal Pours @ Ocean State Labs.
The room
The competition is only half the reason to come. Contestants pitch in front of biotech and medtech professionals, pharmaceutical and research-institution scientists, startup founders, investors, attorneys, and service providers from across the region. Complimentary beverages and light food will be served at an open reception before and after the pitches.
Who can compete
Currently enrolled undergraduate, master’s, or PhD students at a Rhode Island higher-education institution
Research, technology, or venture concepts in life sciences, health, or the bioeconomy, including biotech, medtech, diagnostics, digital health, research tools, and adjacent areas
Individuals or teams (teams choose one presenter)
No company formation, funding, or IP filing required. Early-stage research is welcome.
Who can attend
Anyone: students, faculty, researchers, industry professionals, founders, investors, and community members. Come cheer on the contestants, hear what Rhode Island’s students are working on, and connect with the region’s life sciences community at the reception. To attend without pitching, register for Portal Pours @ https://luma.com/nprytnfg.
Format and rules
90 seconds, hard stop. The clock is visible and enforced.
No slides. No deck, image, or video. Just you and the microphone.
No props or demos. Bring them to the reception, where people can actually handle them.
No Q&A. Judges score only what they hear in your 90 seconds, so your pitch has to stand on its own.
How to enter
Register on this page with the ticket that matches your program: Undergraduate Pitch Contestant or Graduate Pitch Contestant (Master’s & PhD).
In the registration questions, give your institution and program and a short description of your research or venture (about 150 words).
Selected contestants will be notified by October 27, 2026. They will also receive the run of show and timing rules.
Judges
Pitches are scored by members of the local chapter of Girls Into VC, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing young women into venture capital. Its 10-week fellowship runs twice a year, in spring and fall, for college students and recent graduates. It covers the fundamentals of venture and the startup ecosystem through a workbook curriculum and weekly group discussions. It ends with a capstone investment simulation in which participants draft a real investment memo and term sheet.
Also on Tuesday at Ocean State Labs
The Founder’s Table: RI Bio Founders Academy – https://luma.com/6ssi61jj
Expert Office Hours @ Ocean State Labs, hosted by RI Bio – https://luma.com/s96f32dt
Portal Tours @ Ocean State Labs + 150 Richmond Street – https://luma.com/semi6pd3
Portal Pours @ Ocean State Labs x CFA Society Providence: Early Stage Financing – https://luma.com/nprytnfg
Sponsors
Thank you to RI Bio’s annual sponsors, VWR (part of Avantor), Adler Pollock & Sheehan, and isgenuity LLC, for their continued support of Rhode Island’s life sciences community.