About the UW Environmental Innovation Challenge

Student innovators have the potential to solve some of our world’s most pressing environmental crises. But in order to bring about change, these students need to bring their innovations out of the lab and into the marketplace.

Since 2009, the UW Environmental Innovation Challenge (EIC) has challenged interdisciplinary student teams to define an environmental problem, develop a solution, produce a prototype, and create a business summary that demonstrates market potential. The quarter-long process culminates in a large, DemoDay-like event where a select group of teams pitch to a group of 150+ judges—investors, entrepreneurs, policy-makers, and experts from across sectors. The top teams are awarded up to $10,000 in prize money, and everyone comes away with valuable feedback and experience to help them realize the market potential of their innovations.