President's Innovation Challenge
About the program · 3 linked sources
The President's Innovation Challenge is Harvard University's flagship venture competition, awarding over $500,000 in prizes annually. Five tracks: Health Care + Life Sciences, Open, Social Impact, Alumni HC+LS, and Alumni Open. Grand prizes of $75,000 (5 winners), runners-up $25,000 (5 winners), and Ingenuity Awards up to $2,500. Funded by the Bertarelli Foundation. 150+ semifinalists and 25 finalists selected annually representing all 13 Harvard schools. Theme 2026: "What Moves You."
RapidSOS won the $70,000 grand prize in 2015. The day before, the same team won the $50,000 grand prize in the HBS New Venture Competition.
Also known as: Harvard PIC, President's Innovation Challenge
How we know this: the figures on this page come from the linked sources (last verified 2026-06-25); what those sources do not state is left unknown.
Key numbers
Funding range
$75,000
Equity
None
Application
Annual
Campus Wide
Last activity
2026-06-25
High confidence
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President's Innovation Challenge
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President's Innovation Challenge
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Known startups and winners
Competition winners and notable student ventures from our research.
News & articles
News articles and official sources documenting President's Innovation Challenge at Harvard University.
3 sources
Harvard Gazette
RapidSOS wins the 2015 President's Challenge
Harvard Gazette report that RapidSOS won the $70,000 grand prize in the 2015 President's Challenge at the Harvard Innovation Lab, one day after winning the $50,000 grand prize in the HBS New Venture Competition.
Read on Harvard Gazette
Harvard Innovation Labs
RapidSOS at Harvard Innovation Labs
Harvard Innovation Labs venture page for RapidSOS. It describes the company as linking life-saving data from connected devices to 911 and first responders, and records a 2015 President's Innovation Challenge grand prize. The page links the company website.
Read on Harvard Innovation Labs
Harvard University
President's Innovation Challenge
--- title: President's Innovation Challenge source_type: website url: https://innovationlabs.harvard.edu/presidents-innovation-challenge description: Harvard's flagship venture competition, $500K+ in prizes --- # President's Innovation Challenge
Read on Harvard University