Terms and conditions.

1. Overview

The Airable Labs Entrepreneur Competition (“Competition”) is organized by Airable Research Lab, LLC (“Airable”) in collaboration with the Ohio Soybean Council (“OSC”). The purpose of the Competition is to identify and support entrepreneurs or early-stage businesses with innovative ideas for soy-based products that fill a market gap or solve an existing problem.

2. Eligibility

  • The Competition is open to individuals or early-stage companies located and legally residing in the United States.

  • Participants must be U.S. citizens or legal residents. Proof of residency may be requested.

  • Only one entry per participant or business will be accepted.

  • Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission.

  • Employees, contractors, and immediate family members of Airable, OSC, and their affiliates are not eligible to participate.

3. Entry and Submission

  • To enter the Competition, participants must complete the official online submission form in full by 11:59 PM ET on September 15, 2025.

  • All form fields are mandatory. Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered.

  • By submitting an application, participants affirm that all information provided is truthful, original, and does not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any third party.

  • Participants must agree to these Terms & Conditions as part of their submission.

4. Competition Format

  • Round 1: A review panel will evaluate all eligible submissions based on clarity, innovation, market need, and alignment with soy-based product development. Finalists will be notified by October 15, 2025.

  • Round 2: Finalists will be invited to deliver a live 30-minute pitch (including Q&A) to a panel of judges at the Airable Research Lab on November 13, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

5. Evaluation Criteria

Finalists will be evaluated based on:

  • Market Desirability: Consumer or business need and competitive differentiation.

  • Economic Viability: Potential demand and product feasibility.

  • Innovative Spirit: Novelty and alignment with the goals of Airable and the U.S. soybean industry.

  • Clarity & Inspiration: Effectiveness of the pitch and overall entrepreneurial vision.

6. Prize

  • First Place Winner will receive:

    • In-kind research hours up to $50,000 in value from Airable Labs for development of a soy-based product.

    • Support in pursuing additional funding and commercialization opportunities, including assistance with proposals to OSC and potential introductions to other funding partners.

  • The prize is non-transferable and may not be exchanged for cash or other compensation.

7. Intellectual Property

  • Participants retain ownership of any intellectual property (IP) included in their submissions.

  • However, participants acknowledge that by entering the Competition, they are not sharing confidential IP. Submissions should not contain proprietary trade secrets or sensitive technical information.

  • Airable and OSC will not be held liable for any loss or misuse of confidential information submitted in error.

8. Publicity

  • By participating, applicants grant Airable and OSC permission to use non-confidential portions of their submissions, name, likeness, and/or competition participation details for promotional and marketing purposes in print, digital, or broadcast media, without additional compensation.

9. Disqualification

  • Airable reserves the right to disqualify any participant who violates these Terms & Conditions or engages in any conduct deemed unlawful, unethical, or harmful to the integrity of the Competition.

10. Limitation of Liability

  • Airable and OSC assume no responsibility for incomplete, late, or lost submissions.

  • Participants agree to release and hold harmless Airable, OSC, judges, and affiliated parties from any liability, injury, loss, or damage of any kind arising in connection with participation in the Competition or acceptance/use of any prize.

11. Amendments

  • Airable reserves the right to amend these Terms & Conditions or cancel the Competition at any time for any reason, without notice.

12. Contact

  • For questions regarding the Competition or these Terms & Conditions, please contact: lhahn@wearemccracken.com

Questions?

Contact us.

lhahn@wearemccracken.com