The Fulton Schools of Engineering’s Hool Coury Law Tech Venture Challenge challenges select ASU tech startup founders to advance their entrepreneurial ventures. The Hool Coury Law Tech Venture Challenge is open to select entrepreneurial teams that have at least one founder who is affiliated with a startup-focused course or program within ASU’s Fulton Schools of Engineering. Organized by Entrepreneurship + Innovation @ Fulton Schools, this bi-annual competition aims to strategically launch early-stage technology ventures that solve a problem in the marketplace.
The Hool Coury Law Tech Venture Challenge helps all supported ventures to develop scalable business models, regardless of follow-on funding or support opportunities. Only competitors who are taking (or intend to take) tangible steps toward bringing a product or service to market will be invited to compete. The competition is not intended for purely research purposes.
Hool Coury Law is a Phoenix-based international law firm focused on entrepreneurial success, representing investors and growing ventures from start-up to exit. The firm leverages its entrepreneurial spirit, connections, and the deep legal and business knowledge attained over 30 years to help clients achieve their goals. The firm has expertise in all aspects of fund formation, angel and venture investing, and corporate representation, contracting, financing, licensing, regulatory work, and mergers and acquisitions. The firm’s lawyers serve as advisors, counsel, and as a connection resource for hundreds of high growth companies, entrepreneurs, and investors
Michael Hool
Michael represents or advises accelerators, incubators, and has formed three active angel investment groups, including ATIF (predecessor to AzTech Investors) and Canyon Angels. Michael was recognized as one of the top 100 Most Influential Lawyers in the United States by the Business Journal. Michael is active as a speaker and author of papers on a broad variety of topics. He is an active investor in a growing portfolio of emerging companies. Michael is a Sun Devil, having received his BS in Finance with honors from the School of Business and his JD (Cum Laude) from the ASU Law School where he served as the Executive Managing Editor of the Law Journal.
The Hool Coury Law Tech Venture Challenge features several highly competitive phases. First, competitors must be active participants within one of the many venture development courses or programs offered by ASU’s Fulton Schools of Engineering. Please email [email protected] to verify course or program eligibility each term. Next, top founders within eligible courses or programs will be nominated by faculty or mentors to compete within the Hool Coury Law Tech Venture Challenge. Finally, invited founders will compete for their share of up to $20K in available grant seed funding during our bi-annual challenge showcases.
Founder Eligibility
All full- or part-time student, faculty, or alumni venture management teams may be eligible, if one equity-holding founder is affiliated with a startup-focused course or program within ASU’s Fulton Schools of Engineering. Finalist competitors will be asked to provide proof of affiliation and enrolled/ employed winners must be in good academic and disciplinary standing at the time awards are presented. Competing management teams are encouraged to incorporate members and/or mentors from different departments or colleges within the university. Teams may also have members who are not affiliated with the university (e.g., friends, family, work colleagues, etc. who are not ASU students).
Hool Coury Law Professor of Entrepreneurship
The Hool Coury Law has deepened their engagement with ASU and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering by funding the creation of the Hool Coury Law Professor of Entrepreneurship.
“So many valuable programs have developed at this university over the years, and so many good things have emerged. But it seemed best to target where Hool Coury could add value for ASU,” says Michael Hool, lead partner of the firm. “We deal with individual investors and venture funds who have an acute interest in engineering startups, so this professorship can help connect these people with Fulton Schools technical entrepreneurs who need guidance and access to capital as they blossom.”