Shark Tank Competition 2026

Shark Tank Competition

Do you have an innovative idea to help people with epilepsy and seizures?  Throw it to the sharks!

2026 Epilepsy Foundation Shark Tank Competition

LOIs due February 6, 2026

The Epilepsy Foundation invites entries that represent the most innovative new ideas in epilepsy treatment, care or community outreach for the annual Shark Tank Competition. The winner(s) of the 2026 Shark Tank Competition will receive international recognition and compete for combined awards and investment of up to $250,000 to support the development or commercialization of an important new product, technology, or concept to help people with epilepsy.

The Epilepsy Foundation Shark Tank features two prize categories with prize amounts listed below:

    Community Award: Prize value of up to $50,000
    Investment: up to $200,000 of investment from the NeuroImpact Fund

The Epilepsy Foundation reserves the right to select the appropriate prize category for each proposal

Please carefully review the proposal eligibility below for the award category for which you are applying.

Eligibility

Community Award:
•    The applicant must be a not-for-profit, university, or small business 
•    Selected finalists must be prepared to present in person at the 2026 Shark Tank program (Thursday, June 18, 2026) to be held during the Epilepsy Foundation Pipeline Conference in Leesburg, VA.
•    Selected finalists must agree to have their live pitch at the Pipeline Conference recorded for posting on epilepsy.com
•    Applicants may reside in any country.  
•    The winner is expected to complete a written report on progress made within each year and present progress at the 2027 Shark Tank Competition which will be held during the 2027 Epilepsy Therapies & Diagnostic Development (ETDD) Symposium  (date and venue tbd).
•    Address questions to sharktank@efa.org.

Investment Prize:

•    Any for-profit companies seeking investment 
•    Applicants must demonstrate an ability to move the proposed plan to completion, showing how the prize can accelerate any step along the path to market. 
•    Inventors who submitted ideas for previous Shark Tank Competitions are encouraged to re-submit their ideas if substantial progress has been made. 
•    Selected finalists must agree to have their live pitch at the Pipeline Conference recorded for posting on epilepsy.com
•    The winner must agree to a SAFE agreement and side letter terms. 
•    Address questions to sharktank@efa.org.

Disclaimer:
The Epilepsy Foundation’s Shark Tank Competition is designed to spotlight promising epilepsy-focused innovations. Like the show, selection of a winner (or finalist) does not guarantee that an investment or other transaction will be completed.
Any potential investment or partnership is subject (i) completion of due diligence by Iaso Ventures (including review of legal, financial, technical, and compliance materials), (ii) execution of definitive documentation (including the standard SAFE agreement (you can view here) or other documents, as applicable), and (iii) all required internal approvals of the Board of Directors for all ventures selected as finalists. The Epilepsy Foundation and Iaso Ventures may decline to proceed at any time in its sole discretion.

Timeline

The deadline for submitting a Letter of Intent (LOI) for both the community prize and consideration for investment is February 6, 2026.

After LOI review, the community award review committee will invite the top two applications to submit full length proposals and compete as finalists in the 2026 Shark Tank Competition

The investment review committee will review LOIs and invite selected applicants to submit full applications. Finalists will be required to sign an agreement stating board approval of SAFE agreement and side letter terms.  The top three finalists will be selected from this review and will be invited to compete as finalists at the 2026 Shark Tank Competition.  

All selected finalists will be invited to present their product, concept or candidates at the 2026 Epilepsy Foundation Pipeline Conference scheduled for June 18-19, 2026, in Leesburg, VA.

How a winner is selected

For the community prize: The winning entry (or entries) will be selected through live voting by conference attendees. Additionally, a panel of judges (Sharks) representing non-profit organizations, people with epilepsy, advocates as well as physicians will ask questions and vote for their top choice.

For Investment: The winning entry (or entries) will be selected by a panel of judges (Sharks) who represent leading industry investors, corporate executives, and clinical experts. The project(s) deemed to be the most innovative will be announced after a live pitch competition at the conference, and the winner(s) can receive as much as $200,000 to accelerate the idea towards improving the quality of life of people with epilepsy.

Note: All finalists are eligible for a travel stipend to attend the conference and free conference registration.

Application Details.  Please carefully review the proposal requirements below for the award category for which you are applying.

LOI Applications Due February 6, 2026.

Community Award - Instructions For A Letter Of Intent 
Please submit your LOI by February 6, 2025, 5:00 PM Eastern Time.

Proposal Content and Layout 
1.    Title of proposed project (maximum 50 characters) 
2.    Leader (name, title, affiliation, address, telephone, email address) 
3.    Key collaborators (names, titles, affiliations) 
4.    Brief summary of what the product/project is
5.    Goals and planned approaches (not to exceed half a page) 
6.    Focus specifically on what your project would bring to people with epilepsy and when 
7.    Brief description of what is unique about the project. If it is competitive to any existing product or service, please describe how your project compares to any competitor. (1 paragraph) 
8.    Detailed description of how you plan to accomplish the overall plan (1 page) 
9.    Estimated steps/milestones/timeline to reach patients 
10.    Go/No Go decision points 
11.    Anticipated total budget and an outline of what a prize of up to $50,000 will allow you to accomplish

Investment Application Instructions For A Letter Of Intent 
Please submit your LOI by February 6, 2025, 5:00 PM Eastern Time.

Proposal Content and Layout 
1.    Title of proposed project (maximum 50 characters) 
2.    Team: Introduce your team and explain their qualifications (1 paragraph). Be sure to include:
a)    Key team members’ backgrounds and relevant expertise.
b)    Advisors or partnerships that strengthen your execution capabilities.
c)    How the team is positioned to overcome anticipated challenges.
3.    Market Opportunity: Describe the market opportunity for your solution (1 paragraph). Be sure to include:
a)    The size and growth rate of the target market.
b)    The specific unmet needs your solution addresses.
c)    How your solution will create value for patients, clinicians, or other stakeholders in the epilepsy space.
4.    Solution Description with Science/Clinical Rationale: Explain what your solution is, key stakeholders and their value propositions, the scientific foundation and clinical viability of your solution (~2 pages). Be sure to include:
a)    The underlying scientific principles or mechanisms of action if applicable.
b)    Key preclinical or clinical data that demonstrate proof of concept if applicable
c)    Your plans for clinical development and regulatory milestones.
5.    Competitive Landscape: Describe the uniqueness of your solution (1 paragraph). Include:
a)    How it differs from existing or emerging solutions in the market.
b)    Details of your intellectual property (e.g., patents, trade secrets) and how they provide protection.
c)    Any barriers to entry for competitors.
6.    Return on Investment: Demonstrate the financial potential and scalability of your solution (1 paragraph). Be sure to include:
a)    A high-level financial model showing projected costs and revenues.
b)    Expected milestones for profitability or exit strategies (e.g., acquisition, IPO).
c)    Your funding requirements and proposed use of funds.

NOTE: By submitting a Letter of Intent for an Investment Prize, you agree to the terms of the SAFE agreement and side letter. 

Proposal Submission for both the Community Award and Investment Application
•    Must not exceed 4 pages, inclusive of all information listed above. Minimum 10-point font. 
•    Convert LOI document to a PDF and send to sharktank@efa.org. 
•    A confirmation email will be replied to within 24-48 hours upon receipt of your LOI submission. If you have not received confirmation, please call: 301.918.3726.