Prize Details
- $500,000 in non-dilutive funding
- No equity taken, company retains full Intellectual Property rights
- Validation and endorsement by National Academy members and Nobel and Breakthrough Prize Laureates
- Recognition and publicity; exposure to TAMEST network
Eligibility Requirements
- Open to Texas-based entrepreneurs and companies in applied sciences, biotechnology, engineering, life sciences and medicine (including university and government spinout companies).
- Project leader must be 15+ years since first full-time professional position
2027 Hill Prizes
Applications for the 2027 Hill Prizes closed June 1, 2026, 6:00 p.m. Central Time. Applicants will be notified in early December 2026.
For questions, please contact TAMEST Program Director Stephanie Shaw at (512) 471-3823 or stephanie.shaw@austin.utexas.edu.
The Hill Prize in Commercialization, Innovation and Technology – Translating Breakthrough to Impact
The Hill Prize in Commercialization, Innovation and Technology, funded by Lyda Hill Philanthropies, recognizes and advances top entrepreneurs and companies in Texas whose high-risk, high-reward breakthrough ideas can translate into real impacts on human health, prosperity and well-being. The prize aims to expand the commercialization of new technologies, accelerate paradigm-shifting science and position Texas as a premier destination for world-class innovation.
The selected recipient’s company or organization will receive $500,000 in non-dilutive direct funding from Lyda Hill Philanthropies to accelerate their work. No equity is taken, and companies retain full Intellectual Property rights.
The Hill Prize in Commercialization, Innovation and Technology — open to both individuals and teams — will be given to entrepreneurs and companies in applied sciences, biotechnology, engineering, life sciences and medicine. Collaborators and subcontractors may include universities, health sciences centers and others.
About the Hill Prizes
The Hill Prizes, funded by Lyda Hill Philanthropies, recognize and advance top Texas innovators and researchers whose work could have significant impact on science and society. The prizes propel high-risk, high-reward ideas and innovations that demonstrate significant potential for real-world impact and can lead to new, paradigm-shifting paths in research.
The Hill Prizes have seven categories:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Biological Sciences
- Commercialization, Innovation and Technology (exclusively for entrepreneurs and companies)
- Engineering
- Medicine
- Physical Sciences
- Public Health
The biological sciences, engineering, medicine, physical sciences and public health prizes will be given to researchers and teams at academic and medical institutions. The Hill Prize in Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be given to researchers and teams at academic and medical institutions, in government, companies and entrepreneurs.
