Lobster Tank 2025

Lobster Tank: Maine Solutions Challenge

When: November 21 2025
Where: Roux Institute at Northeastern University, Portland, Maine
What: Hear from teams of up to 4 students currently enrolled at Maine colleges/universities about their solution to help the state of Maine

About the Competition

Maine faces unprecedented challenges - from severe workforce shortages to an aging population crisis. The Lobster Tank gives Maine-based college students a chance to pitch innovative solutions that could transform our state's future.

As part of the Roux Institute's Fall Entrepreneurship Month, selected student teams will compete in this high-stakes pitch competition. Each team will present their business or product idea that directly addresses Maine's most pressing issues and they could win acceptance into the 2026 Maine Summer Accelerator.

Focus Areas

The solutions could tackle one of Maine's critical challenges below or another pressing challenge the state is facing:

• Workforce Crisis: Only 50 job seekers per 100 jobs statewide

• Aging Population: 23% over age 65 in the nation's oldest state

• Healthcare Access: Rural provider shortages and hospital closures

• Housing Affordability: Driving away workers and limiting growth

• Rural Sustainability: Supporting Maine's smaller communities

Competition Format

• 3-minute pitch maximum

• Any amount of slides

What Participants Could Win

Grand Prize: Acceptance into the 2026 Maine Summer Accelerator! The Maine Summer Accelerator is one of the premier student entrepreneurial programs in the country, this intensive 5-week experience is hosted each summer at Northeastern University’s Roux Institute in Portland, Maine. Designed for college students from across the U.S., the program helps participants transform bold ideas into market-ready ventures through hands-on learning, expert mentorship, and real-world application.

How to Apply to Pitch in Lobster Tank

Submit your application here

Application Deadline: November 3, 2025
Notification of Selection: November 10, 2025

Questions?

Contact Emily Morrow (em.morrow@northeastern.edu) for more information about registration, competition rules, or the Maine Summer Accelerator program.