Competitions
New Venture Challenge
The "a-ha" moment when someone envisions a new technology, service or product is the seed that can lead to a real-time product or new company. But most ideas are left on the drawing table, or on a cocktail napkin in the bar, as the reality of transforming a concept into reality appears too daunting and expensive.
Recognizing the immense talent and research capabilities at CU-Boulder, the New Venture Challenge facilitates ideas that may have commercial possibilities. The Challenge is coordinated jointly by the Deming Center, the Law School’s Silicon Flatirons program, Engineering’s EShip, and CU’s Technology Transfer Office.
The Challenge offers workshops, entrepreneurial mentors, and opportunities to explore new business ideas for all CU students, faculty, and staff. Interdepartmental collaboration is encouraged.
For faculty, staff and students who want take their ideas one step further, the cross-campus New Venture Challenge business plan competition is held during National Entrepreneurship Week in April of each year.
Visit http://cunvc.org/ for a complete list of workshops and details of the business plan competition.
Cleantech Venture Challenge
The Deming Center has hosted this international competition annually
since 2005. The CVC’s sustainable venturing focus is appropriate for
teams that can demonstrate business models, practices or technologies
with high growth potential that also provide innovative solutions,
services or products in the cleantech sector.
These international teams demonstrated business models, practices or technologies with high growth potential that also provide innovative solutions, services or products in the cleantech sector.
Winning entries in past years have included:
- Ecoviv founded by students from Oxford University, U.K. enables data centers to manage the power consumption of their servers through patent-pending software resulting in lower operating expenditure and increased resource capacity.
- Husk Insulation from the University of Michigan is devoted to energy efficiency and conservation through the manufacture and deployment of high-performance insulation.
- NALION Technologies from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada is commercializing a breakthrough in Li-ion battery technology for the emerging hybrid electric and electric vehicles market.
A minimum of $25,000 in prize money is awarded each year to the winning teams. Leeds MBA students are encouraged to enter the competition or volunteer their time with the development and hosting of the actual event.
For more information visit Cleantech Venture Challenge
. Registration information is available including the Intent to Compete Forms that are due in November.
Venture Capital Investment Competition
For individuals interested in the world of venture capital, this exciting competition, held each spring at a host university, allows a CU team of students to compete in evaluation and funding of real world start-ups. The competition includes interviewing the company management, preparing valuations and term sheets and presenting your fund allocation to a judging panel of venture capitalists. This intensive one-day event provides students with the opportunity to practice their venture capital skills and learn how VCs think. Regional winners go on to compete at national finals. CU also hosts a regional VCIC competition, so students can learn from their peers. For more information contact Patty Graff. For complete information on how VCIC runs go to www.vcic.org.
Business Plan Competition
As the culmination of the Business Plan Preparation course, the competition challenges students to generate an innovative concept for a product or service and to design a comprehensive business plan around it. The course requires student teams to collaborate and research all aspects of starting a business from marketing and finance to manufacturing and operations. Finalists must present their plan in a convincing and compelling way, as if the judges were actual investors. Local entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and other successful members of the business community are the judges. The interaction between students and our business colleagues is a strength in the Deming Center's approach to entrepreneurship education. The competition is as close to a real-world environment as possible and is often the launch pad for new start-ups among our graduates.
MBA finals are January 14, 2010. Only students enrolled in the business plan course present their plans. Individuals interested in judging should go to the Join the Deming Network page and fill out the interest form.
Leeds Net Impact Case Competition
Since 2002, Leeds has hosted the International Net Impact Case Competition. This event brings together teams from across North America to formulate sustainable and profitable solutions to a current company's business issue. Leeds MBA students are encouraged to enter the competition or volunteer their time with the development and hosting of the actual event. Past cases have included Shell, Diageo, and Vail Resorts. For more information visit Leeds Net Impact Case Competition.
Urban Land Institute Design Competition
The Urban Land Institute Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition competition is open to Leeds MBA students in real estate. Winning first prize in 2005, the Leeds MBA student team prevailed over 71 teams with a plan focused on minimizing the negative impacts of urban sprawl. First place carries a cash purse of $50,000.