Countdown to VCIC NE on 2/26: BU at Dartmouth
On the heels of hosting our own VCIC Regional competition, BU is now preparing for a road trip to the VCIC Regionals at Dartmouth College. Ben Courtney (2nd year full-time MBA), Shannon Sisk (PEMBA), John Fusi (PEMBA), Catie Perrella (PEMBA), Neda Talebzadeh (PEMBA), Jonathan Glendinning (1st year full-time MBA / Alternate) will be representing Questrom on 2/26.
Last week was intense! We gave the team an actual pitch deck, had them prepare a full-length Term Sheet, and then had a 90 minute full-team practice session. Over the next two weeks they’ll continue meeting with entrepreneurs, advisors and VCs to further hone their skills.
- 70 MBA programs
- 6 Undergraduate programs
- 50 events
- 12 regions, 40 internals
- 2 sister events
- uVCIC (undergraduate)
- SVCIC (sustainable, now Invest for Impact)
- 1,250 MBA participants worldwide
- 175 VCs and 125 entrepreneurs annually
- Website: 4,000 users and 20,000 page views/month
The Venture Capital Investment Competition® began in the middle of the technology bubble in 1998 as an educational event for MBAs to learn about venture funding. Now in its 18th year, through good times and bad in the venture industry, VCIC® has evolved into a marketplace for entrepreneurs seeking investors and a training ground for future venture capitalists. In 2010, VCIC included 50 events in four continents, and served 1,000 students, 150 venture capitalists and 100 entrepreneurs. The program is akin to a network of mini-venture fairs, wherein about a quarter of the entrepreneurs who present go on to raise venture funding.
At the core of the event is a creative turn of the tables. Unlike business plan competitions in which students pitch their own ideas to investors, at VCIC the students are the investors, and real entrepreneurs pitch to them. It is a very powerful learning experience for both parties. Add to the mix a dozen VC judges, and you have what the VCIC website describes as a “win-win-win.” Students learn (and win cash), entrepreneurs connect with investors and VCs get an early peek at some viable deals.
