Calling all Columbia entrepreneurs! The Columbia Venture Competition (CVC), offers Columbia University students and affiliates a chance to express their entrepreneurial creativity and innovation as well as win financial support for start-up ventures. The top three business plans selected at the CVC will share $25,000 in prize money, along with in-kind legal, financial, and strategic services that will support the launch of a new venture.

A team of judges will evaluate business plans in three tracks: technology/IT, including alternative energy, software and environment; social entrepreneurship, primarily technological innovations that provide a positive impact to the community as well as ventures primarily focused on economic development solutions to high-need communities; and general products and services, including non-technical products and services.

The deadline to submit business plans is Friday, April 3. Finalists will be notified by Friday, April 17, and the judging and awarding of prizes will take place on Friday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The CVC is the culmination of several months of programming to support entrepreneurs. In January, Columbia held the first PitchFest, which gave 41 aspiring entrepreneurs a chance to pitch their ideas to alumni, faculty, and fellow students in a packed Davis Auditorium.

At the Business-Technology Demo event on March 11, teams made five-minute presentations on their business plans or concepts. Teams had to complete an executive summary, and register in advance, may participate in the demo. A panel of experts provided  feedback on both summaries and presentations.

In order to be eligible to participate in the CVC, at least one member of the team must be a current SEAS student. Submissions should fall under one of the three tracks: Technology, Social Entrepreneurship, and General Products and Services. (Submitters should self-select into the category that best relates to the business.) Acceptable business plans include (a) early stage or new ventures, (b) joint venture, alliance, or network-based businesses (e.g., creating a new entity from an existing enterprise), (c) licensing arrangements, and (d) search funds. Businesses are NOT eligible if they already have received investor funding in excess of $25,00.

Eligible ventures looking to match with engineers, or SEAS students looking to join a new venture can participate in a self-selecting match process. This information will be uploaded to the CTICE entrepreneurship page daily. Interested parties should check on the CTICE site for updates on the venture matching process.

The Engineering School will distribute $25,000 in prize money at the Competition. First place brings $15,000, second place $7,000, and third place $3,000. All winner receive in-kind legal, financial, and strategic services , and will be able to participate in other  business plan competitions, and may participate in launch of Summer Building Ideas Program

For more information, please contact Rebecca Rodriguez, Senior Associate Director for Engaged Entrepreneurship, at rr2037@columbia.edu.

RELATED LINKS

Articles

Leah Bourne, Pitchfest Spurs Prospective Entrepreneurs, The Record, 18 February 2009
PitchFest 2009 Spotlights Entrepreneurs (SEAS website)
 

Multimedia

PitchFest 2009 Photo Gallery
PitchFest 2009 Videos (46 pitches)
Business/Tech Demo 2009 Videos