MBAs + Startups + VCs = VCIC
Global VCIC is the world’s largest venture capital competition among top MBA students from 70+ prestigious business schools from 13 countries on 3 continents. 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. The program culminates every April in Chapel Hill, NC, with the Global Finals, where the winning teams take home $10,000 in prize money.
ENTRE 542 Venture Capital Investment Practicum – MBAs & TECs only
The Venture Capital Investment Practicum provides an overview of the venture capital world. Though the capstone of the class is the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), the curriculum is more broadly designed to provide students with the necessary tools to evaluate early-stage investment opportunities. The class is interactive and integrative, featuring speakers who are entrepreneurs, VCs, early-stage attorneys and prior VCIC competitors. The VCIC is a national strategy competition for venture-minded, entrepreneurial grad students. Student teams assume the role of a venture capital firm and are given a hypothetical fund to invest and has 48 hours to evaluate bona fide business plans before making investment decisions. Teams then defend their allocation decisions before a judging panel of VCs from firms. The culmination of the class is an intramural competition in January that determines which team we will send to regionals to represent the Foster School.
Foster Victories
2020 2nd place at Mountain regionals
2018 2nd place and Entrepreneur’s Choice at West (Colorado) regionals
2017 2nd place at Silicon Valley regionals
2016 2nd place at West (Colorado) regionals
2015 2nd place at Global Finals
2011 won Silicon Valley regionals
2010 2nd place at Silicon Valley regionals
2009 won Silicon Valley regionals
2008 won Silicon Valley regionals, 2nd place Global Finals
2006 won Global Finals
2004 won Global Finals