The New Venture Competition is an annual student and alumni competition sponsored by Harvard Business School’s Rock Center for Entrepreneurship and the Social Enterprise Initiative.
The 2019 New Venture Competition Student & Alumni Journeys
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Nearly 400 teams from three tracks—alumni, social enterprise, and business—competed in the 2019 Harvard Business School New Venture Competition. Experience their journeys from ideation, pitching, failures (and successes!), pivots, lows and highs, all culminating in the finale event where winners from each track were announced.
Instagram Takeover - Behind-the-Scenes with Valentina Toll Villagra (MS/MBA 2020)
MS/MBA student Valentina Toll Villagra and her co-founder Kyle Dumont founded their startup Allspice in their first year at HBS. Valentina took @hbsadmissions instagram account over for the day for a behind-the-scenes look into the New Venture Competition experience.
The competition is comprised of three tracks:
The Business Track of the New Venture Competition provides a unique opportunity for students to put entrepreneurship principles into practice with an integrative learning experience. The Competition is an exciting, challenging, and rewarding experience whether you are a winner of prizes or if you are simply taking advantage of the learning and can apply it later in your career.
- Grand prize: My Toolbox Technologies
- Runner up: Nom Pot
- Crowd favorite: My Toolbox Technologies
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The Social Enterprise Track provides an opportunity for eligible graduate students across Harvard University to explore social entrepreneurship and test ideas for social innovation in a rigorous and supportive environment. Social Enterprise Track entries may include nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid model business plans.
- Grand prize: Hikma Health
- Runner up: Gramhal
- Crowd favorite: Hikma Health
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The Alumni Track serves as a launch pad for innovative new ventures from HBS alumni, providing access and exposure to potential investors, mentors, and advisors. The annual event is sponsored by the Harvard Business School’s Rock Center for Entrepreneurship and Alumni Clubs & Associations. The competition is open to alumni with early-stage ventures.
- Grand prize: Blueland
- Runner up: X-COR Therapeutics
- Crowd favorite: Blueland
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