Finalists prepare pitches for New Venture Challenge Championship

After months of brainstorming, envisioning and bringing their ideas to light, five teams have made it to the New Venture Challenge Championship, to be held Thursday, April 6.

On the line are recognition, $25,000 in prizes, and a $50,000-investment prize backed by some of Boulder's most notable entrepreneurs. This is an energetic, fun-filled event and opportunity to see the CU Boulder entrepreneurial spirit in action.

The New Venture Challenge (NVC) is a signature program of the campus-wide Innovation & Entrepreneurship initiative, which coordinates and spearheads a range of campus efforts that encourage a problem-solving mindset and connect the campus with the local and regional entrepreneurial communities.

Now in its ninth year, the NVC provides an experiential adventure in entrepreneurship consisting of workshops, mentoring sessions with experienced entrepreneurs and the opportunity for teams to pitch their ideas for the next big thing.

Past participants have leveraged the program's resources to take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey, including acceptance into prestigious programs such as the NSF I-Corps, Catalyze CU and Techstars and an appearance on Shark Tank. Participating teams must have a CU Boulder affiliation.

The ninth annual championship will be held at the University of Colorado Law School and is open to the campus and the public. Doors open at 5 p.m. Online registration will close at 9 a.m. on Thursday, though walk-in registration is welcome.