Student teams that compete at CMU VC are offered a unique value proposition: exposure, funding, and feedback. Early-stage companies require significant prototyping funds before a working product can materialize. In order to help teams grow from the experience, the CMU VC aims to objectively reward innovative teams with capital, services, and constructive feedback from experts in a variety of technical and legal domains.
For thirteen years, under the Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Association, CMU Venture Challenge has been bringing together brilliant students to launch their ideas, technologies, and talent.
CMU VC offers student entrepreneurs a strong network of resources, including mentorship from serial entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, attorneys, and business leaders. Finalists are invited on an all-expenses paid trip to Pittsburgh for the opportunity to pitch their ventures to a panel of distinguished judges and VCs, hear from industry-leading speakers, network with fellow innovators, and truly push their creations to the limit.
Eligibility
– Submissions should be submitted by an individual or a team of up to five members.
– The student entrepreneurs pitching their startup at the CMU VC MUST be undergraduate students. Teams are allowed to have non-undergraduates, but the main founders must be undergraduates. And Teams with undergraduate member(s) taking a leave of absence are still eligible to participate.
– Raised less than $500K USD in investment.
– Participants are NOT required to be Carnegie Mellon students. The CMU VC is open to any and all undergraduate students in the United States.
– Submissions should be the individual’s or team’s original work.
– Executive Summary (1-2 pages)
– 90 Second Video Pitch
– February 1, 2025: Application Deadline