Are you bursting with ideas? Have you developed a new technology? Are you thinking about entrepreneurship as an alternative career path? In short - do you have an idea you would like to turn into a business?
Irrespective of whether or not you participated in Phase I, everyone is free to enter Phase II.
Sign up now and submit your business plan by March 31, 2010
Save the date!
Women@Venture Workshop on April 27 in Lausanne. More Information soon!
Winners of the first phase
On January 14 the first Awards Ceremony of Venture 2010 took place. The event offered the opportunity to meet the 10 winning teams and their ideas (video, photos). To know more about the winners click here.
Watch the Venture movie
Hear from the organizers of Venture about the origin and mission of the competition and learn from past Venture finalists how they profited from the program in this 8-minute video.
Phase II "Business plan" has started
During phase II of Venture 2010 participating teams prepare a systematic, presentation-ready business plan for their business idea. The business plan helps an investor to, for example, make decisions about a potential investment in the business. When you register for phase II you will have access to the following:
Professional coaching: Profit from competent and free coaching.
Workshops: Participate in several free workshops (Marketing, Financing, Business Plan Booster) where you will work closely with coaches to improve every aspect of your business plan. The registration deadline for all workshops is January 14, 2010.
Investors Day: Present your business idea to investors. More detailed information will follow.
Detailed feedback and prize money: Profit from the highly qualified feedback of our jurors and, last but not least, you could win a share of the total prize money for the best business plan.
Even if you did not participate in phase I, you may still enter the competition in phase II. The submission deadline for the business plan is March 31, 2010. Further details on the process of phase II can be found here.
200 submissions in Phase One!
Phase One of Venture 2010 is over! The submission deadline has passed and 200 participating teams sent us their ideas. Now, it’s time for the jury to get to work – each project that was registered with the Venture Office will be reviewed and evaluated in the coming weeks. We will honor the ten best ideas at the first awards ceremony on January 14, 2010 starting at 1800 o’clock at the ETH Zurich, Audimax (F30). All members of the Venture community are invited to attend.
Anyone interested in developing a business idea into a full business plan or who missed the deadline for phase one and wants to participate in phase two is welcome to join Venture 2010. Phase two commences immediately and offers the following opportunities: professional coaching, theme-specific workshops to discuss various aspects of the business plan, an investors' day and detailed feedback from the jury. The top ten business plans will win cash prizes and attract the attention of media and investors. Details on the process of phase two can be found here.
Venture 2010 gets underway!
Venture 2010 has officially started! More than 350 VIPs, executives, politicians, coaches, investors and of course many young entrepreneurs attended the kickoff events in Zurich and Lausanne. At both events, representatives of ETHZ and EPFL as well as members of our Advisory Board talked about future areas of innovation. In addition, former winners shared their experiences. Mark Blum, COO of Optotune, encouraged students to start their own company, "even if you fail, which is the normal case, you gain a lot of valuable experience". And André Mercanzini, CTO of Aleva Neurotherapeutics, told young entrepreneurs to "start small, think big, move fast" and to "fail early, and fail often".
Former Venture finalist acquired for up to USD 590 million
We congratulate ESBATech, Venture 1998 finalist. The biotech company was sold to Alcon for up to USD 590 million. Read the press release and an article in the NZZ.
Venture is back!
On October 1, 2009 the success story that is Venture returned to the spotlight for its seventh edition. Venture 2010, the business plan competition sponsored by McKinsey & Company, ETH Zurich and, for the first time, by our new partner CTI, thereby got underway. We are calling on all existing and aspiring entrepreneurs to register and participate in one of the first and by now largest business plan competitions in Switzerland - and to turn their idea into their business.
What is Venture? It is a competition, an inspiration-generator and a support network, all rolled into one. The first of its two phases is all about your business idea. Tell us who you are, what your idea is and why the world needs your invention - and we will help you make the most out of it. Phase Two focuses on the business plan. You develop your idea into a full-fledged business plan and thereby lay the foundation for attracting future investors.
The competition offers not only over CHF 150,000 in prizes but more importantly the chance to learn from experienced coaches, participate in workshops and network with potential investors and your peers.
The full schedule of Venture events can be found here.
Join us in the adventure of entrepreneurship. Venture 2010 – turning your idea into your business.
Meet other members of the Venture community on
Advisory
Board/sponsors Well-known Swiss
companies and institutions financially support Venture 2010. Senior personalities from these companies are involved as
advisors, speakers and jurors. >>
