Get the most out of CMU VC
Join us for the annual gathering of student entrepreneurs. CMU VC brings together a strong network of resources, including mentorship from serial entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, attorneys, and business leaders. Don't miss out on this awesome event.
Competition Details
All Dates, Prizes, Requirements, and other details for the CMU VC are subject to change. Please check back at this page for the latest information.
Timeline
Application Opens January 1, 2023
Application Deadline March 7, 2023
Finalists Announced March 15, 2023
Demo Day April 8, 2023
Application Deliverables
Preliminary Slide Deck (10 slides max)
Executive Summary (1 page)
Elevator Pitch / Demo (1.5 minutes max)
Final Round
7 - Minute Startup Pitch
5 - Minute Q&A
Unlimited Slides for Startup Pitch
Short description of startup (1-2 sentences)
Eligibility
Submissions should be submitted by an individual or a team of up to five members.
The student entrepreneurs pitching their startups at the CMU VC MUST be undergraduate students. Teams are allowed to have non-undergraduates, but the main founders must be undergraduates. Teams with member(s) taking a leave of absence are still eligible to participate.
Teams must not have raised more than $500K USD in funding from institutional investors, angels, or competitions.
Participants are NOT required to be Carnegie Mellon students. The CMU VC is open to any and all undergraduate students that are currently studying in the United States.
Submissions should be the individual's or team's original work.
Teams must pitch at the final round to receive any prizes for placing Top 10.
CMU VC 2023 Prizes
FIRST PLACE
SECOND PLACE
THIRD PLACE
$3,000 CASH PRIZE
$2,500 LEGAL SERVICES
$5,000 AWS CREDITS
Office Hours with YCombinator
Mentorship by Freshworks
$1,000 in Bubble Credits
Exclusive Hubspot Offerings
$2,000 CASH PRIZE
$1,500 LEGAL SERVICES
$5,000 AWS CREDITS
Office Hours with YCombinator
Mentorship by Freshworks
$1,000 CASH PRIZE
$1,000 LEGAL SERVICES
$5,000 AWS CREDITS
Office Hours with YCombinator
Mentorship by Freshworks
Legal Services Provided by Meyer Unkovic Scott
FOR ALL FINALISTS:
1. Networking Call with Amazon Web Services Start-Ups
2. Hubspot Credits
Access to Free CRM, Sales, Marketing, Service, and Operations tools
Access to Startup pricing - up to $20k in savings on Pro Suite*
Access to HubSpot for Startups Slack Channel
24/7 Customer Support
3. Freshworks Discounts
Save up to 90% on Freshworks’ suite of products!
Boost your startup journey with leading customer engagement solutions from Freshworks including CRM, live chat, support, marketing automation, and ITSM. Save up to $100k over the years, get started today with Freshworks for Startups to get laser-focused support, mentorship and fundraising sessions from our top partners.Offer Details:
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Startups with up to $4M in total funding get 90% off on their 1st year of Freshworks products.
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Startups with more than $4M in total funding get 75% off their 1st year.
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All eligible startups also get 50% off their 2nd year, and 25% off from the 3rd year onwards!
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Only new startups applying to the program can avail the offer. Existing customers and startups on credits are not eligible for the discount.
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The startup should not have raised a Series B round or beyond. Bootstrapped startups are also eligible, provided they meet the other criteria.
Prize Clarifications
BUBBLE CREDITS:
Every member of the winning team is awarded $1,000 in Bubble Credits for 6 months.
HUBSPOT OFFERING FOR WINNING TEAM:
Access to Free CRM, Sales, Marketing, Service, and Operations tools
Access to Startup pricing - up to $20k in savings on Pro Suite*
Access to HubSpot for Startups Slack Channel
24/7 Customer Support
Special Startup pricing for onboarding
90% off HubSpot classroom training
Weekly access to a HubSpot GTM expert for consulting
Access to perk network valued at $80k (reserved for HubSpot for Startups program customers)
$500 credit to spend on LinkedIn ads through HubSpot for Startups
$500 match in ad spend for Google Ads through HubSpot for Startup
* HubSpot for Startups pricing is applicable to net-new Professional or Enterprise level products. Starter level products are excluded, unless bundled with qualifying Professional or Enterprise purchases or upgrades)
Schedule of Events
The CMU Venture Challenge provides a meaningful experience for all attendees. Whether you are pitching your startup, a current student, a recent grad, or well into your career, the CMU VC offers a fun filled day with awesome speakers, an experienced panel, engaging startup pitches, a networking session, and great food! 🍽️
2023 Schedule of Events (EST):
12:00 - 1:00: Vinod Khosla Fireside Chat
1:00 - 3:00: Pitches
3:00 - 3:30: Break
3:30 - 5:30: Pitches
5:30 - 6:30: Lucy Guo Fireside Chat
6:30 - 7:00 Closing Ceremony
7:00 - Networking
Confidentiality | Non-Disclosure Agreements
There is no formal non-disclosure agreement in place for the CMU VC. Participants' executive summaries and business plans will only be seen by the CMU VC planning committee and the judging panel. Neither of those documents will be distributed by the Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Association unless explicit permission is received from the team.
Teams should be aware that the competition is an open event, and we are not able to require audience members to sign non-disclosure agreements. Confidentiality has never presented a problem in the past, and we don't expect any issues to arise from it in the future. Feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.
Photography / Video Policy
We love to take photos during our events and feature awesome startups on our website, affiliated websites, social media platforms, email communications, and other affiliated organizations with the CMU Venture Challenge. If you would like you or your team to NOT be photographed or videoed during the event, please let us know. Please note that no notice may result in photos and/or videos taken during the course of the event that may be repurposed and shared on our various platforms.