Chicago Booth's Venture Capital Investment Competition

The Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) is a student-run winter quarter event coordinated by the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital (EVC) group and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

The purpose of the VCIC is to give students the experience of thinking and acting as venture capitalists and to identify top students to represent Chicago Booth at the regional and national intercollegiate competitions. Playing the role of venture capitalists during the competition, students interact with real-life entrepreneurs and have the opportunity to be evaluated by actual investors. The competition is targeted to Chicago students, but it offers all attendees invaluable networking opportunities.

Chicago Booth's Venture Capital Investment Competition began in 2005 under the leadership of faculty coordinator Scott Meadow. Already in the first year, the winning Chicago Booth team placed first in the regional competition and proceeded to place third in the national competition.

Between 2005 and 2011, Chicago Booth teams won the regional competition five times, crediting Chicago Booth's VCIC with being an essential tool for their success. In 2009, the Chicago Booth team secured the coveted "Entrepreneur's Choice" award at the national competition. In 2010, for the first time ever, the Chicago Booth team won first place in the national competition, being crowned as international champions. The 2011 team placed second at the national competition.