Frederik Helso

Venture Capital Investment Competition Denmark

The Venture Capital Investment Competition® began in the middle of the technology bubble in 1998 as an educational event for MBAs to learn about venture funding. Today, VCIC is the world's largest venture capital competition with over 70 events in three continents, and serving more than 1,000 students, 150 venture capitalists and 100 entrepreneurs. Furthermore, VCIC has evolved into a marketplace for entrepreneurs seeking investors and a training ground for future venture capitalists. The program is akin to a network of mini-venture fairs, wherein about a quarter of the entrepreneurs who present go on to raise venture funding "We are focused on teaching students about financing new ventures, and the most effective way to do that is to expose them to the best deals and investors. Lucky for us, the best entrepreneurs and VCs like to meet each other, too." How viable? About 25% go on to raise venture capital after participating at VCIC, remarkable considering that most of these events occurred post-bubble, including a dismal one-out-of-30 in 2002. At the finals, 2 of 5 go on to get funded. The organizers of VCIC are quick to point out that the mission of the program is educational, not commercial, and none of the deals are known to have been initiated at a VCIC event.