New Venture Challenge
About the program · 1 linked sources
New Venture Challenge
The New Venture Challenge is a multi-round competition. The page says teams can win a share of more than $200,000 and pitch at the Boulder Theater. It is open to CU Boulder students, faculty, and staff, with a narrow recent-alumni and IP-license path.
Also known as: NVC
How we know this: the figures on this page come from the linked sources (last verified 2026-10-08); what those sources do not state is left unknown.
Key numbers
Funding range
$200,000
Equity
Varies by investment
Application
Annual
Campus Wide
Last activity
2026-04-22
High confidence
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Reminders
New Venture Challenge
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Student experiences · Read or add a note
Student notes
New Venture Challenge
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Application and Timing
The captured page says registration opens “Tuesday, November 18.” November 18, 2025 was a Tuesday, and November 18, 2026 is a Wednesday, so that line is the 2025 date. It is unconfirmed for a later cycle and is not listed as an upcoming event. The same capture lists a venture registration deadline of Friday, February 6, at 3 p.m. MT, and finals on Wednesday, April 22, 6:30–9 p.m., at the Boulder Theater. Those weekdays match 2026, and the April 22, 2026 finals date is already past.
Participants
As of February 6, at least one founder with at least 10 percent ownership must be a current CU Boulder student or employee, or have graduated after November 1, 2025, or the company must have an IP option or license with the university. Nonprofits are encouraged.
Funding and Equity
The lead sentence says more than $200,000. The timeline on the same page says a share of $275,000 at registration and more than $270,000 at finals. Equity terms for prizes are not stated. funding_max records the lead figure only.
Recent Activity
The compete page was live on 2026-10-08. The “Tuesday, November 18” registration line is the 2025 weekday and is unconfirmed for a later cycle.
Known Startups or Winners
Specdrums is described on the Catalyze CU page as the 2018 NVC winner and a later Sphero acquisition.
Research gaps & things to verify
Verification Gaps
The three dollar figures on one page are not reconciled. Prize equity terms are not stated.
Additional research notesShow
Evidence
This note is researched from the public page https://www.colorado.edu/nvc/compete/general-competition, observed 2026-10-08. It is an unclaimed directory listing, not a school-verified or director-verified record.
News & articles
News articles and official sources documenting New Venture Challenge at University of Colorado Boulder.
1 source
