SDSU students Brad Chisum, left, and Nick Rhea, grand prize winners at the Global Moot Corp. Competition

San Diego Business Journal, 5/28/2007

Business Plan Competitions

SDSU has regularly attended, competed and won the top prize at several competitions that may include:

• MOOT Corp. at The University of Texas, Austin
• The New Venture Championship at The University of Oregon
• The Southwest Business Plan Competition at Rice University
• and SDSU's own Venture Challenge

Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC)

The Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) is the nation's premiere strategy competition for venture-minded and entrepreneurial MBA students. The VCIC Weekend is a two-day event designed for eight teams of five students each. Also participating are five entrepreneurs seeking funding and a panel of ten venture capitalists who act as judges. Each team plays the role of a hypothetical venture capital firm whose job is to evaluate the available investment options (the five entrepreneurs) and decide where to place their money.

Teams read business plans, meet CEOs, conduct an abbreviated due diligence and summarize all of their analysis in an investment strategy that they pitch to the panel of judges. Students use quantitative skills to evaluate business plans accounting, finance, operations, marketing, organizational behavior, strategy, etc. Qualitative skills are tested during presentations and Q&A sessions from building a rapport with entrepreneurs to confidently presenting and defending strategies to VC professionals. Lastly, teamwork and strategy are essential to handle the concentrated workload.

The VCIC competition consists of the following:

1. Evaluate Business Plans
2. Watch CEO Pitches
3. Interrogate CEOs
4. Make investment decision
5. Present to Venture Capitalists
6. Get Grilled
7. Get feedback from judges

LEARN MORE ABOUT VCIC AT WWW.VCIC.UNC.EDU.

If you would like to represent SDSU at a VCIC competition and believe you have the venture capital instincts, please email bschroeder@emc.sdsu.edu.