Semifinalists selected for the 2017-18 McCloskey New Venture Competition

We are pleased to announce those teams advancing to the semifinal round in the 2018 McCloskey New Venture Competition. These 40 semifinalists will pitch live to a panel of judges on Thursday, April 26, 2018, competing for nearly $300,000 in cash and in-kind prizes.

Here is a list of those teams advancing to the semifinal round, including a public summary for each team.

176 teams entered the McCloskey Competition last November. In December, 156 teams were invited to continue into Round 2 where they began to write their business plans; and finally 40 teams have now been selected to advance to the semifinal round. These semifinalist teams are invited to pitch their new ventures before a distinguished panel of judges on April 26, 2018. From this group of 40 semifinalists, 6 to 8 finalists will be selected and invited to compete LIVE on campus on April 27. These final presentations are open to the public, and will be judged by an elite panel of judges including Shark Tank’s Daymond John, Matt Rogers, cofounder of NEST, and others.

The McCloskey New Venture Competition is intended for traditional entrepreneurial ventures that have not yet been launched or are at the earliest stage of launch. This is typically defined as ventures that have earned less than $500,000 in cumulative revenue, received less than $500,000 in external financing, and have been in operation for less than three years.

We are extremely grateful for the many individuals who have supported the competition. 227 judges and mentors have evaluated these entries and have provided valuable feedback and mentoring. Their commitment of time and effort to support this important entrepreneurial event is invaluable and deeply appreciated.

Please join us for the LIVE final round of judging on Friday, April 27 beginning at 1:30 pm in the Dahnke Ballroom at the Duncan Student Center (adjacent to the football stadium). Hear live presentations from finalists competing for nearly $300,000 in cash and in-kind prizes. All who attend will text to vote for the Sutherland Family People’s Choice Best Presentation Award.

For more information contact the IDEA Center at (574) 631-2499.

Originally published by Karen Slaggert at ideacenter.nd.edu on March 24, 2018.