MEET TALENTS WORLDWIDE
University Startup
World Cup 2021
The best impact based university startups from around the world come together to network, learn, grow and pitch for a chance of becoming the world’s best university startup!
University Startup
World Cup 2021
The best university startups from around the world come together to network, exhibit and pitch for a chance to become the world’s best university startup!
Deadline / 13.06.2021
100 brilliant impact
based startups are
coming together!
Check out the first round of finalists!
A bit more about us
Recommend
to others
Startups every year
Finalists participating
Partners
Regions represented
Students reached
A community of
the best university
startups worldwide
Venture Cup Denmark hosted the first University Startup World Cup back in 2015 with startups from all around the world. The startups reached millions of readers worldwide, met some of the largest companies in Denmark and won big cash prizes.
But what really matters is the international network participants achieve. The goal is to feature the best university startups worldwide, help them grow and expand.
And while here, check out a bit more about us
Recommend
to others
Startups
every year
Finalists participating
Partners
present
Regions
represented
Students
reached
Let us know more about who you are
You’re a part of a startup with two co-founders and at least one of them is affiliated to a University (or a recent graduate within 2 years). Your startup is either early stage or growth stage (see definition in FAQ).
Your startup is working towards making an impact in the world. You feel like you have a potential to do great things and want a platform to help you reach your goals. You want to be part of a network of international student entrepreneurs. Finally, you see all of the the possibilities of meeting with key players from the Chinese startup ecosystem and expanding your network.
Let us know more
about who are you
In order to compete, you should be :
- part of a startup with two co-founders and at least one of them is affiliated to a University (or a recent graduate within 2 years).
- Your startup is either early stage or growth stage (see definition in FAQ).
Your startup is working towards making an impact in the world. You feel like you have a potential to do great things. You want to be part of international student entrepreneurs network. Finally, you see all of the the possibilities of meeting with key players from the Chinese startup ecosystem .
"Winning USWC 2020 gave us an opportunity to present our solution on a global stage"
Epiclay
Overall Winner of 2020 Early Stage. Epiclay makes urban areas more liveable and healthy for its inhabitants by creating a modular green wall system, which can be implemented easily on facades.
"Winning USWC 2020 gave us an opportunity to present our solution on a global stage"
Epiclay
Overall Winner of 2020 Early Stage. Epiclay makes urban areas more liveable and healthy for its inhabitants by creating a modular green wall system, which can be implemented easily on facades.
F A Q
You will be pitching for 4 min so we encourage you to practice as much as possible.
You will have the opportunity to meet the other startups, investors, mentors and experts in your field of business.
Early Stage
All 4 category winners will receive 1000 USD each
Overall winner will receive 15,000 USD + 1,000 USD from winning the category.
Growth Stage
All 4 category winners will receive 1000 USD each
Overall winner will receive 15,000 USD + 1,000 USD from winning the category.
Competitors should not assume any right of confidentiality to any information presented or discussed in public sessions. Please be aware that members of the media, potential competitors, and members of the financial community may attend public sessions. All judges, jury and VC staff sign a confidentiality agreement.
By participating in the competition, competitors agree that Venture Cup assumes no liability and shall have no liability or obligation whatsoever for disclosures of information provided by a competitor as part of a submission or othe
Click this link and fill out the form, a team member will get back to you.
As long as there are students within the teams, any University and Hub can apply to become a Partner. All you have to do is email our project manager at [email protected] to see if you qualify.
You fill in the application on YouNoodle and upload the Business Plan Template and your video.
All teams must have at least one university student (or recent graduate within 2 years) as a Founder or Co-Founder. One of the Founders must attend the finals.
Early Stage
- Focused on product development and market research
- Product is introduced to early beta customers for testing and feedback.
- Typically cash-constrained and seeking its first outside investors through family, friends, and angel investors.
- Small team that is looking to add competencies and resources.
Growth Stage
- Established product/concept which has successfully tested its initial market and learned where and how to move next.
- May be cash flow positive and introducing its product into tangential markets.
- Has had initial investment and is looking to initiate new rounds of funding.
- Solid team with competencies and resources to execute on the Business Plan.
- Has a patent, patent pending or other means of protecting the business model.
- Has a scalable business model and is actively looking to scale.
- Can I pre-record my pitch for the semi-finals? Yes, we highly suggest doing it this way. Please note you must use your pitch deck. Your internet connection will be crucial here as you will be sharing your screen and pressing play.
- How long is the pitch? 4 min
- How many people should pitch? We suggest one person who has the best handle of the English language
- Are there key recommendations? We highly suggest adding subtitles if you are pre-recording. If you choose to do it live, we suggest practicing it to the 4 min mark and speaking clearly so the judges understand you well 👉 this can make or break your chance of moving into the next round.
- Can all team members be present? Yes, we suggest all team members be present with the camera on and be ready on standby to answer questions the judges may have.
- Can we present a commercial video? We suggest sticking to the usual business pitching format for the 4 min pitch
- What are the main criterias the judges will be grading on? All of it is important but of course emphasis on your; customer pain / problem description, customer segmentation, business model, idea, impact measurements, team and future timeline are always highlighted.
Please find the workshops here:
“Impact is no longer a yes or no” workshop
“Be Prepared to Inspire any person as an investor at any moment” workshop
“Circular Entrepreneurship” workshop
“Trends and Strategy” workshop
“Authentic Storytelling with Impact” workshop
Semifinal pitches online
8 finalists pitch online
Award show in China
Thinking about
becoming a partner?
The partners we work with will get promotion on our website, social media, and print. They will also be invited to event, where accommodation and some food will be covered.
In return, the Partner will nominate at least 3 teams that will still need to go through the application process. They will also promote the event on their own channels.
FAQ for the curious
What should I prepare
You will be pitching for 4 min so we encourage you to practice as much as possible.
What are the prizes?
Early Stage
All 4 category winners will receive 1000 USD each
Overall winner will receive 15,000 USD + 1,000 USD from winning the category.
Growth Stage
All 4 category winners will receive 1000 USD each
Overall winner will receive 15,000 USD + 1,000 USD from winning the category.
Is my idea protected?
Competitors should not assume any right of confidentiality to any information presented or discussed in public sessions. Please be aware that members of the media, potential competitors, and members of the financial community may attend public sessions. All judges, jury and VC staff sign a confidentiality agreement.
By participating in the competition, competitors agree that Venture Cup assumes no liability and shall have no liability or obligation whatsoever for disclosures of information provided by a competitor as part of a submission or otherwise during the course of the competitions.
How do I nominate the startup?
Click this link and fill out the form, a team member will get back to you.
Who can become a partner?
As long as there are students within the teams, any University and Hub can apply to become a Partner. All you have to do is email our project manager at [email protected] to see if you qualify.
Where can I see the previous workshops?
Please find the workshops here:
How do partners submit the team?
All teams nominated by partners must still fill in the application form on YouNoodle. In June, our team will reach out to you and confirm your nominated teams.
How do I apply?
You fill in the application on YouNoodle and upload the Business Plan Template and your video.
Do members have to be students?
All teams must have at least one university student (or recent graduate within 2 years) as a Founder or Co-Founder. One of the Founders must attend the finals.
What is early & growth stage?
Early Stage
- Focused on product development and market research
- Product is introduced to early beta customers for testing and feedback.
- Typically cash-constrained and seeking its first outside investors through family, friends, and angel investors.
- Small team that is looking to add competencies and resources.
Growth Stage
- Established product/concept which has successfully tested its initial market and learned where and how to move next.
- May be cash flow positive and introducing its product into tangential markets.
- Has had initial investment and is looking to initiate new rounds of funding.
- Solid team with competencies and resources to execute on the Business Plan.
- Has a patent, patent pending or other means of protecting the business model.
- Has a scalable business model and is actively looking to scale.
What are the semifinals details?
- Can I pre-record my pitch for the semi-finals? Yes, we highly suggest doing it this way. Please note you must use your pitch deck. Your internet connection will be crucial here as you will be sharing your screen and pressing play.
- How long is the pitch? 4 min
- How many people should pitch? We suggest one person who has the best handle of the English language
- Are there key recommendations? We highly suggest adding subtitles if you are pre-recording. If you choose to do it live, we suggest practicing it to the 4 min mark and speaking clearly so the judges understand you well 👉 this can make or break your chance of moving into the next round.
- Can all team members be present? Yes, we suggest all team members be present with the camera on and be ready on standby to answer questions the judges may have.
- Can we present a commercial video? We suggest sticking to the usual business pitching format for the 4 min pitch
- What are the main criterias the judges will be grading on? All of it is important but of course emphasis on your; customer pain / problem description, customer segmentation, business model, idea, impact measurements, team and future timeline are always highlighted.
“Impact is no longer a yes or no” workshop
“Be Prepared to Inspire any person as an investor at any moment” workshop
“Circular Entrepreneurship” workshop
“Trends and Strategy” workshop
“Authentic Storytelling with Impact” workshop
Semifinal pitches online
8 finalists pitch online
Award show in China
Thinking about becoming a partner?
Venture Cup Denmark works closely with Partners worldwide, who are usually universities or organisations that focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, and startups. The Partner will get promotion on our website, social media, and in print.
They will also be invited to attend the event, where accommodation and some food will be covered. In return, the Partner will nominate at least 3 teams that will still need to go through the application process. They will also promote the event on their own channels.
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