Have an entrepreneurial idea that you think has real potential? Interested in seeing how your idea stacks up against those from student innovators at other top research universities? The InVenture Prize is a chance to turn your idea into a real solution and compete against other students at UNC and the Atlantic Coast Conference to show why your idea rises to the top. This innovation competition begins at UNC as the Innovate Carolina InVenture Prize, which  is sponsored by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development. It is open to current undergraduate students at UNC-Chapel Hill and recent graduates who hold bachelor’s degrees.

Students can work independently or as a team to present their innovation project, prototype or venture to a panel of judges at Carolina. If you advance to the next round, you will be eligible for funding to support your prototype, receive one-on-one coaching from community experts and then represent UNC at a larger-scale competition: the third-annual ACC Inventure Prize event, which is hosted at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. At this stage, you compete against the top student innovators from the 14 other ACC schools.

Participating in the InVenture Prize prepares you for your professional and academic future by providing an opportunity to practice your skills in teamwork, leadership, project development, business plan creation, public speaking and network creation. You will also become prepared to enter into additional competitions for business plans and innovative projects.