New Venture Competition 2026
50
Days Left
to Enter

The New Venture Competition (NVC) is an annual multi-round pitch competition designed to provide early-stage startups the opportunity to win seed funding for their ventures. This competition is exclusively for BU student-led startups in the seed, startup, or early growth stages.

NVC 2026 Fast Facts:

  • Two tracks: General and Social Impact.
  • Open to current BU students and alumni who have graduated within one year.
  • Made up of three rounds that take place between February and April, 2026. All competition events are expected to take place in person.

All participants are connected with Innovate@BU’s resources including coaching, founder and team skill-building, media exposure, and more.

This competition is appropriate for ventures of any kind (technology or non-technology based, for-profit or non-profit) that are developing meaningful solutions to address large, important, and unmet needs and demonstrate potential to turn the idea into a scalable venture.

If you have questions about the application, please contact the application administrator, sahniad@bu.edu.

 

Please read the rules carefully. Innovate@BU reserves the right to verify submitted information and disqualify any entry with inaccurate or fabricated details.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Team: A team can consist of one or more members but at least one founding team member must be a current BU student (undergraduate or graduate) or an alum who graduated within the past year (2025 alumni).This person must be a co-founder or hold a key management role, actively contribute to developing the business, and be a main presenter if the venture advances to subsequent rounds. This person must also take part as one of the main presenters in each round of competition
  • Funding & Revenue Limitations: Your startup has not raised more than $250,000 in funding/grants or has not generated more than $250,000 in revenues.
  • Participation: Each team may only apply with one idea and compete in one track. If your startup had already applied in previous years, your team is allowed to apply again as long as you have not won first, second, or third place in a previous New Venture Competition.
  • Ideas Presented: Teams must apply with an original idea and agree to not violate any contract or third party rights including any patent, copyright, trade secret, proprietary or confidential information, trademark, publicity or privacy rights. *For currently enrolled BU PhD students: this competition is intended for ideas & creative work outside of your thesis work 
  • Submission Requirement: The application must be submitted by a BU student or Class of 2025 alum who is the founder/co-founder and will act as the primary team contact. 

 

Requirements and Agreements

By entering and competing, you confirm that:

  • You meet the eligibility criteria
  • You are in compliance with all BU and/or Campus Housing policies regarding operating a venture on campus
  • Your pitch presentation will be submitted electronically to the competition organizers
  • All team members will be present for semi-final and final rounds of presentations for their track and Innovators Night 
  • The application should be submitted by the Boston University student or Class of 2025 alumni who is the founder/co-founder of the venture and will act as the primary team contact during the competition.Teams may include non-BU members as long as the above requirements are met.
  • You will be responsive within 48 hours to emails about competition logistics, including locations, dates, and submission deadlines.
  • Grant permission to Innovate@BU and Boston University to use photos, videos, likenesses, and presentations for promotional and informational purposes

 

You acknowledge by signing the participant agreement that the ideas and concepts of this proposed business, as presented in your pitch, are the original work of the venture team. All team members agree to comply with the rules and guidelines of the New Venture Competition. Contestants are responsible for all copyright, trademark, and patent issues.