2009 Headlines
BR Ventures Hosts Annual Cornell Venture Challenge on April 16
Five finalists gain visibility and expert feedback, while competing for $10,000 and 20 hours of free legal help
April 8, 2009 | Ithaca, NY | BR Ventures (BRV), an MBA student-run, early stage venture fund of the Johnson School at Cornell University, today announced that it will host five finalists for the Cornell Venture Challenge (CVC) on April 16, 2009.
The finalists, Bombyx Technologies, Biodynamic Systems, e.c.o. Incorporated, iFyber, LLC, and Sound Reading Solutions, will present their business plans to a panel of prominent industry experts and venture capitalists. Judges include Ralph Terkowitz, General Partner at ABS Capital; Dan Simpkins, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Hillcrest Labs; David Rickerby, Partner at Choate, Hall & Stewart; Leonard Sanders, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst at Kalmar Investments; and Andy Jones, General Partner at Boulder Ventures. In addition to the cash prize and legal help, this year's competition offers a feedback program with venture capitalists.
"The Cornell Venture Challenge is a great opportunity for start ups to demonstrate their businesses to potential investors and the public, while competing for the cash prize," said Caitlin Ramsey Pollak (MBA '09), Special Events Officer for BRV. "At the same time, it's an opportunity for BRV to continue to keep a pulse on the innovations coming from Cornell students and alumni, as well as entrants from outside the University."
The five finalists represent a diverse group of early-stage start ups with unique potential. BRV managers narrowed down this year's highly competitive group of submissions based on market potential, strength of management, and promising innovation. Industries represented by the finalists include, biotechnology, sustainable energy, textiles, consumer products and software.
"BRV revamped this year's competition to focus more deeply on executable business plans," said Hui Dang (MBA '10), Chief Financial Officer and CCTEC Liaison for BRV. "The competition was fierce, with many high potential start ups developed around Cornell technology, as well as technologies coming out of other universities from all over the world. We expect an exciting day of finalist presentations."
The Cornell Venture Challenge is sponsored by the Cornell Business and Technology Park which provides some of the funding for prize money, CCTEC for providing the Cornell Technology Transfer Prize to winners utilizing disclosed intellectual property developed at Cornell, and Palo Alto Software for providing business plan software to all competition entrants. Cornell Venture Challenge finalist presentations will take place on April 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Sage Hall, Room 141. The presentations are open to the public.
About BR Ventures
BR Ventures (BRV) is an MBA student-run, evergreen, early stage venture fund of the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. With over 7 portfolio companies spanning high-tech, healthcare, biotech and sustainable technologies, BRV's investments represent the cutting edge research at Cornell University. BRV is committed to promoting entrepreneurship at Cornell and in the local community. It has several partnerships with prominent angel VC groups in upstate New York and with bigger firms in the Northeastern region of the United States.
www.johnson.cornell.edu/brv
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BR Ventures Contact:
Anna Bruno, Chief Marketing Officer, BR Ventures
alb21@cornell.edu
