The Venture Catalyst Challenge tasks Imperial students with turning their ideas into new technologies, products and businesses.
The Venture Catalyst Challenge (VCC) is Imperial College London's flagship entrepreneurial competition. From addressing avoidable blindness to autonomous vehicles, the competition has led to many successful startups that are tackling some of society's biggest challenges.
Run by Imperial Enterprise Lab, the VCC is powered by Blenheim Chalcot – the UK's leading digital venture builder. It provides access to an intensive seven weeks of masterclasses, coaching, and meetings with experts, before pitching in front of a live audience for funding to support their businesses. This year's competition is bigger than ever, with £90,000 of prize money up for grabs.
The VCC is made up of five tracks:
- Creative & Consumer
- Digital & Fintech – sponsored by Santander Universities
- Energy & Environment
- Health & Wellbeing – sponsored by P&G Ventures
- Robotics & AI – sponsored by Amazon Robotics
Two new prizes have also been introduced this year in order to award a larger number of teams competing in the programme.
- Moonshot Prize – sponsored by Air Asia
A £10,000 prize to be awarded to one of the competing teams, to reward a team that is challenging the status quo and pushing the boundaries of innovation.
- Social Impact Prize – sponsored by Grosvenor
A £10,000 prize to be awarded to one of the competing teams, to recognise and raise the profile of Imperial teams seeking to make a positive impact on the world.
