VENTURE CUP MOTIVATOR
VENTURE CUP IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION STRIVING TO HELP AND INSPIRE YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS WITH ACCESS TO ADVISORS, WORKSHOPS, COMPETITIONS AND NETWORKS.
A SAMPLE OF SUCCESS STORIES Many of the Venture Cup Alumni form teams from different areas of study, across educational institutions in Denmark. Facilitated by Venture Cup, they come together through their innovative ideas and work extremely hard, using their complementary skill sets to develop their initial ideas further. The following pages contain a sample of recent success stories that grew from a variety of ideas: from paperless consumerism to antiseptic shaving foam. The common thread in these cases is the team’s ability to create value - whether economic or social - from academic knowledge. We chose to share the featured cases with you in the hope that they will inspire you to nurture your own ideas... To all potential student entrepreneurs out there: You never know where tapping into Venture Cup’s entrepreneurial network could take you!
VENTURE CUP IS KNOWN FOR ITS IDEA AND STARTUP COMPETITIONS, WHICH INCLUDE 5 CATEGORIES: • • • • •
Cleantech & Environment Life Science & Medtech Mobile & Web People & Society Product & Technology
Participants receive feedback from qualified jury members and gain access to an extensive network of advisors, investors, industry experts and serial entrepreneurs.
IDEA COMPETITION Participants can win 25.000 DKK in each of the 5 categories. This competition focuses on idea originality, early stage business development and scalability. To enter, describe your business idea in 2 to 3 pages and submit before the deadline in the fall.
STARTUP COMPETITION Participants can win 50.000 DKK in each of the 5 categories with an additional 200.000 DKK for the overall most promising startup. This competition focuses on innovation, strength of business case, team diversity, startup potential and implementation strategy, including growth opportunities. To enter, submit a business plan of up to 15 pages before the deadline in the spring.
The CTS Wristband The CTS Wristband won the Life Science & Medtech category with technology that helps people with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome develop muscle memory for correct hand positioning. CTS is the number one reported medical problem in the US, and accounts for Âą 50% of all work-related injuries. The CTS Wristband can help to prevent and heal CTS by using a vibrations pattern to alert the user whenever an incorrect hand position is used. Winner of the Life Science & Medtech category in the Venture Cup Startup Competition 2012! Aarhus University
BON APP’etit BON APP’etit is an app to reduce the number of paper receipts, by exchanging them with a monitor with a QR code. Consumers can then scan their receipts with a smartphone and upload them directly to Dropbox or their preferred budgeting site. The solution is environmentally friendly, as it keeps stores from wasting reams of paper every year on printing receipts, which in most cases just get thrown out anyway. University of Southern Denmark
Ruby Cup Girls and women in developing countries face many challenges when dealing with their monthly cycle. Sanitary pads and other menstrual hygiene products are often unavailable or too expensive, resulting in absenteeism from school or work each month. The Ruby Cup is a biodegradable menstrual hygiene product that can be re-used for up to ten years. It is priced to be affordable to consumers in BoP markets and is currently sold woman to woman in Kenya, creating local employment. Simultaneously, the cup is sold at a higher price worldwide on the Internet, creating aspirational brand value, increases both demand and acceptability from low-income segments, while financially supporting the market outreach. People & Society category and overall winner of the Venture Cup Startup Competition 2012! Copenhagen Business School
NAVINAC 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired. In a time where modern technology has helped ease many tasks for people with limited eyesight, the majority still describe navigation for locomotive purposes as being their single most limiting and disabling problem. NAVINAC is a system designed to solve these navigational challenges. NAVINAC uses a 3D camera and a mechanical array of needle pins, which can move up and down to allow accurate internal visualization of obstacles in the immediate environment - enabling users to navigate freely. Winner of the Life Science & Medtech category in the Venture Cup Idea Competition 2012! University of Copenhagen
BUCKY’o’ZUN
By incorporating ozone into a component, Bucky’o’Zun created the first technology in the world to protect 99.99% against all UV-radiation. The ozone components can be used in suntan lotion, enabling it to prevent skin cancer. Apart from skin care, this new technology can be used as a UV-shield in a large variety of products, like protective coating for cars, plastics, wooden materials and textiles. 2011 winner of the Life Science & Medtech category in the Venture Cup Idea Competition; Connect Denmark Award; Intel Challenge Western Europe; Global Intel Challenge Young Innovator Prize; and recipient of 2.6 million DKK funding! Aarhus University
IRSee
Only a narrow part of the light spectrum is visible to the human eye. IRSee is a technology platform enabling visualization of “invisible� light. The final product is an add-on for a visible light camera, which can be easily attached and tuned to display chemicals in a specific wavelength range. The camera is thus able to acquire images of mid-infrared radiation. This technology can be used in remote sensing of gasses, or in cancer diagnostics to distinguish cancerous from healthy tissue. Finalists in the Product & Technology category of the Venture Cup Startup Competition 2012; third place in Intel Business Challenge Europe 2012! Technical University of Denmark
ShaveSafe ShaveSafe is a revolutionary shaving foam that effectively cleanses the skin to avoid itching, razor bumps and ingrown hairs. The foam is antiseptic, antibacterial and contains no perfume.
CASE 7
ShaveSafe can be applied on the entire body for shaving and waxing, as well as permanent hair removal. With ShaveSafe, you get a closer, smoother shave, and the razor is left clean and free of bacteria. Nominated for “Best new product� at Danish Grooming Awards in 2012! Roskilde University
VENTURE CUP STATS
21.500+ STUDENTS FACED EACH YEAR
26%
ANNUAL COMPETITION ENTRY INCREASE RATE
3.000+ JURY / ADVISOR HOURS
200+
ALUMNI COMPANIES
1.150 JOBS CREATED
625m
YEARLY ALUMNI CO. REVENUE
OUR SPONSORS Roskilde Universitet
THE EUROPEAN UNION The European Social Fund
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