On Friday, January, 26th, 2024, TrueLeap Inc had the honor of participating in the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) as one of the three featured startups. This event, hosted by the Jones School of Business at Rice University offered a unique opportunity for us to showcase our vision and solutions to both student VCs and seasoned VCs in the field.
Image credit: Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
Global VCIC is the world’s largest venture capital competition with over 120 university and graduate school teams competing. It is a global educational program designed to provide students with hands-on experience in venture capital and early-stage investing. Established in 1998, VCIC has evolved into a marketplace for entrepreneurs seeking investors and a training ground for future venture capitalists. Each year, VCIC includes 50+ events on four continents, serving over 1,500 students and 150 venture capitalists.
Image credit: Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
The competition brings together highly selective teams from top universities worldwide. These teams engage in the real-world practice of assessing startups, simulating the roles of venture capitalists. The South Regional Final hosted at Rice University, featured eight premier universities such as Carnegie Mellon, highlighting the event’s competitive and prestigious nature.
Our presentation to this bright and insightful group of student VCs was a unique chance to see our company through the lens of potential investors. The interaction was both challenging and rewarding, with intense Q&A sessions that pushed us to explore deeper aspects of our pitch and business model. The thoughtful and probing questions from the students allowed us to articulate our vision and strategy with greater clarity and conviction.
Image credit: Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
We extend our deepest appreciation to the Houston venture capital community, who participated as judges in the event. Their presence added significant value, providing us with constructive feedback and actionable insights. Their support for the startup ecosystem, mentorship to students, and guidance to aspiring VCs are commendable and critical to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
We congratulate all the student teams and express our gratitude to the organizers, Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, and Jones Graduate School of Business at the Rice Business for inviting us to be part of such an impactful event. This experience has been invaluable for TrueLeap Inc, providing us with both recognition and insightful feedback.
Image credit: Trueleap
As we move forward, we are more motivated than ever to pursue our mission of revolutionizing education through technology, building on the insights learned and connections made at the VCIC.
