Global New Venture Challenge Announces 7 Finalists Competing for Investments

GNVC 2024 winner Investable

Seven teams have been selected for the 18th annual Global New Venture Challenge (GNVC) finals, taking place on Friday, June 6th. 

The GNVC is a track of the top-ranked Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge and is designed exclusively for Chicago Booth’s executive MBA students worldwide. It debuted in 2008 to accommodate the growing entrepreneurial aspirations of Booth’s executive MBA students on each of its three global campuses — Chicago, Hong Kong, and London.

>> Register to attend the finals event here

Each year the GNVC brings together more than 80 alumni and members of the business community to serve as coaches, judges, panelists, and guest speakers. Twenty teams were selected to compete in three different semifinals, which were held at each global campus. The seven selected finalists will face off in Chicago on June 6th and present their ventures in person to a panel of distinguished judges to compete for investments.

This year’s GNVC finalists are:

Chicago

• Home Base // Home Base provides homeowners with a full service home maintenance product and service. Its offerings in full-service home maintenance includes a personalized maintenance subscription plan, on-demand services and repair, and small projects. It is done through a single point of contact for a seamless homeownership experience.
• Prevant // Prevant simplifies healthcare navigation by empowering users to maximize underutilized insurance benefits and access preventative care. Through personalized insights, geolocation-based provider connections, and intuitive recommendations, the platform addresses decision fatigue and fosters proactive health management, delivering a streamlined, patient-centered experience, improving health outcomes and reduces costs for all stakeholders.
• Zoomies Dog Park // Zoomies Dog Park, Houston’s first subscription-based dog social club, offers 25,000+ sq. ft. of off-leash turf, shaded areas, daycare, food services, live entertainment, and events. Open late, it ensures safety with vaccinated, assessed dogs and aims to be the ultimate hub for canine needs and exceptional amenities for dog parents.

Hong Kong

• Athena Investment Terminal // Athena is an intelligent financial terminal to help investment managers and advisors maximize their firm’s collective knowledge and make better investment decisions.
• NeuroUnleash // NeuroUnleash empowers neurodivergent individuals and those with mental health conditions to build meaningful careers by offering corporate consulting, tailored training programs, and employment support services. It creates inclusive workplaces, fosters personal growth, and connects talent with opportunities, driving diversity while unlocking hidden potential across industries.

London

• AxionGuard // AxionGuard brings advanced endpoint protection, detection, and response to small and medium-size businesses, enabling them to defend against evolving cyber threats without the need for in-house security expertise or an increase in IT budget.
• Kivira // Kivira is an AI-driven precision psychiatry platform that delivers faster, more accurate mental health diagnostics and connects patients with the right specialists. Its solution streamlines diagnosis, enhances treatment outcomes, and integrates with providers to address the mental health crisis through personalized, scalable, and accessible care.

The GNVC finals pitches and awards announcement will be streamed live. To view the livestream, you must register.

The Global New Venture Challenge (GNVC) is the dedicated track of the Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge program that supports Chicago Booth Executive MBA students worldwide. Second-year students in the Chicago Booth Executive MBA program are eligible to apply to the GNVC and participate as one of their capstone course requirements. The program is run by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in collaboration with the Executive MBA program at Chicago Booth. To learn more about the Global New Venture Challenge click here.