Launched in 1996, the New Venture Challenge is recognized as one of the top-ranked accelerator programs in the nation. Companies that have been successfully launched through the NVC include household names such as Grubhub, Braintree/Venmo, and Simple Mills.
New Venture Challenge
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COMPANIES
launched still in business
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Billion
funding raised
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Billion
in mergers and exits
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How did Grubhub grow from a startup to a $7 billion food delivery giant? How did Braintree get a jump on the mobile payment market? The founders of those and other successful companies delve into their entrepreneurial journeys in a podcast series to mark the 25th anniversary of the Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge, a top-ranked startup accelerator at the University of Chicago. The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation each week will present an interview with an alum of the program, conducted by professors and mentors. The first episode is an interview with key leaders of the New Venture Challenge to discuss its evolution and the secrets to its success.