Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge (NVC)

Launched in 1996, the Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge (NVC) is recognized as one of the top-ranked accelerator programs in the nation. Through the NVC, the Polsky Center has graduated more than 600+ startup companies and created thousands of jobs for the economy.

Most other business schools and graduate entrepreneurship programs host a single-day or weekend business plan competition as their New Venture Challenge. The NVC at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business is different. It is not just a competition. Instead, it is a yearlong business launch program that is recognized as the #1 university accelerator program in the nation.

The NVC invests over $1 million in startups each year thanks to the generosity of numerous alumni donors and investors.

In 2018, Rattan L. Khosa, ’79, generously endowed the first place investment. Since then, the amount invested has grown by over 250%.

Upcoming NVC Events and Deadlines

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Oct

20

Info Session and Kickoff (Harper): New Venture Challenge (NVC)

Please join us for a kickoff for the 31st annual Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge. This session will introduce students to…
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Oct

24

Info Session and Kickoff (Gleacher): New Venture Challenge (NVC)

Please join us for the kickoff of the 31st annual Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge. This session will introduce students to…
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Program Timeline

October: NVC Info Sessions and Kickoffs
February: Announcement of selected ventures
February: Mandatory venture orientation
Late February/Early March: NVC/SNVC Teambuilding event
March-May: NVC class and pitches
Late May/Early June: Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge (NVC) Finals

2026 Winner

Slideflow Labs was awarded the Rattan L. Khosa First Place Prize of $575,000 at the 2026 Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge (NVC), during which $2.1 million was awarded to the finalists.

Slideflow Labs is revolutionizing the way that pathologists determine cancer prognosis and predict recurrence. It has developed cancer pathology AI infrastructure that enables hospitals to discover, develop, and run biomarkers in-house, delivering superior insights, accelerating turnaround time, and generating revenue for the hospital rather than for external reference labs.