10 Startups Vie for $1 Million at Chicago Booth's 30th NVC Finals

1 articles · Updated · Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation · May 21

June 4 will bring 10 startup teams to the final round of Chicago Booth’s New Venture Challenge, where judges will divide an investment pool of more than $1 million.
The winner is guaranteed at least $180,000 through the Rattan L. Khosa First Place Prize after the finalists were narrowed from 27 teams in the program’s spring course.
The lineup spans healthcare, AI, logistics, hospitality, gaming software and rare-earth recycling, with finalists including BRAIV, Nestera, Rare Earth Rescue and Vidnova Therapeutics.
The Polsky Center’s accelerator, founded in 1996, says more than 370 NVC alumni companies are still operating, including Grubhub, Braintree/Venmo, Simple Mills and Tovala.
Last year’s NVC awarded a record $2.267 million, above the more than $1 million on offer this year, and the finals pitches and awards will be livestreamed.

With AI valuations soaring, how do student startups prove they offer sustainable value beyond the current market hype?

Beyond commercial success, what hidden ethical hurdles must these AI-driven healthcare and enterprise startups overcome?

What proprietary data gives these university ventures a defensible 'moat' against established industry players?