In April, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School hosted the fourth annual Student Venture Showcase, a high-stakes pitch competition spotlighting the next generation of innovative entrepreneurs from across Johns Hopkins.
Each year, students take the stage to pitch their ventures to a panel of seasoned venture capitalists, competing for the $25,000 grand prize in non-dilutive funding. The grand prize is sponsored by Jon Kling, a 2004 Real Estate and Infrastructure graduate and founder of Municipal Acquisitions. First place is highly sought after, as the non-dilutive funding allows the winner to grow their business without giving up equity–investors receive no stake or expectation of a return on the investment.
In addition to the grand prize, students competed for:
- $5,000 second place prize, sponsored by Johns Hopkins Technology Venture’s Pava Marie LePere Center for Entrepreneurship
- $6,000 for the Hopstone Award, funded by HopStone Capital, a fund for Johns Hopkins entrepreneurs
- $3,000 Audience Choice Award, sponsored by Carey Business School
The grand prize went to Erica Lee, a PhD/MD student at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her startup NervMyo Therapeutics took home the $25,000 grand prize and secured the Hopstone Award and the Audience Choice Award, earning a total of $34,000 to advance her startup.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Student Venture Showcase, visit the Student Venture Showcase webpage.
See more photos from the event below.
