Mission Statement
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| "Practical and hands-on support for Swiss entrepreneurs from the MBA and EMBA students of one of the world’s top business schools." |
IMD Startup Competition
IMD is recognized as one of the world’s top business schools. Our MBA is consistently ranked as one of the best in the world.
Every year in October we search for 20 startups to work with our MBA students. The IMD startup competition provides a unique opportunity for Swiss technology startups to benefit from the help and insights of a team of dedicated, experienced IMD participants from two of our flagship programs, the fulltime MBA and the Executive MBA. These participants, screened to participate in one of the most selective business programs in the world, represent some of the sharpest brains around. Do you want to benefit from their concentrated help to crack some of your most resistant business challenges? Do you need some fresh thinking to refine and validate your business model, or provide some new momentum to your fund raising efforts? Do you want outsiders to test your concepts and help you develop the most appropriate development routes? Then consider applying for the IMD Startup Competition with your company.
Selection criteria
We are looking for early-stage companies that have a solid chance of market success, have a team that is curious and willing to open themselves up to a small group of management “students”, can provide a good learning opportunity for our participants and whose timing fits with the IMD programs.
Qualities we are looking for
A real venture, with an established team and demonstrated resources in place in November to take it forward over the next 9 months at least. The venture must have at least one person working on it fulltime.
A demonstrated willingness to work with the MBA students, and communicate freely with them. A 3-year standard NDA can be requested of the students, but there must be a willingness to be open with the students about the company, its finances and its technology.
The new venture should ideally be locally based. Ventures with bases further away (Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, Frankfurt, etc.) will be considered but they have to incorporate the need to travel to Lausanne in their budgets and time agendas.
Preference will be given to technology-based enterprises, though this is not a formal requirement. The quality of the opportunity and the commitment of the team will be determining factors.
Ability to cover minimal costs. There is no cost for the startup (except for travel expenses for the Silicon Valley expedition for the EMBA projects), apart from a requirement to cover the incidental expenses incurred by the participants on behalf of the startup (for example phone calls if an industry survey is conducted, printing of reports, etc.). This will be discussed upfront with the startup before any expenses are incurred.
Previous winners have included: Abionic, AC Immune, Aeon Scientific, Axovan, Bcomp. BeamExpress, BioVersys, Cidway, Dacuda, Dartfish, Delta Robotics, Doodle, DeskNet, Endosense, Exalos, Flisom, Glycart Biotech, SourcingParts.com, Kooaba, nanotion, Pix4D, Primequal, id Quantique, LyncéeTec, SpinX, Shockfish, StereoTools, NexThink, Labseed, Lemoptix, Femtotools, Hyperweek, Mnemonic, PicoDrill, Poken, Preclin Biosystems, Stemergie, QGel, Koemei, ViSSee, VisioWave, Wavecall and Xigen.