TCU Values and Ventures Competition 2027

Values and Ventures is a global undergraduate competition run by the TCU Neeley Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Fort Worth, Texas. Undergraduate teams pitch for-profit ventures that also address a real societal or environmental need. The top three teams share a US$75,000 prize pool (about ₹71.25 lakh). The application portal opens on 16 October 2026 and closes at 11:59 AM CST on 15 January 2027, which is 11:29 PM IST (the rules page says 12:00 noon CST, so apply well before either time).

This is an undergraduate-only competition. Teams must be two to five currently enrolled undergraduates, and every team member must present. Graduate students may help build a venture but cannot present. Only one team per outside university is selected.

What the program offers

The main prize pool is US$75,000 (about ₹71.25 lakh) shared by the top three teams, to help them advance their ventures. Judges pick the top three, and the Horned Frog Investment Network decides how the money is allocated. The source does not publish the split.

Special awards go to exceptional innovation and impact: a US$2,500 Sly Award for Innovation and three US$3,000 Mittelstaedt / Waste Connections awards for environmental responsibility, plus a Founders' Award and a Ripple Award whose amounts vary. During the final weekend there are also challenges, such as a Social Impact Design Challenge for teams, with US$5,000 for first, US$2,500 for second and US$1,000 for third, and an Investor Challenge for individuals. Challenge prizes require meaningful participation and attending the weekend in person. These are competition prizes, not investments, and the source mentions no equity being taken.

Who can apply

Students must be currently enrolled undergraduates, although mid-year graduates may be eligible. The team is two to five undergraduates, and all must present. The venture must be for-profit and values-based, addressing education, environmental sustainability, economic development, equality or health and wellness. It must show profit potential, be majority owned by its undergraduate team members, be original work and not have reached the finals before. A faculty or staff sponsor must verify the work. If a team has members from several universities, it picks one school to represent, and the team lead must attend that school.

The page does not restrict entry by country, and the competition describes itself as global. For an Indian undergraduate team this means you may apply if it meets those rules and your institution is not already represented by another selected team. It does not suit postgraduate-only teams, nonprofits or ventures that are not majority owned by undergraduates.

How to apply

Form a team of two to five undergraduates and find a faculty or staff sponsor. Apply online through the application page with five items: a one-page executive summary, a 90-second video pitch, a pitch deck, a team photo and signed release forms. The portal opens on 16 October 2026 and applications are due by 11:59 AM CST on 15 January 2027; the portal says late applications are not accepted. A practical tip: record the 90-second video early and keep the pitch deck consistent with the executive summary, since judges read them together.

How applications are judged and what happens next

Semi-finalists are told in early February and pitch online. The organiser's pages give two sets of dates: the rules page says the semi-final round is on 12 February 2027 and the lightning round on 13 February, while the application portal says 5 and 6 February. Confirm the dates when you are notified. Semi-finalists are placed in groups of six to eight teams by value category and industry, give a seven-minute pitch and take seven minutes of judges' questions. Runners-up from each group get a second chance in a virtual lightning round with a seven-minute pitch and five minutes of questions. Finalists are told in mid-February and compete in person in Fort Worth on 9–10 April 2027, with a seven-minute pitch and ten minutes of questions. Judges select the top three. The source does not publish scoring criteria.

About the TCU Neeley Institute

Values and Ventures sits under the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at TCU's Neeley School of Business. The Horned Frog Investment Network is named as the group that allocates the prize money; the source gives no further detail on it.

Things to check before you apply

• There is no fee to compete.
• Semi-finalists receive lodging, local transport and most meals during the competition, but teams pay their own travel to and from TCU. Teams should arrive on the evening of 8 April 2027. International teams should plan for a US visa.
• Events are public, so confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. Think about what you disclose in your pitch.
• Breaking the rules can lead to disqualification.
• The rules page lists the application opening as "October 16, 2027", which is a typo: the application portal lists 16 October 2026. The two pages also differ on the closing time (noon or 11:59 AM CST) and the semi-final dates, so rely on the earlier closing time.