​For Our UNM Students!

​The Lobo VC Cup is a 6-week, hands-on competition where students experience both sides of the startup funding ecosystem: building companies and investing in them.

​How It Works

​Student founders form teams to develop and pitch their own startup ideas. With guidance from experienced entrepreneur mentors, they refine their business models, craft their pitch decks, and present to student VC teams on pitch day. The capital they raise from student investors becomes their prize money. The better the pitch, the bigger the win.

​Student VCs form investment teams and learn to operate like real venture capitalists. They develop investment theses, pitch to LPs for fund allocation, evaluate startup pitches from their peers, conduct due diligence, and make actual investment decisions. Top-performing VC teams compete for prizes of $10,000 (1st), $5,000 (2nd), and $1,000 (3rd) based on their investment strategy and execution.

​Mentors guide students through the process. Founder mentors share real-world insights on building startups, refining business models, and preparing for investor scrutiny. VC mentors teach investment fundamentals, due diligence frameworks, and decision-making strategies, then evaluate student VC teams' LP pitches and determine fund allocations.

​The Complete Cycle

​This isn't a case study. Student founders pitch real startups. Student VCs invest real capital into their peers' companies. That investment becomes the founders' prize money. It's a closed ecosystem where students fund each other, mentored by practitioners who've been on both sides of the deal.

​Total Prize Pool: $36,000

• ​Startup teams: $20,000 pool (win the capital you raise)

• ​VC teams: $10K $5K $1K for top performers

​Timeline

​Mon, Feb 23 - Launch Day

​Tue, Feb 24 - Fri, Mar 6 - Team Formation

​Mon, Mar 2 - Fri, Mar 6 - Education Week

​Sat, Mar 7 - Startup Idea Submission

​Mon, Mar 9 - Thu, Mar 12 - Pitch Prep

​Fri, Mar 13 - LP Pitch Submission

​Wed, Mar 25 - Thu, Mar 26 - Discovery Days

​Mon, Mar 30 - Pitch Day

​Tue, Mar 31 - Deal Submissions Due

​Fri, Apr 3 - Awards Ceremony

​Students walk away with hands-on experience in the startup ecosystem, real funding for their ideas, and connections with mentors who can shape their entrepreneurial futures.