Di Bao, GMBA Class of 2018

On October 22, 2016, the finals of the inaugural China MBA Inter-Varsity Venture Capital Competition took place at Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (SAIF). Organized by SAIF and supported by top MBA schools including Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Fudan University, this competition is the first venture capital investing competition of its kind among MBA programs in China.

The competition saw an enthusiastic response from top B-Schools. Tsinghua’s MBA Student Finance Club sent two teams comprising members from both the Global MBA and part-time MBA programs to participate. Both teams made a strong showing, with Team 1 taking first place and bringing the trophy back to Tsinghua and Team 2 also performing well in the spirited competition with teams from several distinguished schools.

It was not by coincidence that the two teams successfully entered the final round. Prior to the final, both teams exercised cautious analysis when selecting cases from hundreds of real-world business plans provided by the organizers. They also endeavored to employ rigorous due diligence to validate their rationales.

The final was structured as such: startup teams and VC teams would take turns making presentations. Each startup team would present its perspective of its project. The corresponding VC team would then elaborate in its analysis as to why it believed the startup team would outperform the market, then give valuations. This was followed by a Q&A session – arguably the most challenging and exciting part. Other startup teams, VC teams, and guest judges asked sharp questions, often provoking fierce discussion on and off the stage. Both teams from Tsinghua showed great composure, made concise presentations, and gave clear answers, fully demonstrating the Tsinghua style of critical thinking and thorough analysis.

After evaluation by the panel of expert judges, Tsinghua University Team 1, Beijing University Team 1, and CEIBS Team 1 took home first, second, and third prizes, respectively. Meanwhile, startup teams “YiQiZou,” “HaiZhiXin 3D Print,” and “WanPiao,” respectively, won the first, second, and third startup prizes.

Venture capital investment is critical to encouraging mass entrepreneurship and innovation in China. It also functions as an indispensable link between the finance and industrial sectors. The contest provided a meaningful, hands-on opportunity to gain an enriching experience for budding venture capitalists. Through this competition, Tsinghua MBA students once again had an opportunity to demonstrate – and test – their prowess in analyzing and solving real-world problems.