WASHINGTON, D.C. (PRWEB) SEPTEMBER 18, 2017
In 2017, Dao Ventures, a Sino-US impact investment and accelerator group, has joined forces again with the Dongsheng Science and Technology Park in Zhongguancun, China’s Silicon Valley, to launch the 3rd annual Dongsheng-Dao Ventures US-China Entrepreneurship Competition which is considered the only impact venture contest across the Pacific.
Aside from the cross-border and internationalization aspect of the Competition, what particularly differentiates the Dongsheng-Dao Ventures Competition is that it has included environmental and social impact as a key part of its selection and evaluation criteria as guided by Dao Ventures, a consortium of various impact investing and acceleration entities that overall has supported over 1,000 impact ventures in both China and internationally so far.
Most of the 25 finalists and all the top winners from 2015 and 2016 who advanced to the Beijing Global Final were considered environmental and/or social impact ventures, and all the top winners received cash grant awards, travelling stipends and mentoring services from Dao Ventures.
Whether an applicant is a solid business initiative still in the garage, a seed-stage start-up company or an emerging SME looking to scale up, they are all welcome to apply to the 2017 Competition. Besides, applicants are not limited to only those who look to do business and make an impact in China – U.S. and international ventures purely focusing on the domestic market for now but with global potential are equally encouraged by Dao Ventures to apply and participate. The sector focus of the Competition encompasses environmental, internet technology, media, telecom, healthcare, education, and fintech.
The impact ventures will be competing to win the following prizes and/or benefits:
- RMB 1million (~$160,000) top award at the Beijing Global Final
- Cash grant awards and mentoring services for top winners from the U.S. Final Competition
- An invitation to participate in the Beijing Global Final via a live entrepreneurship TV show
- One-year free office space for up to five people in Dongsheng’s international accelerator in Beijing under the joint New Ventures Global initiative between Dao Ventures and Dongsheng
- Brand marketing, publicity, and media promotion
- U.S.-China cross-border consulting, mentoring and capacity building services
Application is free and easy. Applicants will just need to use a few minutes to fill out and submit an application form at http://www.daoventures.com/application to start the journey. Registration for applications will be closed on November 10, 2017, and the final competition in the U.S. is currently scheduled to be held in the Greater Washington region on November 30, 2017. The language of this U.S.-based event will be English throughout the Competition.
The Competition with a focus on impact ventures has won support and attention from different stakeholders over the past years, including key Chinese media outlets which have covered this event. These media organizations have included Xinhua News Agency, China Daily, CGTN America, Global Times, and Shanghai Daily.