The Global Social Venture Competition (GSVC) was a business plan competition for social enterprises in their early stages. It began at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1999, and over the years it was run in partnership with schools in the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.
What the GSVC did
Teams entered ventures that were judged on their social and environmental impact, as well as their commercial viability. Finalists shared prizes totaling more than 50,000 dollars each year, and over the course of the competition, more than a quarter of a million dollars was awarded. It also connected founders with mentors and impact investors.
Why it mattered for impact investing
The GSVC required entrants to demonstrate a measurable social return as well as a financial one. This encouraged founders to quantify their impact at a time when few competitions did so. Finalists included Husk Power Systems, Revolution Foods and d.light.
By 2019, the competition had been running for two decades, attracting almost 600 entries from 64 countries in its biggest years. The Berkeley Haas program has since closed.