Chivas launches $1 million global search for startups

Chivas Regal launched the Chivas Venture 2018 – a global search to find and support the next generation of startups who want to succeed while changing the world for the better.

Since the Chivas Venture first launched globally in 2014, almost 6,000 social entrepreneurs have applied for the chance to receive a share of the annual $1 million fund – and applications for the 2018 competition are open from today in Kenya.

Richard Black, Global Marketing Director for Chivas Regal, commented: “We inherited from our founders a firm commitment to using business as a force for good. The Chivas Venture celebrates just that; individuals who strive to address major social problems as part of their core business strategy. I look forward to this year’s competition, specifically all the innovative business ideas that might truly help shape our collective future for the better.”

“We inherited from our founders a firm commitment to using business as a force for good. The Chivas Venture celebrates just that; individuals who strive to address major social problems as part of their core business strategy. I look forward to this year’s competition, specifically all the innovative business ideas that might truly help shape our collective future for the better.”

In this fourth year of the competition, 29 countries from 5 continents are taking part – all of whom are looking to find their most talented local entrepreneurs to compete on a global stage.

One winner will be selected from each country and given the chance to take part in an exclusive Accelerator Programme – followed by 3 weeks of online voting where the allocation of the first $200,000 of the fund will be put into the hands of the public.

The Chivas Venture 2018 will then culminate in a series of high-stakes pitches at the Chivas Venture Final, where the remainder of the $1 million fund will be distributed.

The 2017 Chivas Venture Final in Los Angeles saw five enterprising grand finalists including 1 Nigerian and 1 South African pitch to a panel of judges that included Oscar-winning actress and philanthropist, Halle Berry, in front of a live audience of business leaders, influencers and Hollywood stars including Javier Bardem, Josh Gad and Don Cheadle.

Thailand’s Siam Organic, which aims to end small-scale farmers’ poverty, walked away with the largest sum from the Chivas Venture fund, receiving $400,000.

To apply for the Chivas Venture 2018 click here.