Chivas Launches $1 Million Global Search For Startups Changing The World

Chivas Regal launcheD the Chivas Venture 2018 – a global search to find and support the next generation of startups that 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.

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 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.

The Chivas Venture champions entrepreneurs who believe the world can be better, and use business as a force for good. Previous finalists of the competition aspire to a future where waste is recycled into housing, furniture and fashion, clean water is accessible to the world’s population, and poverty tax is eradicated. The $2 million given away over the first two years of the competition has been used to support startups that now have over 300,000 beneficiaries in more than 40 countries across the globe.

Chivas believes that generosity and success go hand in hand – a belief inspired by founding brothers, James and John Chivas, who shared their success with the local community as their business grew, through contributions within the church, education and social support. The Chivas Venture aims to honour their legacy and support their modern counterparts – entrepreneurs who believe that sharing their success with society is when business becomes truly rewarding.

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 this year’s competition, specifically all the innovative business ideas that might truly help shape our collective future for the better.”

To apply for the Chivas Venture 2018 or to discover more about the impact the competition is already having across the world, visit the Chivas Venture website.