Entrepreneurs usually have to tap unorthodox causes of money to get their start up business idea in the conceptual stage to actualization. In fact, launching a startup may feel like entering a distinct subculture using its own rules and logic. Within that subculture, there are a variety of various ways to get your foot in the door for financing.
One popular way for innovative startups to gain visibility and funding would be to enter an entrepreneurship pitch competition.
What Is really a Pitch Competition?
A pitch levels of competition are a contest where entrepreneurs present their business concept to some panel with the hope of winning a cash prize or investment capital.
Pitch competitions all have specific parameters and rules, but no matter what, business people will be up against a variety of other entrepreneurs with their own small business ideas. Even if you don’t win, the pitch competition could be a way to introduce yourself to the elite world of investment capital and angel investment. You will, of course, want to make the best impression that you could.
20 Best Pitching Competitions To go in In 2022
Business pitch competitions happen frequently throughout the year, with most taking place annually. Under different circumstances, these entrepreneur competitions require you to show up and take part in person, but COVID-19 has made almost all these pitch competitions move online/virtual. Ironically, this may put some pitch competitions which were geographically out of reach back on the table, at least in the short term. Nevertheless, it’s rarely an awful idea to start building relationships in which you possess the most presence — in your local and regional community.
AATCC 2022 Wanderlust Student Design Competition
- Location: Research Triangle Park, NC
- Submission Info: Submit by April 5, 2022 (you’ll also need a membership by April 1)
- Entry Requirements: Be an undergraduate or graduate; be considered a person in AATCC
- Website: https://www.aatcc.org/students/competitions/c2cdesign/
Student entrepreneurs are challenged to create sustainable travel wear that includes recycled materials, sustainable manufacturing, and antibacterial and/or odor control properties.
Arch Grants Global Startup Competition
- Location: St. Louis, MO
- Submission Info: Applications open April 15, 2022
- Entry Requirements: Must be considered a for-profit startup with a intend to scale to national or international impact
- Website: https://www.heysuccess.com/opportunity/The-Arch-Grants-Global-Startup-Competition-7006
This equity-free $50,000 grant levels of competition are open to startups from around the world. Special consideration is given to firms that plan to start in St. Louis.
Baylor New Venture Competition
- Location: Waco, TX
- Submission Info: Check the web site; entry periods usually open in September
- Entry Requirements: Be an undergraduate, graduate, or recently graduated alumnus from an accredited not-for-profit university
- Website: https://www.baylor.edu/business/newventurecompetition/index.php?id=93663
Student entrepreneurs from across the globe can be found expert feedback, coaching, and a prize package of money and crucial in-kind business support services to produce and boost their ventures.
Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards
- Location: Deauville, France
- Submission Info: Check the website
- Entry Requirements: The business is generating revenue but has raised under $2 million, one to five years in registered operation, and should be woman-owned
- Website: https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/regional-awards
Worldwide competition for women entrepreneurs who've been in business for more than annually. Competition is broken down into seven regions. The prize is really a $100,000 grant for the winner from each region. Finalists receive $30,000.
Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition
- Location: Germany
- Submission Info: Check the website
- Entry Requirements: Age brackets separate youth and adult (30+) competitions
- Website: https://www.entrepreneurship-campus.org/about-the-competitions/
International competition for businesses pitching ideas that target social, environmental, health, and governmental challenges.
CodeLaunch
- Location: Varies (Houston, TX for first 2022 event)
- Submission Info: Check the website (January 14, 2022, for the Houston, TX event)
- Entry Requirements: The startup should be dependent on software development expertise
- Website: https://www.codelaunch.com/
CodeLaunch provides seed services to early-stage startups. Several events are held throughout the year in different locations.
TechCrunch Disrupt
- Location: San Francisco, CA
- Submission Info: Check the website
- Entry Requirements: Early-stage startup; must have some tech component to the business idea
- Website: https://techcrunch.com/events/
TechCrunch Disrupt brings together investors, entrepreneurs, and developers from around the world.
Draper Competition For Collegiate Women Entrepreneurs
- Location: Northampton, MA
- Submission Info: The application deadline is February 4, 2022
- Entry Requirements: Be an undergraduate or graduate and a woman
- Website: https://www.smith.edu/academics/conway-center/entrepreneurship/draper-competition
Smith College’s multi-round competition showcases women entrepreneurs. The Grand prize is $25,000 and a scholarship to Draper University.
Founders Live NYC
- Location: New York, NY
- Submission Info: Check the website
- Entry Requirements: Join the Founders Live group
- Website: https://www.founderslive.com/
Periodic happy hour pitch nights. The business can also be active in Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, Lagos (Nigeria), and Harare (Zimbabwe).
Hatch Pitch
- Location: Austin, TX
- Submission Info: Check the website
- Entry Requirements: The product should have launched within the last two years or is going to be launched six months following the Hatch Pitch event; your company should have received under $5 million in funding from third-party investors
- Website: https://www.hatchpitch.com/
Contest for companies with an innovative technology-based product or service which are seeking active coaching and mentoring.
Hello Tomorrow Global Summit
- Location: Silicon Valley, CA
- Submission Info: Check the website
- Entry Requirements: Can’t have raised a lot more than 250,000 euros (around $304,000)
- Website: https://hello-tomorrow.org/summit/
A worldwide competition, with startup categories in energy, agriculture, healthcare, AI, new materials, and much more.
Milken-Penn GSE Education Strategic business plan Competition
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Submission Info: Check the website
- Entry Requirements: Your business idea should be education-oriented
- Website: https://www.educationcompetition.org/how-to-apply
A competition dedicated to addressing problems and trends within education all over the world.
New Venture Championship
- Location: Portland, OR
- Submission Info: The application deadline is February 7, 2022
- Entry Requirements: Must be considered a graduate or undergraduate
- Website: https://business.uoregon.edu/nvc/
An annual, six-round competition for college students from around the world and it is now in the 31st year.
Rice Business Plan Competition
- Location: Houston, TX
- Submission Info: Apply by January 31, 2022
- Entry Requirements: The project is student-created or managed and has not raised a lot more than $250,000 in equity just before July 1, 2022, or generated more than $100,000 in revenue with that date
- Website: https://rbpc.rice.edu/
Rice University’s internationally-recognized graduate entrepreneurship competition.
TCU Neeley School Of Business Values & Venture Competition
- Location: Fort Worth, TX
- Submission Info: Check the website
- Entry Requirements: Undergraduates only; no nonprofits
- Website: https://neeley.tcu.edu//vandv/
TCU’s undergraduate contest for business ideas that contribute to innovations in health, life, or energy.
Seedstars Summit
- Location: Varies
- Submission Info: Check the website
- Entry Requirements: Received less than $500,000 in funding up to now and should be scalable
- Website: https://www.seedstarsworld.com/summit/
A worldwide contest as well as networking event that’s for tech businesses.
SPIE Startup Challenge
- Location: San Francisco, CA
- Submission Info: Apply by October 31, 2022
- Entry Requirements: Must come with an optics or photonics technology or application to present
- Website: https://spie.org/industry-resources/industry-events/spie-startup-challenge
This contest is for startups that are involved with light-based technology. Applicants choose from 1 of 3 tracks based on their development stage.
SXSW Pitch
- Location: Austin, TX
- Submission Info: Check the website
- Entry Requirements: The product should be recent (see guidelines) and have raised a maximum of $10 million in funding; each company may enter a maximum of one product
- Website: https://www.sxsw.com/awards/sxsw-pitch/
This contest includes eight different categories. Some of the people categories available to the pitch competition are artificial intelligence, gaming content, future of work, smart cities, and much more. The deadline to register for 2022 has transpired, but keep an eye on SXSW’s site for next year’s submissions.
U.PITCH
- Location: Chicago, IL
- Submission Info: Applications open in Fall 2022, but you can enroll in a waiting list now; you must be an enrolled student or have graduated within the last six months; the project must have raised under $1 million, can't be cannabis-related, and should be US-based
- Entry Requirements: U.PITCH is industry agnostic
- Website: https://www.futurefounders.com/u-pitch/
Annual student pitch contest. Available to any industry.
Y Combinator Demo Day
- Location: San Francisco, CA
- Submission Info: Check the website; events are held after March and also the end of August each year
- Entry Requirements: Be a part of a Y Combinator batch; apply for an invitation
- Website: https://www.ycombinator.com/demoday/
Y Combinator is one of the premier startup incubators. Companies that have made it with the program can use to demo their business concept on Demo Day, which occurs twice yearly over the course of three days (yes, it’s not really a “day.”) The 3rd day, called Investor Day, lets entrepreneurs take a seat with investors and pitch their ideas.
6 Ideas to Enhance your Chances Of Winning
Regardless of whether or not you win, entrepreneurship pitch competitions can be a positive experience for you personally and your company. Nevertheless, one enters these competitions to win them.
So how will you improve your likelihood of prevailing against some of the toughest competition around? Listed here are ’s tips for improving your pitch competition presence.
1) Be Concise
In any pitch competition, you’re likely to be sharing the spotlight with lots of other entrepreneurs as well as their businesses. Attention is going to be at a premium, would you like to make the most of whatever time the judges/investors may have their attention centered on you. Refine your elevator pitches: short, snappy, and to the point. Make sure the basic concept of your business is simple for someone outside your neighborhood of specialty to understand. Focus on what you would like the individual to consider from your conversation or presentation.
2) Know Your Audience
Jargon is a bugbear plaguing any number of highly specialized fields. While you are around individuals your field, it may allow you to communicate ideas more precisely and signal your of the tribe. However, your specialized lingo may seem like completely alienating gibberish to someone beyond your field. Know when you should appear to be a specialist and when to appear to be a human being.
3) Make Contacts
You might have the very best idea on the planet, but that doesn’t mean much if you can’t obtain access to the time you need to realize how well you see. Building a good rapport along with other contestants, judges, as well as the crowd could make an enormous difference in how your business concept is received.
4) Apply Early
You may think you've everything you need ready to go for the application, but you may missed some small little clause hidden deep inside the website or documentation. Many people do well under intense pressure, but you’d generally be better off spending some time refining your application pitch than scrambling in the last minute to ensure that you submit a high-quality application.
5) Anticipate to Answer Questions
Assume you’ll get a lot of questions regarding your company idea. Possess some snappy, easy-to-understand answers ready. Be familiar with the kinds of questions you’ll be asked, so you won’t be caught completely off-guard.
6) Ignore Online Advice & Be A Maverick
The trouble with lists such as these is that you’re not the only person reading them. Actually, I can ensure the other contestants have read the very same advice that you've. This means that sometimes it’s easier to be memorable than to appear competent but predictable. If you’re a person of exceptional charisma or quirky enough that people can’t stop talking about you, use that to your benefit making an impact.
Pitch Your Way To A Successful Startup
Pitching and startup competitions could be a fantastic way to get the foot into the door towards the investment world. You’ll possess a captive audience and also the chance to make connections that can aid your company endeavors far into the future. And with the majority of the world locked down in the pandemic, you may be also able to do it from the comfort of your own home or office.
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Pitch Competition FAQs
How do you get ready for a pitch competition?
You can prepare for pitch competitions by researching the event well ahead of time, networking, and practicing your pitching skills.
How can i find pitch competitions?
Pitch competitions generally maintain websites, so you can locate them online. For smaller, local competitions, seek advice from your library or trade groups.
Exactly what is a pitch event?
A pitch event allows individuals or groups with a business idea to provide their concept to an audience.
What's an idea pitching competition?
An idea pitching competition is a contest where entrepreneurs present their business concept to some panel in the hope of winning a cash prize or investment finance.
