The Best Entrepreneur Competitions To Pitch Your Startup Idea

Starting a business often means getting creative with funding. For many startups, traditional financing isn’t an option early on, which pushes founders to look for alternative ways to raise capital and gain exposure.

One popular option is entrepreneurship pitch competitions, where startups present their ideas for a chance to win funding, mentorship, or other resources.

What Is A Pitch Competition?

A pitch competition is a contest where entrepreneurs present their business concept to a panel in the hope of winning a cash prize or investment capital.

Pitch competitions all have specific parameters and rules, but no matter what, business owners will be up against any number of other entrepreneurs with their own business ideas. Even if you don’t win, the pitch competition can be a way to introduce yourself to the elite world of venture capital and angel investment.

Best Pitching Competitions To Enter

Business pitch competitions happen frequently throughout the year, with most taking place annually. Here are some popular options to get you started.

AATCC Concept 2 Consumer Student Design Competition

• Entry Requirements: Be an undergraduate or graduate; be a member of AATCC
• Website: https://www.aatcc.org/aatcc-grants/grants/

This grant is available to graduate and undergrad students for textile-related research projects.

Arch Grants Global Startup Competition

• Entry Requirements: Must be a for-profit startup with a plan to scale to national or international impact
• Website: https://www.aatcc.org/aatcc-grants/grants/

This equity-free $75,000 grant competition is open to startups from around the world. Winners must relocate their headquarters to St. Louis for at least one year (additional funding is provided for relocation).

Baylor New Venture Competition

• 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 are offered expert feedback, coaching, and a prize package of cash and crucial in-kind business support services to launch and grow their ventures.

Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards

• Entry Requirements: The business is generating revenue but has raised less than $2 million, one to six years in registered operation, and must be woman-owned
• Website: https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/regional-awards

This is a worldwide competition for women entrepreneurs who have been in business for over a year. Competition is broken down into nine regions. The grand prize is a $100,000 grant for the winner from each region.

Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition

• Entry Requirements: Age brackets separate youth and adult (30+) competitions
• Website: https://www.entrepreneurship-campus.org/about-the-competitions/

This is an international competition for businesses pitching ideas that target social, environmental, health, and governmental challenges.

CodeLaunch

• Entry Requirements: The startup must 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

• 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.

Founders Live NYC

• Entry Requirements: Join the Founders Live group
• Website: https://www.founderslive.com/

Multiple events are held featuring five founders giving 99-second pitches, and viewers pick the winner. The organization is active in 120 cities across 46 countries.

Hello Tomorrow Global Summit

• Entry Requirements: Must be in early stages (up to Series A), not a subsidiary or spin-off of an existing company, must be a team of 2+ people, and must address an industrial, societal, or environmental unmet need or create a new market
• Website: https://hello-tomorrow.org/summit/

This is a worldwide competition, with startup categories in energy, agriculture, healthcare, AI, new materials, and more.

Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition

• Entry Requirements: Your business idea must be education-oriented
• Website: https://www.educationcompetition.org/

This is a competition dedicated to addressing problems and trends within education around the world.

New Venture Championship

• Entry Requirements: Must be a graduate or undergraduate
• Website: https://business.uoregon.edu/nvc/

This is an annual, six-round competition for students from around the world.

Rice Business Plan Competition

• Entry Requirements: The project is student-created or managed and has not raised more than $250,000 in equity, or generated more than $100,000 in a 12-month period prior to the application
• Website: https://rbpc.rice.edu/

This is Rice University’s internationally-recognized graduate entrepreneurship competition.

TCU Neeley School Of Business Values & Venture Competition

• Entry Requirements: Undergraduates only; no nonprofits
• Website: https://neeley.tcu.edu//vandv/

TCU’s undergraduate contest is open to undergrads with business ideas that contribute to innovations in health, life, or energy.

FTxSDG Seedstars Challenge

• Entry Requirements: Received less than $500,000 in funding to date and must be scalable
• Website: https://www.seedstarsworld.com/ft-x-seedstars-challenge/

This a worldwide contest that recognizes winners in areas including climate action, gender equality, reduced inequalities, and quality education.

SPIE Startup Challenge

• Entry Requirements: Must have an optics or photonics technology or application
• Website: https://spie.org/industry-resources/industry-events/spie-startup-challenge

This contest focuses on healthcare and deep tech. Applicants choose from one of two tracks based on their development stage. A cash prize of $10,000 is presented to the first place winner.

SXSW Pitch

• Entry Requirements: The product must be recent (see guidelines) and have raised no more than $10 million in funding; each company may enter no more than one product
• Website: https://www.sxsw.com/awards/sxsw-pitch/

This contest includes nine different categories. Some of those categories open to the pitch competition include AgTech, HealthTech, and Security.

Y Combinator Demo Day

• Entry Requirements: Invitation only; invitations are software-generated and based on recent investments in YC startups
• Website: https://www.ycombinator.com/demoday/

Y Combinator is one of the premier startup incubators. Companies that have made it through the program can apply to demo their business concept on Demo Day, which occurs twice a year over the course of three days. The third day, called Investor Day, lets entrepreneurs sit down with investors and pitch their ideas.

How To Improve Your Chances Of Winning A Pitch Competition

Pitch competitions can be valuable even if you don’t win, but the goal is still to stand out and make an impression. Here are a few ways to strengthen your pitch and improve your odds.

Be Concise

Judges see a lot of pitches in a short amount of time. Keep yours clear and focused. Your core idea should be easy to understand, even for someone outside your industry.

Strip your pitch down to what matters most and leave out unnecessary detail.

Know Your Audience

Industry jargon can work against you. Adjust your language based on who’s listening, and prioritize clarity over sounding technical.

A strong pitch should make sense to anyone in the room.

Build Connections

Pitch competitions aren’t just about winning. Building rapport with judges, other founders, and attendees can influence how your idea is received and open doors after the event.

Apply Early

Applying early gives you time to catch mistakes, refine your pitch, and avoid last-minute stress. A polished application almost always beats a rushed one.

Be Ready To Answer Questions

Expect follow-up questions and plan simple, confident answers. Knowing how to explain your business under pressure can make a big difference.

Be Memorable

Many competitors follow the same advice and deliver similar pitches. If your personality, story, or presentation style sets you apart, lean into it (as long as it supports your message).

Pitch Your Way To A Successful Startup

Pitching and startup competitions can be a great way to get your foot into the door to the investment world. You’ll have a captive audience and the opportunity to make connections that can aid your business endeavors far into the future.

Other ways to get money to fund your startup is through small business grants. As with pitch competitions, competition is pretty fierce, but it doesn’t hurt to apply for grants (provided you meet the requirements). Start searching for business grants in your area get your idea or business off the ground.