Startup and Entrepreneur Competitions
The Arizona Commerce Authority supports a dynamic startup ecosystem by providing opportunities for mentorship and growth. We encourage startups and entrepreneurs to use the below competitions as a resource to unlock global opportunities.
Startup World Cup is a global conference and startup pitch competition that attracts some of the biggest entrepreneurial names. Leading up to the event, which awards one grand prize of $1 million, 40 regional startup competitions are held around the world. The regional US competition takes place in December.
Every year, SXSW hosts a highly anticipated pitch competition to showcase innovative new technology-based startups to a panel of distinguished judges and a live audience. Pitches and product demonstrations for technology in a variety of categories highlight ambitious ideas.
The Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program is a competitive funding program for six early-stage, Arizona bioscience firms that prepares companies to be "investor ready." To be eligible, bioscience firms must be in the process of commercializing their research and technology.
The Tory Burch Fellows Program focuses on early stage, revenue-generating, for-profit, and women-run businesses. Fellows attend a five-day workshop, receive a $5,000 grant to pursue business education opportunities, and have the chance to participate in a pitch competition at the conclusion of the program.
In this global competition, entrepreneurs with light-enabled products have five minutes to pitch their idea for $85,000 in cash, prizes and promotions. The competition is held at Photonics West, the largest research conference and trade show for light-based products in North America. New this year is an Entrepreneur Program, which includes a week of training, panels and networking events.
PITCH is one of the major events held during Collision. This startup pitch competition is open to early-stage startups that received less than $3 million in funding, and have not made any significant changes to their business model within the past three years. The 66 startups chosen from the pool of applicants the conference receives each year will get the change to pitch their startup in front of representatives from over 5,600 companies from 120+ countries.
A competition for startups with digital solutions to cybersecurity and privacy media exposure who will be exposed to potential clients, and access to mentors and investors. Selected teams will get personalized pitch coaching and feedback from industry specialists.