Pitch Competition

Pitch Competition

OPEN

OPEN

GRANT · HOW TO WIN THIS

Startup Grind Startup of the Year Competition

Startup Grind Startup of the Year Competition

Startup Exhibition Package + investor meetings at the Startup Grind Conference; annual competition.

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Current cycle closes August 29, 2026.

AMOUNT

Startup Exhibition Package + investor meetings at the Startup Grind Conference; annual competition.

AMOUNT

Startup Exhibition Package + investor meetings at the Startup Grind Conference; annual competition.

DEADLINE

Current cycle closes August 29, 2026.

DEADLINE

Current cycle closes August 29, 2026.

FUNDING TYPE

Pitch Competition

CAN YOU GET THIS?

Open to early-stage and seed startups worldwide, any industry.

Open to early-stage and seed startups worldwide, any industry.

There are no stated restrictions on founder identity, industry, or geography. You must be a startup at early stage or seed stage to be eligible.

There are no stated restrictions on founder identity, industry, or geography. You must be a startup at early stage or seed stage to be eligible.

YOUR REAL ODDS

The 2025 conference featured 200+ startups exhibiting, so competition is real but not extremely narrow.

Startup Grind runs a large global community across 120 countries, meaning the applicant pool is broad. Specific acceptance rates are not published.

WHAT IT TAKES

  1. Submit your application via the Startup Grind forum link before the deadline — 1–2 hours

  2. Prepare a clear pitch and company overview for judging — 2–4 hours

WORTH KNOWING

Winners receive a Startup Exhibition Package plus access to investor meetings at the Startup Grind Conference, where 600+ investor meetings took place in 2025 — the networking access may be worth more than the exhibition itself.

This is 1 of 1,600+ open opportunities.

This is 1 of 1,600+ open opportunities.

$50B+ in available capital across grants, VC funds, CDFIs, and accelerators. Filter by your industry, stage, and region, and see everything you qualify for.

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