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Pitch Competition
Clemson's Entrepreneurship Hub

Brook T. Smith Launchpad

National Competitions

 Last Updated September 2026
Event Date Competition Name Competition Location Competition Website
January Rice Business Plan Competition Houston, TX Rice Business Plan Competition Website
February TigerLaunch New York, NY TigerLaunch Website
February Military Veteran Startups Conference San Francisco, CA Military Veteran Startups Competition Website
February CMU Venture Challenge Pittsburg, PA CMU Venture Challenge Website
February Breakthrough Ventures Pala Alto, CA Breakthrough Ventures Website
March ACC InVenture Prize Rotates ACC InVenture Prize Website
March Baylor New Venture Competition Waco, TX Baylor New Venture Competition Website
March eMerge Americas Miami Beach, FL eMerge Americas Competition Website
March SXSW EDU Launch Competition Austin, TX SXSW EDU Launch Competition Website
March Neely School of Business Values and Ventures Competition Fort Worth, TX Values and Ventures Competition Website
April Heartland Challenge Startup Competition Bentonville, AK Heartland Challenge Startup Competition Website
April Arch Grants St. Louis, MO Arch Grants Website
April National Virtual Pitch Contest Zoom National Virtual Pitch Contest Website
April Southern Venture Showcase Nashville, TN Southeast Venture Showcase
April eFEST Minneapolis, MN eFEST Website
April Innovate Carolina Carolinas Innovate Carolinas Website
June AWE USA Startup Competition Long Beach, CA AWE USA Startup Competition Website
June The Visionary Pitch Competition Philadelphia, PA Visionary Pitch Competition Website
September NBNBAA Scale Up Pitch Challenge Cambridge, MA NBNBAA Scale Up Pitch Challenge Website
September Hult Prize Philadelphia, PA Hult Prize Website
September Downtown Brooklyn Partnership Brooklyn, NY Downtown Brooklyn Website
October Startup World Cup San Francisco, CA Startup World Cup Website
October HackATL2026 Atlanta, GAL HackATL Website
October DEBUT Challenge Orlando, FL VentureWell Website

Accelerator Programs

Last Updated September 2026
Program Description Application Deadline Application Website
Techstars
  • $220,000 improved investment offer to fuel your growth*
  • $1M+ average first raise post-program
  • Hands-on mentorship from industry leaders
  • Lifetime access to our global network of investors, partners, mentors, and alumni
  • 300+ partner perks valued at over $4M
See site for details Apply here!
Forum Ventures Forum Ventures is accepting pitches to its Forum for Founders program. The firm is investing in 30+ companies over the next three months, offering $100K and admission to its pre-seed accelerator to provide personalized GTM and sales support. Learn more and apply here Forum Ventures
NYC AI Nexus NYC AI Nexus is a 2.5-month accelerator for early-stage AI startups in healthcare, biotech, climate, energy, robotics, and manufacturing. Run by C10 Labs in partnership with NYCEDC, the program provides mentorship, AI expertise, office space, fundraising and go-to-market support, investor introductions, partner perks, and the opportunity to be considered for up to $300K in funding. Applications for the Fall 2026 cohort are due August 31st. Applications for the Fall 2026 cohort are due August 31st.
Center for Accelerating Financial Equity Applications are open for the Center for Accelerating Financial Equity’s Fall 2026 Fintech Accelerator Program, a two-month immersive experience designed for mission-driven founders to connect directly with financial institutions, regulators, and investors. Apply by August 26th here. apply
Downtown Brooklyn Partnership Downtown Brooklyn Partnership is accepting applications for the Make It in Brooklyn Climate Tech Pitch Contest, which supports early-stage startups tackling climate and environmental challenges. The winning company will receive a $5,000 unrestricted cash prize, plus up to $5,000 in additional milestone-based commercialization support through the National Grid Clean Tech Incubation Grant. Apply by August 30th here. https://www.downtownbrooklyn.com/
CAFE Fintech Accelerator CAFE Fintech Accelerator is an equity-free, two-month program for seed-stage and growth fintech founders building financial health solutions. Participants gain direct access to banks, credit unions, regulators, investors, and potential customers through expert-led sessions, partnership opportunities, and industry connections designed to help startups scale and drive meaningful impact.

Rotates ACC InVenture Prize Website