Catalyst $2M--PitchMI $1M--AI Boost €100K

Hello startup people! Here’s the latest drop on Grants, Pitch Competitions, Awards, and Summits.

OpenAI blamed a hacking event on its AI models gone rogue. "It went off and did this hack all by itself, as far as we can tell."

~Diane

💪 The Biggies

Catalyst by Beemok | $2M

Catalyst by Beemok is investing up to $2M in Charleston-area startups. It’s a live demo event where selected finalists tell their story and show what they’ve built.

PitchMI | $1M

PitchMI is one of the nation's largest founder-focused startup competitions, designed to identify, support, and invest in Michigan's most promising startups through a competitive statewide selection process.

AI-BOOST - AI Challenge Competition | €100K

Generative AI challenge to drive significant research progress in autonomous robotics, agentic AI for engineering design and simulation, clinical datasets and mobility.

Are you in an accelerator? Forward to your cohort peers, or connect me with your Managing Director. I’ll post the top opportunities in your community for free.

Newly Added:

🎤 Pitch Competitions

Catalyst by Beemok – $2,000,000 investment total pool
South Carolina; Early-stage startups | Aug 1 | Apply

PitchMI – $1,000,000 total pool
Michigan | Aug 10 | Apply

PioBiz Business Startup Competition – $10,000
Ohio | Oct 25 | Apply

💼 Events

Women’s Health Week Europe 2026 – London – 700+ attendees
Women’s Health | Oct 7-8 | Apply

Consumer Brands CPG Summit – Carlsbad – Engage with Retail CEOs
CPG | Oct 12-14 | Apply

The MedTech Conference – Boston – 4,000+ attendees
MedTech; Diagnostics | Oct 18-21 | Apply

NAB Show – New York – 200+ exhibits
Media innovation | Oct 21-22 | Apply

Moonshot 2026 by TechCabal – Lagos – 12,000+ attendees
All tech | Oct 28-29 | Apply

🔨 Challenges

Quantinuum SG Grand Challenge 2026 – Helios Hardware Quantum Credits
Quantum computing | Aug 20 | Apply

AI-BOOST AI Challenge Competition – €100,000
Europe; GenAI; CAD generation | Aug 25 | Apply

JEC Composites Startup Booster – €10,000 total pool
Composites; Advanced Materials; Recycling | Oct 31 (my guess) | Apply

🏆 Awards

CES Innovation Awards 2027 – Recognition
Consumer tech products; Design | Aug 19 | Apply

Fast Company Most Innovative Companies Award – Be in the magazine
Innovative companies | Oct 2 | Apply

FLY ASIA Awards 2026 – KRW 100 Million total pool
Deep Tech; Startups wanting to expand interationally | July 31 | Apply

Closing Soon! Last Chance!

🤩 View the full list of 100+ open opportunities - including all Last Chance Opportunities - by signing up here.

WatchGuard AI Innovation Challenge – $100,000
Cybersecurity; AI | July 29 | Apply

Building the Future Workforce Challenge by Caterpillar – $1,000,000
Manufacturing; Future of Work; Upskilling | July 30 | Apply

NSIA Prize for Innovation – $275,000 prize pool
Nigeria; Impact-focused; Healthcare; Climate | July 31 (my guess) | Apply

Beyond the Deal Room curates grants, pitch competitions, awards, and tech summits for 13,000+ founders, VC’s and startup organizations. Over $100M global opportunities, mostly non-dilutive, are available across all verticals each year.

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Disclaimer: I receive no compensation for promoting any of these events. While I try to be as accurate as possible when posting requirements such as deadlines, it’s your responsibility to confirm all requirements.

📣 Who am I? Your biggest cheerleader. Startup operator, accelerator operations leader, and advisor to early-stage founders. Named a Top 100 Women Tech Leader (2024). I help founders tap into non-dilutive funding—grants, competitions, and beyond—to build traction between VC rounds. Connect with me on LinkedIn.