Hello startup people! Here’s the latest drop on Pitch Competitions, Awards, Summits, grants and other hidden opportunities for non-dilutive capital. Here’s Y Combinator’s $1M Pitch Framework. “The #1 barrier preventing investors from understanding your company isn’t the complexity of your technology or business model. It’s you.”
~Diane
💪 The Biggies
🐣 Newly Added
What | For | Prize/Why Attend | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
Arizona; Social Impact; recent growth | Recognition | Mar 17 | |
Consumer brand; Retail | 10,000+ attendees; industry speakers | Mar 24 | |
ASEAN, Cambodia; CleanTech; AI; pre-seed to Series B | $10,000 | Mar 30 | |
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire; 2+ yrs in business | $25,000 | Mar 31 | |
British Columbia; any tech startup | $250,000 total pool | Mar 31; $200 app fee | |
Global; Clean water; Desalination | $119M (gulp) | Mar 31 | |
Creator Economy | Workshops; industry content leaders | Apr 2 | |
ClimateTech; AI; Quantum; Computing | $200,000 AWS credits | Apr 6 | |
Outside Ignite Pitch Competition & Outside Festival | Seed and Series A; Outdoor Health & Wellness; Active lifestyles | $100,000 cash and services | Apr 11 |
SLOSS.Tech Pitch Competition and Tech Conference | Southwest US; AgTech; FoodTech; HealthTech; BioTech; Mobility | $50,000 | Apr 25; $75 app fee |
HealthTech; Digital Health; AI; AgeTech | Consumer Technology Association; keynotes | Apr 28 | |
FinTech; Banking | 1200+ attendees; live demos | May 6 | |
SaaS; Cloud; AI | 13,000+ attendees | May 12 | |
BioTech; Research & Academia; | Industry stakeholders; gov’t; industrial sector | May 13 | |
HealthTech; BioTech; MedTech; Digital Health; DTC | Panels; breakouts; emerging companies | May 18 |
😨 Closing Soon
What | For | Prize/Why Attend | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
Arizona; Social Impact; recent growth | Recognition | Mar 17 | |
Colorado; Improve independence for indivs with disabilities | $2,000,000 total pool | Mar 21 | |
Natural disasters tech | Funding opps; mentorship; global scale | Mar 21 | |
Avio+Medtech MVP Pitch Competition & Medtech Conf | Diagnostics; medical device; software-as-a-medical device ; seed, Series A | $20,000 | Mar 21 |
Kentucky, Tennessee; New businesses; founders under 35 yrs old | Recognition | Mar 21 | |
AfricArena - Johannesburg Summit 2025 - Mar 23-25 & Pitch Comp | Africa; Fintech, Deep Tech, Enterprise | Global audience; engage with potential partners | Mar 22 |
NOEW - New Orleans Entreprenuer Week Mar 24-29 & Pitch Comp | Louisiana; startups, innovators | Networking; panels; side-events | Mar 23 |
California | $10,000,000 | Mar 23 |
Another thing 😀 Make sure your deck is investor fabulous with this 30-page report. It’s the same AI tool investors are using to screen pitch decks these days. Talk about a competitive advantage.
👀The Full List
What | For | Prize/Why Attend | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
Music technology | One day conf; deal making environment | Mar 24 | |
Michigan; early-stage businesses | $25,000 cash and services | Mar 24 | |
Consumer brand; Retail | 10,000+ attendees; industry speakers | Mar 24 | |
Canada; early-stage and scaling | Canada’s largest startup awards program; 200+ investors, 200+ startups | Mar 25 | |
Europe; startups; investors | 300+ VCs; side events | May 26 | |
Michigan; packaged foods | $5,000 | Mar 26 | |
Early-stage; Fundraising stage; AgTech; CleanTech; HealthTech; Open Tech | Pitch at Investment Summit | Mar 27 | |
UNLEASH Startup Award & Conference | HR Tech | $50,000 | Mar 28 |
Canada; international expansion plans | $70,000 total pool | Mar 28 | |
Michigan; women founders | $10,000 | Mar 29 | |
MedTech; HealthTech | Speakers; breakout sessions; Innovation Lab | Mar 29 | |
ASEAN, Cambodia; CleanTech; AI; pre-seed to Series B | $10,000 | Mar 30 | |
IP-backed innovation; UN SDGs | Mentoring; global recognition; ceremony in Switzerland | Mar 31 | |
Deep Tech; Climate Tech; Emerging Tech | S$100,000 | Mar 31 | |
Women and minority businesses | $2,450 | Mar 31 | |
Missouri or relocating to St. Louis; early-stage, tech-enabled | $100,000 | Mar 31 | |
California; AgTech; Life Sciences; CleanTech; ZEV | $50,000 | Mar 31 | |
Cybersecurity | Pitch live to 2,000+ | Mar 31 (my guess) | |
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire; 2+ yrs in business | $25,000 | Mar 31 | |
British Columbia; any tech startup | $250,000 total pool | Mar 31; $200 app fee | |
Global; Clean water; Desalination | $119M (gulp) | Mar 31 | |
iGaming; pre-seed, seed, Series A | $50,000 investment; pitch live at NEXT Summit | Apr 1 | |
Nordic region; Culture; Education; Sports | 600,000 Danish kroner | Apr 1 | |
Global; | World’s largest startup event; 3,000 startups, 50 countries | Apr 2 | |
Creator Economy | Workshops; industry content leaders | Apr 2 | |
Nevada; support rural tourism | $20,000 | Apr 3 | |
Seed; Series A; all startups | Pitch to Bay-area VC’s | Apr 4 | |
Europe; early-stage; traction | Syndicate investment | Apr 5 | |
LatAm; iGaming; Sports Betting | Main event for Brazil gaming ecosystem | Apr 6 | |
ClimateTech; AI; Quantum; Computing | $200,000 AWS credits | Apr 6 | |
AI; Architecture; Construction | $5,000; present to investors | Apr 8 | |
Pennsylvania | Pitch the ABC show | Apr 11 | |
Travel innovations; hospitality; tours, AI; seed and scale-ups | Pitch at Phocuswright Europe | Apr 15 | |
Biking; ecomobility | Industry recognition; present at exclusive exhibition | Apr 18 | |
Sustainable mobility; EV’s | $439,000 total | Apr 18 | |
Europe; all startups | 2,500 founders, investors, media | Apr 23 | |
SLOSS.Tech Pitch Competition and Tech Conference | Southwest US; AgTech; FoodTech; HealthTech; BioTech; Mobility | $50,000 | Apr 25; $75 app fee |
Defi; Web3; Blockchain | Decentralized governance model; 150+ speakers; 7,000+ attendees | Apr 27 | |
Tech startups | 5,000+ attendees; 400+ VC funds | Apr 28 | |
HealthTech; Digital Health; AI; AgeTech | Consumer Technology Association; keynotes | Apr 28 | |
Nigeria; early-stage | $12,500 | Apr 30 | |
IFT FIRST Pitch Competition & Expo | Foodtech; food-related; pre-seed to growth stage | $10,000 | May 1 |
New Beverage Showdown Pitch Comp & BevNET Conference | Foodtech; Food & Bev | $10,000+ advertising package | May 2 |
FinTech; Banking | 1200+ attendees; live demos | May 6 | |
SaaS; Cloud; AI | 13,000+ attendees | May 12 | |
BioTech; Research & Academia; | Industry stakeholders; gov’t; industrial sector | May 13 | |
HealthTech; BioTech; MedTech; Digital Health; DTC | Panels; breakouts; emerging companies | May 18 | |
Latitude59 - Talinn; May 21-23 & Pitch Comp | Global; founders; investors | Workshops; afterparties; 65+ countries | May 20 |
Consumer brand; Retail | 4,500+ attendees | Jun 1 | |
Banking; Payments; AI, FinTech; Commerce | Keynotes, networking | Jun 2 | |
Innovative early-stage | $100,000; Disrupt tickets | Jun 9 | |
India; CleanTech, EV, green hydrogen | Pitch to investors, industry stakeholders | Jun 15 | |
Europe; founders; investors | 4500+ tech enthusiasts | Jun 18 | |
RALLY Pitch Competition & Conference | AgTech; Food, Healthcare; SportsTech; Software; Hardware | $5,000,000 total investment; $1M investment to finalist | July 31 (my guess) |
Africa, US, UK; FinTech; Payments; FX | $10,000 | Aug 31 |
Let me know if you apply to any of these opportunities, and especially when you WIN!
Want me to feature your pitch competition, grant, or event? Reply to this email!
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.
