I’ve spent countless hours finding pitch competitions that are actually open to student founders. I’ve personally participated in 18 competitions, won money at 10, and taken first place at 5. This list brings that research together in one place, including the opportunities worth knowing about, key eligibility requirements, prize amounts, and confirmed or expected deadlines
Non-Dilutive Funding for Students Actually Worth Your Time
Most application deadlines are in the winter!
Enter your email below to stay updated on new funding opportunities, deadlines, and more.
Last Updated (Updated Biweekly): 8/24/2026
Shore Hatchery
Deadline: September 7, 2027
Funding: $100K awarded each semester; up to $50K per winner
Type: Regional Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Business must be based in the Mid-Atlantic region
Business must be within 5 years of launch
Previous competitors generally cannot compete again, although applicants who were not selected may reapply
Application requires meaningful business-plan and financial information
Accelerate Student Competition
Deadline: September 14, 2027
Funding: $8K total cash prizes
Type: Student Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Must be enrolled in at least 12 credits at a university or community college
Open to students at any degree level
Selected participants must be available to pitch in person at George Mason University's Arlington campus
Application includes a short company abstract and 3–5 minute pitch video
View Accelerate Student Competition →
VentureWell E-Team Program — Pioneer / Propel
Deadline: September 29, 2026 — Winter 2027 Cohort
Funding: $5K through Pioneer + $20K through Propel, up to $25K total
Type: Accelerator + Grant
Key Eligibility
Student-led team with at least 2 actively enrolled students at a U.S.-based college or university
Developing a science- or engineering-based innovation with commercialization potential
Innovation should address a meaningful social, health, or environmental need
New teams enter through Pioneer; Propel is for teams that have completed Pioneer
Baylor New Venture Competition
Deadline: October 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM CT — 2027 Competition
Funding: $200K+ in cash prizes and resources; $50K 1st, $25K 2nd, $10K 3rd
Type: Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Open to collegiate teams from accredited nonprofit universities worldwide
Qualifying recent alumni may also participate
Venture must be student-created, student-managed, and student-led
Teams must verify student/alumni status
Advancing teams may be required to submit a business plan, cap table, and legal/company documentation
View Baylor New Venture Competition →
CEO Global Pitch
Deadline: October 18, 2027
Funding: $20K total — $8K 1st, $6K 2nd, $4K 3rd, $2K 4th
Type: Student Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Must be a currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student
Must be an active Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization member
May enter with either a viable business concept or an operating venture
Prize recipients must verify current enrollment and participate in the competition process
View CEO Global Pitch Competition →
Entrepreneurship World Cup (2027)
Deadline: May 31, 2027
Funding: $1M total equity-free cash prizes
Type: Global Startup Competition
Key Eligibility
Open globally to founders age 18+
Idea Track: validated concept or user feedback; revenue not required
Early Track: functional product/prototype with early users or under $1M annual revenue
Growth Track: operating in at least one market with over $1M annual revenue or significant traction
Applications are submitted in English
View Entrepreneurship World Cup →
TigerLaunch
Expected Deadline: November 9, 2026
Funding: $60K equity-free prize pool — $30K 1st, $20K 2nd, $10K 3rd
Type: Student Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Current undergraduate or graduate student founder
Open to students at colleges and universities worldwide
Any industry or startup stage, including pre-seed
Selected teams advance through competition rounds, with finalists pitching in person
Y Combinator — Winter 2027
Expected Deadline: November 2026
Funding: $500K standard YC investment
Type: Accelerator + Investment
Key Eligibility
Open globally
Startups from essentially any industry may apply
Idea-stage, pre-revenue, and very early-stage companies can apply
Solo founders can apply
Founders should be prepared to work full-time on the company if accepted
ACC InVenture Prize — University Selection
Expected Deadline: November 2026–January 2027; varies by university
Funding: $30K total — $15K 1st, $10K 2nd, $5K People's Choice
Type: Student Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Each participating ACC university selects one team to represent the school
Team members must be full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates or qualifying recent graduates
Entrants should be the original creators, inventors, or owners of the underlying IP
University-owned IP is not eligible
Venture cannot have generated more than $100K in combined revenue or capital funding
MedTech Innovator
Expected Deadline: December 2026
Funding: Approximately $800K in non-dilutive awards across the latest program; 2027 amount TBD
Type: Accelerator + Competition
Key Eligibility
Medical device, diagnostic, digital health, or related medtech company
Companies from early stage through Series C may qualify
Should be beyond a concept-only idea with credible technology or product development
Selected companies must participate in applicable pitch and accelerator programming
MIT Sloan Healthcare Innovations Prize — SHIP
Expected Deadline: January 9, 2027
Funding: Up to $30K in cash prizes
Type: Healthcare Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
At least one team member must be a current student or have graduated within the previous 3 years
Undergraduate, master's, and PhD students may qualify
Team must have received no more than $250K in funding
At least one team member must be available for semifinal and final pitch rounds
Tulane Business Model Competition
Expected Deadline: January 2027
Funding: $125K total cash prize in the latest published competition
Type: Student Business Model Competition
Key Eligibility
Team must be led by 2–5 students enrolled at a college or university
Designed for early-stage, student-led ventures
Venture should demonstrate customer discovery and testing of key business-model assumptions
Strong emphasis on Lean Startup and customer-development principles
View Tulane Business Model Competition →
Values and Ventures Competition
Expected Deadline: January 25, 2027
Funding: $40K grand prize + additional placement and special awards
Type: Undergraduate Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Primarily for currently enrolled undergraduate students
Teams must include at least 2 undergraduate members
Up to 5 presenters
Venture must be for-profit, values-centered, and address a societal or environmental need
Venture must be majority owned by undergraduate team members
Faculty or staff sponsor required
Rice Business Plan Competition
Expected Deadline: January 31, 2027
Funding: $1M+ in cash, investment, and in-kind prizes in recent competitions
Type: Student Business Plan Competition
Key Eligibility
Startup must be student-driven, student-created, and/or student-managed
At least 2 current student founders or management-team members
At least 1 must be a current graduate degree-seeking student
Latest rules capped prior equity funding at $250K
Latest rules capped revenue at $100K during any 12-month period before the cutoff
Startup should be seeking investment now or within the next year
View Rice Business Plan Competition →
Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge
Expected Deadline: February 1–March 1, 2027, depending on pathway
Funding: $75K+ prize pool in recent cycles; 2027 amount TBD
Type: Student Social Innovation Competition
Key Eligibility
At least one founding partner must be an enrolled college or university student
Venture must address a social or environmental challenge
Should align with at least one UN Sustainable Development Goal
Should be beyond the idea stage, with an MVP/prototype ready or venture already launched
Deadlines differ for university, international at-large, and U.S. at-large pathways
Johns Hopkins Healthcare Design Competition
Expected Deadline: February 1, 2027
Funding: Latest cycle awarded $5K / $3K / $1K per track Type: Healthcare Design Competition
Key Eligibility
Project must address an eligible healthcare application
Project must be driven by full-time students
Undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and professional-degree students may qualify
Faculty- or postdoc-led projects are not eligible
Latest rules excluded projects with more than $100K in significant prior funding
View Johns Hopkins Competition →
ACC InVenture Prize — Team Registration
Expected Deadline: February 13, 2027
Funding: $30K total — $15K 1st, $10K 2nd, $5K People's Choice
Type: Student Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Must first be selected to represent a participating ACC university
Team members must satisfy undergraduate/recent-graduate requirements
Venture must meet ACC ownership/IP requirements
Combined revenue and capital funding must remain within the competition's limits
Selected teams must complete registration and required pitch/video materials
CMU Venture Challenge
Expected Deadline: February 13, 2027
Funding: Latest listed awards: $5K 1st, $3K 2nd, $1K 3rd
Type: Student Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Student-led startup or venture
At least one current student founder should be actively building and pitching the company
Geared toward collegiate founders and early-stage ventures
Final 2027 requirements should be confirmed when applications open
Collegiate Great Brands Competition
Expected Deadline: February 13, 2027
Funding: $25K total — $15K 1st, $7K 2nd, $3K 3rd
Type: Student Consumer-Brand Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Open to undergraduate and graduate students from any university
PMBA, EMBA, and PhD teams must include an undergraduate contributor who presents or co-presents
Recent graduates must have graduated within the past 3 semesters
Business must be consumer-focused
Business must have less than $2M in cumulative lifetime sales plus external funding, grants, and awards
View Collegiate Great Brands →
Embry-Riddle Entrepreneurship Competition
Expected Deadline: Mid-February 2027
Funding: Up to $15K in prizes
Type: Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Student-led startup focused on aviation, aerospace, engineering, or related technology
At least one full-time undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited Florida university must be on the team
Qualifying student must have a significant venture role, such as founder, equity holder, or C-level manager
Qualifying student must deliver the final pitch if selected
Zingale Big Idea Competition
Expected Deadline: February 2027 — exact deadline TBD
Funding: $40K+ in prize money in recent competitions
Type: Student Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Primarily designed for student teams with new or early-stage venture ideas
Recent competitions have included students from multiple universities
Supports both commercial and social-impact venture categories
2027 process has not yet been published; prospective applicants should confirm directly with the organizer
View Zingale Big Idea Competition →
BIG IdeaBounce
Expected Deadline: Around February 23, 2027, if the large-format competition returns
Funding: Latest large competition offered a $50K grand prize; 2027 TBD
Type: Student Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Latest large-format competition focused on student-led healthcare ventures
IdeaBounce more broadly welcomes students, faculty, and community innovators
Projects may range from early ideas through prototype-stage ventures
No large BIG IdeaBounce competition was found for 2026, so 2027-specific eligibility should be confirmed if it returns
Hult Prize
Expected Deadline: February 28, 2027
Funding: Up to $1M in seed funding
Type: Student Pitch Competition + Accelerator
Key Eligibility
Teams must have 2–4 university students
All members must be at least 18 years old
All members must be enrolled in degree-seeking programs when registering
Venture must be for-profit
Business must directly support at least one UN Sustainable Development Goal
KITE-UHN Power Play
Expected Deadline: February 28, 2027
Funding: $50K total prizes in the latest cycle
Type: Healthcare Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Healthcare innovation addressing an unmet need in areas such as health, rehabilitation, or aging
Latest competition included early-stage concepts and startups with products or services under development
Preventive solutions, diagnostics, assistive devices, and other health technologies may qualify
Final geographic and team requirements should be confirmed when the next cycle opens
Athene Beyond Boundaries Pitch Competition
Expected Deadline: March 1, 2027
Funding: Cash prizes for finalists; 2027 amounts TBD
Type: Small-Business Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
For-profit businesses only
Business generally must be more than 2 years old
Fewer than 50 employees
Under $2.5M in annual revenue
Business does not need to be located in West Des Moines
Recent award recipients may face restrictions on re-entering
e-Fest Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Competition
Expected Deadline: March 1, 2027
Funding: $50K 1st, $30K 2nd, $20K 3rd, $15K 4th, $10K 5th + additional awards
Type: Undergraduate Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Teams must generally include 2–5 eligible undergraduate students
Recent graduates may qualify under annual rules
Students must lead the venture
Students must collectively hold at least 25% of founder equity
Latest rules capped cumulative funding at $100K
Latest rules capped cumulative sales/revenue at $50K
Faculty or staff advisor required
Regnier Venture Creation Challenge
Expected Deadline: March 15, 2027
Funding: $180K total prize pool in 2026; 2027 amount TBD
Type: Student / Community Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
College Startup track is open to degree-seeking students at accredited colleges and universities in Missouri and neighboring states
Ventures should be early-stage
For-profit and nonprofit ventures may qualify
Multiple divisions cover technology, health, products/services, creative ventures, and more
Separate Kansas City community track available to non-student founders
View Regnier Venture Creation Challenge →
Defeat the Odds Pitch Competition
Expected Deadline: March 20, 2027
Funding: $52K total — $30K 1st, $15K 2nd, $7K 3rd
Type: Student Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Must be enrolled at a U.S. college or university
Participants must be at least 18
Teams limited to 4 members
Application includes the required submission and short pitch video
Next Top Entrepreneur
Expected Deadline: March 20, 2027
Funding: $17.5K total — $10K 1st, $5K 2nd, $2.5K 3rd
Type: Student Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Open to undergraduate and graduate students from any college or university
PMBA, EMBA, and PhD teams must include a meaningful undergraduate contributor who presents or co-presents
Recent graduates must generally have graduated within the past 3 semesters
Business must have less than $2M in cumulative lifetime sales plus outside funding, grants, and awards
Maximum of 4 participating team members
MN Cup
Expected Deadline: April 3, 2027
Funding: $400K+ in total non-dilutive cash prizes
Type: Statewide Startup Competition
Key Eligibility
Founder must live in Minnesota or operate a Minnesota-based startup
Company must have less than $1M in annual revenue
Students attending a Minnesota college or university may enter the Student Division even if their permanent address is elsewhere
Previous 1st-place division winners generally cannot compete again with the same venture
DEBUT Challenge
Expected Deadline: June 5, 2027
Funding: $20K 1st, $15K 2nd, $10K 3rd + multiple specialty prizes
Type: Undergraduate Biomedical Design Competition
Key Eligibility
Undergraduate student team
Must be developing a biomedical engineering or design innovation
Project must address a healthcare need through an engineering or technology solution
Annual student/team requirements apply
Faculty sponsor required
Strong entries demonstrate prototype/design progress, commercial potential, and a path toward implementation
Startup Battlefield
Expected Deadline: June 8, 2027
Funding: $100K equity-free grand prize
Type: Global Startup Competition
Key Eligibility
Open globally and across industries
Primarily designed for ambitious early-stage startups
Most selected companies are pre-Series A
Select Series A companies may be considered
Functional MVP required
Application requires a genuine product demo
Startup Prize: Health
Expected Deadline: June 15, 2027
Funding: $10K cash grand prize per FDA and Non-FDA track
Type: Healthcare Startup Competition + Incubator
Key Eligibility
Open worldwide to early-stage health and medical startups
Typically targeted to companies no more than 3–5 years old
Generally no more than $1M in equity capital
Under $2M in current-year revenue
Eligible areas include medtech, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, services, digital health, wellness, and related fields
At least one team member must fully participate in a qualifying event
HLTH USA Startup Pitch
Expected Deadline: June 26, 2027
Funding: $25K main pitch prize
Type: Healthcare Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Startup must fit an active healthcare or health-tech pitch category
Best suited to early-stage companies with differentiated solutions and meaningful growth potential
Selected companies must participate in the relevant HLTH pitch event
Exact 2027 stage and category requirements should be confirmed when applications open
James Dyson Award
Expected Deadline: July 15, 2027
Funding: £30K Global Winner, £30K Sustainability Winner, £5K National Winners
Type: Student Design / Engineering Competition
Key Eligibility
Entrant must be at least 18
Must currently study engineering, design, or a related field, or have graduated within the previous 4 years
For teams, at least one member must meet the core engineering/design eligibility
Other team members must generally be current/recent university students or graduates
Teams limited to 10 members
Must enter through an eligible country or region
SENT Ventures Pitch Competition
Expected Deadline: July 24, 2027
Funding: $10K cash winner + $50K+ in-kind prizes
Type: Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
At least one founder must be Catholic
Startup itself may be secular or faith-focused
Must be a for-profit, venture-scalable startup
Target stage is MVP through pre-product-market-fit, angel, pre-seed, or seed
Companies that have raised capital are generally preferred to have raised no more than approximately $1M
Planned next raise should generally be no more than approximately $2.5M
Dorm Room Fund
Deadline: Rolling
Funding: $90K–$250K investment
Type: Student-Focused Venture Investment
Key Eligibility
At least one founding team member should currently be enrolled or have graduated within the last year
Startup must be incorporated in the U.S., although it may operate internationally
No MVP is required; idea-stage founders may apply
Designed for student and recent-graduate founders building venture-scale companies
GSEA — Global Student Entrepreneur Awards
Deadline: Varies by local competition / chapter
Funding: $100K global prize pool; top global prizes have included $50K, $25K, and $15K
Type: Student Entrepreneurship Competition
Key Eligibility
Must be an undergraduate or graduate student at the time of application
Part-time students may qualify
Must be the owner, founder, or controlling shareholder and principal operator of the business
Business must have operated for at least 6 consecutive months
Must have generated at least $500 in revenue or received at least $1,000 in investment
Participants must be 18–30 years old
Startup Runway
Deadline: Rolling / Showcase-Specific
Funding: Varies by showcase; recent programs have included $10K non-dilutive grants
Type: Pitch Competition
Key Eligibility
Early-stage startup with a scalable business model
Historically focused on improving investor access for founders underrepresented in traditional venture networks
Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate traction, team strength, and business-model potential
Exact eligibility may vary by showcase
Open Rolling Applications
Applications Open
Applications
to-be Opened
Stay updated on new funding opportunities and deadlines.
Stay updated on new funding opportunities and deadlines.
Stay updated on new funding opportunities and deadlines.
Student Founder
For student founders, by student founders.
Contact: miles@studentfounderhq.com