Who will be crowned Startup of the Year?

Join the Startup Grind All-Star Pitch Battle — the premier worldwide competition for early-stage startups. Apply here!

We’re searching for the Startup of the Year in every city across the Startup Grind global community. Local winners will go head-to-head with the top startups in their industries on a global stage, pitching in front of Silicon Valley VCs for a chance to claim the title of All-Star Champion, and win prizes along the way.

⚡️ 87+ chapters around the world competing, and over 1,000 startups have already applied - What are you waiting for?

Join as an attendee, as a startup participant, as a featured partner, or VC (and the chance to be one of our selected judges)

🎤 Want to pitch and skip the line? If you're confident you'll be the winner, we have 5 exclusive spots for the first founders to purchase a Pitch Ticket. Right after purchasing your ticket, please fill out this form.

To qualify, you must be Pre-Seed to Series A, or bootstrapped startup with some traction. All industries are welcome.

🚀 All local events format: 1 minute elevator pitch, 1 single slide (you can practice in the elevator up to the 10th floor). What happens next?

1. One winner per city progresses to the Semi Finals.

2. Virtual Semi-Finals by Industry – September 24 (Virtual: RSVP as an attendee for free)

3. Virtual Finals at the Startup Grind AI Summit – October 1, in front of 5,000+ tech attendees and Silicon Valley VCs, with amazing prizes, 1:1 investor meetings, a full exhibition package to SG Conference 2026, and more (Virtual: RSVP as an attendee for free)

Early-stage investors will attend and judge, as well as corporate partners, and a ton of founders, so plenty of pitching and networking to be done throughout the afternoon!

Expect real feedback, strong connections, and sky-high inspiration. Whether you're building, backing, or just curious—come for the friendships, stay for the vision.