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.

🌐 The other 15 spots will be selected in the coming weeks. Submit your application here!

Selected startups will be notified one week prior to the event, and will have to purchase a startup ticket to guarantee their spot. 

🎟 Tickets are free until September 1st – due to venue access at Mana Tech and a limited guest list, we require attendee names and emails in advance and we'll charge a small fee to help ensure attendance.

🚀 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.