Startup Grind Pitch Battle Royale - Miami Venture Week

Feb 24, 11:00β€―PM – Feb 25, 1:30β€―AM (UTC)

Miami

One K Miami, 1000 South Miami Avenue, Miami, 33130

πŸš€ What Is Pitch Battle Royale?The Startup Grind Pitch Battle Royale brings founders from around the world together to pi...

In-person event
Pitch Battle

About this event

πŸš€ What Is Pitch Battle Royale?

The Startup Grind Pitch Battle Royale brings founders from around the world together to pitch their startups, receive expert feedback, and compete for cash prizes, recognition, and advancement to the global stage. The competition runs from February 16-March 4, 2026.


Local Startup Grind chapters host the first round of competition, where startups battle it out in one of three stagesβ€”Idea, Development, or Tractionβ€”for the chance to advance to the Semi Finals and Finals.


Learn more at PitchBattleRoyale.com


Whether you’re pitching or attending, expect high-energy competition, sharp ideas, and meaningful connections.



🧠 Who Should Apply?


Startups compete in the stage that best matches their progress:

  • Idea Stage – Early concepts, validation, or pre-MVP

  • Development Stage – Building, testing, or launching a product

  • Traction Stage – Users, revenue, pilots, or early scale (up to Series A)

Each startup delivers:

  • A 2-minute pitch

  • Up to 3 slides

  • Live Q&A and feedback from judges

πŸ“Œ All startup applications are submitted through:
πŸ‘‰ PitchBattleRoyale.com

 (Full rules, eligibility, and judging criteria available there.)


πŸ† What’s at Stake?

Local Chapter Prizes

Each stage winner at the local level receives:

  • Cash prizes

  • Digital swag

  • Local recognition

  • Complimentary Ticket to SG Conference April 27-29, 2026

  • Advancement to the Semi-Finals


🌍 Global Competition Prizes

Startups advancing beyond the local level compete for:

  • Additional cash prizes

  • Certificates, medals, and plaques

  • Startup Grind exhibition packages

  • Global exposure across the Startup Grind ecosystem


πŸ“… Competition Timeline


Miami / Fort Lauderdal Competition

πŸ—“ February Feb 24, 2026 6:00 PM

πŸ•— TIME:  6:00 - 8:30 PM
πŸ“ Location: One K Miami, 1000 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33130


Semi-Finals (Virtual)

πŸ—“ Wednesday, February 25, 2026
πŸ•— 8:00 AM PST (update to your local time zone)


Global Finals (Virtual)

πŸ—“ Wednesday, March 4, 2026
πŸ•— 8:00 AM PST (update to your local time zone)


🎀 Attend the Event


Attendees can expect:

  • Fast-paced startup pitches

  • Live judging and feedback

  • Networking with founders and leaders

  • A front-row seat to the next wave of innovation

πŸ”— How to Get Involved


πŸ‘‰ Startups

Apply to compete at PitchBattleRoyale.com
(All competition details, rules, and eligibility live there.)


πŸ‘‰ Attendees

Register to attend through this page and come cheer on your local founders.


βš”οΈ Ready to Enter the Arena?

Whether you’re pitching your startup or showing up to support the ecosystem, Startup Grind Pitch Battle Royale is where founders battle, ideas shine, and the next big companies take their first step onto the global stage.


πŸ‘‰ Apply at PitchBattleRoyale.com

Check out what happened

Judges

  • Grace Spindel

    Founder Institute

    Director

  • Kwamara Thompson

    Investor & Social Entrepreneur

  • Luba Lesiva

    Palumni VC

    Founding General Partner

  • Denis Hiller

    1001 VC

    General Partner

  • Cheryl Zuckerman

    Ambrosia Ventures

    Partner of Strategic Partnerships & Commercialization

  • Hari Raghavan

    CEO and Cofounder + Investor

    Autograph

When

When

February 24 – 25, 2026
11:00 PM – 1:30 AM (UTC)

Organizers

  • Dr. Lascelle A. Sweetland

    iLab Startup Foundation

    Miami Chapter Director

  • Joan Zhang

    Startup Grind Miami

    Co-Director

  • Denisse Miller Legg

    Ricenbeans

    Marketing/Business Development

  • Guillermo VizcaΓ­no

    Startup Grind

    Global Community Director

Global sponsor

Carta logo

Carta

Gold

Creative Hub Academy logo

Creative Hub Academy

Partners

Creative Hub Academy logo

Creative Hub Academy

Connectd logo

Connectd

About Startup Grind

This is Startup Grind. We are the world’s largest startup community.

Our Mission

To give startups everywhere the education and opportunities they need to build, grow, and scale their companies.

Our Values

We believe in making friends, not contacts. We believe in giving first, not taking. We believe in helping others before helping yourself.

Tools & Discounts for Startups

Take advantage of resources and offers provided by organizations we know and love, designed to help you navigate the startup journey.

Global Conference

Our annual flagship event in Silicon Valley brings together thousands of startup teams, investors and organizations from all over the world.

Join the Startup Membership

This membership gives you free access to networking, events, mentorship, office hours, and other exclusive opportunities curated by Startup Grind HQ.