It's baaaack! And if you know, you know.

After sellout events in Miami and Austin, Startup Mania returns for it's 3rd year, this time in CHICAGO!

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What is Startup Mania? The only global pitch tournament where 64 top startups compete in head-to-head elimination matchups, culminating in a championship final inside a boxing ring, all in ONE day.

Plus expert panels, brand activations, a live podcast interviewing competitors and attendees, happy hour, and an afterparty with food, drinks, and live music.

Startup Mania is where the entire ecosystem of founders, investors, accelerators, and operators all come together under one roof.

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What to expect? Nonstop action from morning to night. Expect multiple pitch matchups happening simultaneously throughout the venue in the morning. Grab a seat and watch a few, then move around to catch others, gleaning what's new and what's next in tech. When startups aren't pitching, we put investors to the test and have them reverse-pitch the audience.

After each round everyone gathers around the boxing ring to find out in a live announcement who moves on. Expect outbursts of cheer alongside gasps and heartbreak. We've also got expert panels, keynotes, and opportunities for the audience to win prizes throughout the day.

As the sun sets and we reach the finals, the lights dim, the intensity picks up, and the spotlight hits the boxing ring. The last 5 startups standing who have survived the competition each walk out to their own entrance music, receive a booming, professional fighter-style introduction, step through the ring ropes, and make their final pitch with hundreds of eyes on them.

Grab your ticket for a front-row seat to the competition, with unmatched networking (that doesn't feel like work!) all day long.

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How does the tournament work?

• Round of 64: 1-minute pitch, no slides (quick and punchy y'all!)

• Round of 32: 1-minute pitch, no slides, new judges

• Super 16: 2-minute pitch, no slides, new judges

• Great 8: 2-minute pitch, no slides, new judges

• Fab 5: 3-minute pitch, with slides, new judges, plus judge Q&A*

*If a startup is eliminated in the first round they are placed into a consolation pool where they can pitch their way back into the tournament and become the 5th startup added to the finals. In the Fab 5, one champion is picked out of all 5 remaining startups.

Each pitch is directly to a set of investor judges. It's the ultimate endurance test for a founder: Make it to the finals and pitch 5 times and up to 25 total investors -- in a single day.

This is sweat equity on a whole new level.

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What's on the line? The Startup Mania 3 champion wins a grand prize package valued at over $30,000! Including:

• At least $10,000 cash 💰

• The official Startup Mania championship belt 🥇

• A majority scholarship to the University of Utah Master of Business Creation graduate program (online or in-person available) 📚

• And a whole lot more. 🤑

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What else? Startup Mania 3 is a multi-day festival in Chicago. Including a Venture Crawl on March 23rd open to all, curated 1:1 investor meetings for tournament competitors on March 25th, plus workshops, mixers, vibe coding sessions, and demo days throughout the week hosted by our community partners. Grab a bundle pass and save!

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Want to compete? Submit your application today! Selection notifications will go out in January. 👉 APPLY HERE