How it works

Over the years, prizes have included coveted spots in top tier Accelerator programs; our two $100,000 investment prizes; Grandmothers’ choice; Paid Proofs-of-concept; long-term partnerships with world-class corporations; straight cash in hand; and so much more.

We’ll be listing prizes here, with more announced rolling basis throughout the spring and summer. Pitch applications will happen online, and will include basic business details, alongside a short video or written pitch. The exact criteria will vary with each prize.

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Find the Reasons

Why attend?

Our first event in 2021 was Growth Week, April 12-14: A 3-morning deep-dive into scaling for growth. Each day included a workshop on a vital aspect of startup growth—product, funding, and hiring—followed by a candid conversation with founders who’ve crossed the Series A chasm themselves. There was also open office hours sessions with investors and networking between founders, funders, and ecosystem players.

WORKSHOPS

Startupfest Growth Week laid out clear steps on how to take your growth-stage startup to the next level, from some of the startup world’s best thinkers. We can’t keep this content to ourselves, so we’re sharing these incredible workshops with founders worldwide.

Lenny Rachitsky—who writes the industry’s best newsletter on product management and growth—delivered so much concrete detail and so many frameworks in “Is Your Product ready for a Series A”. For weekly insights, sign up for Lenny’s newsletter!

The team at Enjoy The Work has helped over 150 successful raises. “Fundraising is Much More than a Pitch Deck” with Leslie Fine and Jonathan Lowenhar dropped so many knowledge bombs, don’t forget to check out their blog for more valuable content.

Niya Dragova of Candor shared how to attract the best candidates, and how to compete with the biggest firms to build the perfect team. Her unique perspective helping the most in-demand candidates navigate hiring is priceless if you’re trying to build a team. Here’s her fantastic talk, “The Reality of Startup Hiring”. If you want to be the first to know the latest about hiring in tech, sign up for Niya’s newsletter.

Invest in culture and values, and clearly define a common purpose, are just some of the key strategies to hire the best talent according to Justin Segall, Chief Strategy Officer at cleantech giant Uplight. Justin shared the decade-long journey from Techstars accelerator to Unicorn funding.