Will you be crowned champion?

Startup Grind Pitch Battle Royale is a high-energy pitch competition designed to spotlight bold founders, innovative startups, and game-changing ideas at the early stages of growth. From early concepts to revenue-generating companies, this competition brings together entrepreneurs, investors, operators, and ecosystem leaders for an unforgettable showdown of vision, execution, and traction.

Startups compete across three stages — Idea, Development, and Traction (up to Series A) — ensuring a fair and dynamic playing field for founders wherever they are in their journey. Selected participants will pitch live, receive real-time feedback from experienced judges, and gain meaningful exposure within the Startup Grind community and beyond.

Winners of local competitions will advance to the semi-finals, and those winners will advance to the finals to compete for the ultimate prize: Champion of the Startup Grind Pitch Battle Royale.

Competition Stages:

Idea

Eligibility Description

The Idea Stage is for founders who are in the earliest phase of building their startup. Companies in this category may have a defined concept, problem statement, or solution hypothesis, but have not yet launched a market-ready product.

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Eligible startups typically:

• Are pre-revenue or generating minimal test revenue
• May have a prototype, wireframes, mockups, or proof of concept
• Are validating the problem, solution, and target customer
• Have not raised institutional capital (friends & family or small grants are acceptable)
• Are focused on customer discovery and early validation

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Not required:

• A finished product
• Paying customers
• Formal incorporation

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DEVELOPMENT

Eligibility Description

The Development Stage is for startups that have moved beyond the idea phase and are actively building, testing, or launching their product or service. These companies are refining their offering and beginning to establish market fit.

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Eligible startups typically:

• Have an MVP or early product in development or live
• May have early customers or pilot users
• Are generating early or inconsistent revenue
• Have begun go-to-market testing and iteration
• May have raised pre-seed or seed funding

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Common characteristics:

• Active product development and iteration
• Early traction metrics (users, pilots, revenue, partnerships)
• Focused on product-market fit

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Traction

Eligibility Description

The Traction Stage is for startups that have demonstrated measurable market adoption and are actively scaling their business. This category is intended for companies that have clear evidence of traction but are pre-Series B.

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Eligible startups typically:

• Have a live product or service with consistent usage
• Are generating recurring or repeatable revenue
• Can demonstrate growth in users, customers, or revenue
• May have raised seed or Series A funding only
• Are focused on scaling operations, sales, or partnerships

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Not eligible:

• Companies that have raised Series B or later rounds

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Local Competitions

February 16-21, 2026

Check the local chapter page for their event date, details, and more about that competition and its offerings. One winner from each stage will advance to the semi-finals.

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All selected startups will be notified by their respective Chapter Director in the coming weeks, ahead of the battles.

Semi-Finals

Wednesday, February 25, 2026 (VIRTUAL)

US TIMES: 8 AM PT / 9 AM MT / 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET

INTERNATIONAL TIMES: COT: 11 AM / BRT  1 PM / GMT 4 PM / SAST 6 PM / PKT 9 PM / IST 9:30 PM

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The top three candidates from each stage in the semi-finals will advance to the finals.

Finals

Wednesday, March 4, 2026 - 8 AM PST (VIRTUAL)

US TIMES: 8 AM PT / 9 AM MT / 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET

INTERNATIONAL TIMES: COT: 11 AM / BRT  1 PM / GMT 4 PM / SAST 6 PM / PKT 9 PM / IST 9:30 PM

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Each startup will pitch in their respective stage, and each startup will be awarded a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place in the final competition.

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