All SF State undergraduate or graduate students with an innovative business idea or startup are invited to compete in the annual Innovation Pitch Competition. This year, the top three pitches share $7,000 in cash prizes!
Whether your entrepreneurial idea is in the ideation phase or ready for angels and seed, this is a great opportunity to get feedback from seasoned entrepreneurs, investors and business faculty. Put your idea to paper and see if it’s got wings to take off! (A little prize money doesn’t hurt either!)
| First Place | Second Place | Third Place |
|---|---|---|
| $4000 | $2000 | $1000 |
IMPORTANT DATES
- Applications Close: Early April 2026
- Acceptance Notification: TBD
- Innovation Pitch Competition Day: April 17, 2026
How It Works
The founder or co-founder must be a currently enrolled SF State student. The pitch competition is open to business and entrepreneurial ideas and startups from all industries and at any stage in the startup cycle.
Submit an application and pitch deck by early April 2026
- All entries will be reviewed, and finalists will be notified via email early April 2026
- Selected entries will be invited to present live, in front of a panel of judges on April 17, 2026.
- Winners will be announced on the same day as the competition.
- Review the full list of Terms & Conditions.
The preliminary round of judging focuses on finding a compelling and convincing innovation or entrepreneurial story, based on what is presented on a 10-15 side pitch deck (PDF and PPT files accepted only).
The most successful entries have typically demonstrated:
- A clear value proposition for a clearly defined target market
Who is the prototypical consumer of your innovation, and why would they pay for your solution? What problem of theirs does your innovation solve? What need(s) does your innovation fulfill? - A clear explanation of how you are able to solve the consumer’s problem
How or why does your solution work? What enables your solution to fulfill customer needs better than anything/anyone else out there? - Technical proof of concept
Has a prototype or MVP been created, tested, and iterated with users? Does the technology or innovation work? How realistic and achievable is the underlying solution given the work that has already been done, the technical expertise of the founders, and the existing research and development that has already taken place? - Traction in the marketplace
Is there demonstrated product-market fit? Do you have evidence that your idea or prototype is desirable to, adopted by, or sought after by a market? - A well-articulated revenue model
How does this innovation generate revenue? What recurring revenues streams are created? Who’s paying, and how are they paying for your offering? - A founding team that is set up for success
Does the founding team have the right technical expertise to execute on the innovation? Is this something that the founders will continue to pursue after graduation?
How to Watch the Innovation Pitch Competition
Come join us virtually to help promote the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship at our University. Show your support for SFSU students with great business ideas or startups, who were selected to participate in the SFSU Innovation Pitch Competition this year!