Sunstone CSU Startup Launch 2027

The Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Competition is the premier university startup competition in California designed exclusively for emerging startups in the California State University System. The competition was founded at Cal State Long beach Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and has been funded through a generous grant by the Sunstone Community Fund. The event is alternately hosted by Northern and Southern CSU host institutions. The 2027 competition will be hosted by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, housed in SFSU's Lam Family College of Business. 

The 2027 event is a two-day event for student participants, with an open showcase and pitch competition on day #2 - for CSU community members, supporters, the general public. We welcome everyone to come see what the best and brightest entrepreneurs of the California State University system have in store for the business and startup future. 

This launch competition is designed to highlight business startups and innovations across all industries and scale. Whether you are interested in finding the next technology unicorn, local manufacturing innovation or food product on the market, the students of the CSU Entrepreneurship are ready to showcase their creativity and drive. 

The Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Competition is exclusively for participants from the 23 California State University campuses. These include:

To enter or compete for your University, please contact your University entrepreneruship program coordinator.  Stuent competitors are selected according to each campus' selection criteria. 
 

At least one founder must be:

• A current undergraduate or graduate student of their respective campus, or
• Have graduated in the most recent academic year, Fall or Winter semester.

Although non-CSU students may be on the team, leadership and decision-making must be composed of students and/or alumni from the participating campus. The pitch must be delivered by the team’s current CSU student or recent alumni, as defined above.

Only startups with revenue of less than $10,000 to date from product/ services sales are eligible to compete.

Team selection is the choice of the leadership of each participating campus.

Student startup concepts will be judged based on the following, general criteria. These are subject to changes. 

1. Value proposition: How well does the startup solve a real problem or address a genuine need for its target customers? How clear and compelling is the startup’s pitch and vision?
2. Market opportunity: How large and attractive is the market that the startup is targeting? How well does the startup understand its customers and their willingness to pay for the product or service?
3. Competitive advantage: How does the startup differentiate itself from its existing or potential competitors? What is the startup’s unique value proposition or innovation that gives it an edge in the market?
4. Business model: How does the startup generate revenue and profit from its product or service? How scalable and sustainable is the startup’s business model? How realistic and reasonable are the startup’s financial projections and assumptions?
5. Social Impact: How does the startup measure and demonstrate its impact on its customers, society, and the environment? How aligned is the startup’s mission and vision with its impact goals? How positive and significant is the startup’s impact?
6. Prototype: How well has the team prepared a prototype to demonstrate their concept? Does the prototype demonstrate an iterative process of development? How refined or developed is the prototype? Have good prototyping techniques been demonstrated in the process?
7. Pitch Performance: Has the team developed a concise, persuasive, and effective quick pitch that piques the interest of the listener? Does the quick pitch cover the core elements of the business in a way that is easy for an excited and interested listener to be able to easily understand the business and relay it to a third party in the future in a coherent manner?
8. Market Validation: How well has the team gathered evidence to prove their target market is experiencing the problem stated and that their solution would be in great demand at the prices they are proposing?

• COST  - What is the cost to enter/participate?  How much does it cost to attend either as a student or a viewing participant?  Who pays for travel and accommodations, are those covered? 
  There is no cost to enter the competition. Please coordinate with your campus innovation or entrepreneurship program coordinator for details and eligibility for your University. Travel and accommodations are also coordinated with your campus representatives. Meals during the event (Thursday night, and Friday breakfast and lunch) are included with your University's participation, at no cost to students. A discounted corporate hotel rate has been negotiated for the event, with a block of rooms. Event registrants will have access to discount codes and the room block when registering for the event. 

• TRANSPORTATION - How do I get to the competition? Is there parking? Who pays for travel?  
  Please coordinate with your University program director on travel options. For travel directions (driving and airport instructions) to the SFSU campus, please refer to directions HERE. There is plenty of on-campus parking available for all attendees, available at lot 19/20 on the SFSU campus. Paid parking information is available HERE.

• FOOD/ALLERGIES - I have dietary restrictions, what accommodations are available, and who do I contact?
  During the online registration process, there is a section to describe your dietary restrictions. We will do our best to accommodate, however the food facilities and venue are not free from known allergens. 

• UNDER-AGE & CHAPARONES - I am younger than 18 years old. Can I still enter/participate/compete? What are the requirements for participants under the age of 18? Are accommodations made for parents or chaperones?

  Student participants under the age of 18 must have the permission of their parent(s)/guardian to participate and attend on-campus events. The registration system will ask for age, and provide the appropriate documentation needed for permissioning. If a parent wishes to stay with their minor at the hotel, the parent should book the room. Participants are not required to stay at the event hotel. 

• PROGRAM ATTENDANCE - Do I have to attend both days of the event, or can I just show up to compete ? 

  Student competitors are not required to attend all programming. Though attendance on the not required, we highly encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to network and meet other like-minded innovators. 

Sunstone Management, with subsidiary Sunstone Venture Capital Fund, is a diversified private capital management and investment firm offering comprehensive wealth management solutions worldwide. Focusing on investments in U.S. based small businesses and lower middle markets, its offerings are carefully structured to meet targeted investor goals ranging from short term senior debt products to longer term, equity, growth capital, and venture capital investment strategies. Sunstone is also extremely active as an investor in tech startups as a founding member of the Long Beach Accelerator.

The Sunstone Community fund has been the key sponsor for the CSU Startup Launch since the beginning. To learn more visit https://sunstonecommunity.org/.