This year, Boise Entrepreneur Week will provide more than $300,000 in funding. Aside from cash prizes for winners and runners-up, Connetic Ventures will select an applicant from the main pitch competition, Trailmix or Hacking for Homebuilding to offer $100,000 in equity funding. The main pitch competition and Trailmix have allocated $50,000 for its grand prize winners and $10,000 for runners-up. If fundraising goals are met before the event, the grand prize for both competitions will be increased to $100,000. Applications for the main pitch competition are being accepted until Sept. 2 (apply below). This year’s winner will automatically be qualified to participate in the fourth season finals of Bloomberg Television Network’s 2 Minute Drill and compete for an additional $50,000.
The Trailmix pitch competition, presented by Albertsons, helps food and beverage startups take their products from the farmers market to the supermarket. The grand prize winner will receive a cash prize and shelf space at Albertsons Broadway store in Boise, with the potential for expansion into other regional stores if sales are strong. Trailmix applications are being accepted online at boiseentrepreneurweek.org until Sept. 9. Hacking for Homebuilding, presented by Boise State University’s Venture College and College of Engineering, allows participants to form teams, choose a problem provided by homebuilding partners, and propose a solution in the form of a new venture. Cash prizes totaling $40,000 will be awarded and applications are being accepted at boisestate.edu/venturecollege/hacking-for-homebuilding until Sept. 15.
Additionally, more than $40,000 will be awarded during the following pitch competitions:
Cybersecurity Entrepreneur Challenge, presented by Boise State University’s Venture College and the Institute for Pervasive Cybersecurity, allows participants to form teams, choose a problem provided by industry partners, and propose a solution in the form of a new venture. Applications are due Oct. 6 at boisestate.edu/venturecollege/cyber_entreprenuer_challenge
Elevator Pitch Competition, presented by University of Idaho, allows participants to share product ideas or a startup plan at any stage of development. Advance registration is not required.
Youth Innovation Challenge allows students to propose solutions to real-world problems facing Idaho. Students may participate by forming teams during the event and submitting a video pitch by Nov. 23. Advance registration is not required.
Boise Entrepreneur Week is made possible by Title Sponsor Idaho STEM Action Center; Platinum Sponsors Alturas Capital, Scoggin Capital Investments, Zions Bank; Gold Sponsors Perkins Coie and Vynyl; and partners Connetic Ventures and 2 Minute Drill. The event is accepting additional sponsors until Sept. 15. Sign up, hone your pitch and let’s go!
We're looking for 12 mentors to help prepare our 12 finalists for their final pitch. Finalists will deliver a 7 minute pitch and will have an additional 3 minutes for Q&A with the judges.
Mentor's are asked to commit one hour a week to BEW's pitch finalists for four weeks starting on 9/21 and ending on 10/21. The Pitch Competition takes place on 10/27. What better way to foster growth than
the ground-up mentoring of a winning idea or entrepreneur.
