America 250: 'America’s Startup' national entrepreneur competition returns with $1 million in prizes | FOX 7 Austin
2026-12-01
America 250's nationwide collegiate pitch competition awards over $1 million in prizes, culminating in a live pitch event in Washington, D.C. this December for selected undergraduate teams.
America 250 presents America’s Startup national entrepreneur competition for collegiate student innovators and entrepreneurs, offering over $1 million in prizes. The competition invites undergraduate students across the U.S. to pitch early-stage ventures, featuring mentorship, live pitching in Washington, D.C., and evaluation by a prominent Investor Council.
Founder brief
Who should attend
Undergraduate students enrolled at accredited colleges, universities, or trade schools across the United States qualify to participate. Eligible candidates can pitch as individual founders or small teams working on pre-seed ideas, concepts, or early-stage ventures in any industry sector.
What happens
Entrants must submit a written proposal alongside a two-minute pitch video by October 8, 2026. After evaluations by an Investor Council, thirty semi-finalists proceed to a live pitch event in mid-December in Washington, D.C., where ten finalists and three overall winners secure non-dilutive grant funding.
Who's in the room
Chair Rosie Rios hosts the program, which is supported by sponsor NVIDIA. Entrants face an Investor Council that includes venture capitalist Tim Draper, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar, and Liquid 2 Ventures co-founder Joe Montana, with speakers Adhira Tippur and Sanjana Kavula of Kairos Health also featured.
How to prepare
Focus initial efforts on crafting a succinct, two-minute video pitch that pairs neatly with your written business proposal. If selected to move on to the capital, rehearse delivering your early-stage concept clearly under live scrutiny, ensuring your core value proposition stands up to high-profile venture investors evaluating on a national rubric.
Organizer: America250
At a glance
- Who can apply
- U.S. students enrolled as undergraduates in accredited U.S. colleges, universities, or trade schools, working individually or in small teams on early-stage ideas, concepts, or ventures.
- Prizes
- $1 million+ in total prizes, including $25,000 in non-dilutive grant funding for the top 10 finalists and an additional $25,000 grant for the 3 grand prize winners.
- Stage
- Pre seed
- Sectors
- Agnostic
Agenda
- 2026-10-08 · Application Deadline — Submit a written proposal and a two-minute pitch video
- Mid-October 2026 · Submissions Evaluation — Evaluated by the Investor Council using a national scoring rubric
- Early November 2026 · Semi-finalist Notification — 30 semi-finalist teams notified to move forward
- Mid-December 2026 · Live Pitch Experience — Semi-finalists participate in a live pitch experience in Washington, DC with 10 finalists and 3 winners chosen
Speakers, judges and hosts
- Rosie Rios — Chair (Host)
- Joe Montana — Co-founder, Liquid 2 Ventures (Judge)
- Sarah Friar — CFO, OpenAI (Judge)
- Steve Wozniak — Co-founder, Apple (Judge)
- Tim Draper — Venture Capitalist (Judge)
- Adhira Tippur — Kairos Health (Speaker)
- Sanjana Kavula — Kairos Health (Speaker)