Pitch Competitions turn contributor-submitted challenges into six-month startup programs culminating in a live showcase.
Since 2021, we’ve held three pitch events at major industry conferences, with two more cycles planned.
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Pitch Events run at major conferences to date
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Live League Rounds per cycle
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Finalists guaranteed per partner
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Months per cycle, application to final
How it Works
Three decision points keep any one voice from determining the outcome.
1
You Pick
Who's in the Running
Review applicants and invite the strongest startups to compete, without sitting through dozens of individual pitches.
2
A Real Audience
Decides the Finalists
Across six online League Rounds, 3-4 startups pitch head-to-head and the audience votes on who advances.
3
You Close The Deal,
Live
The finalists pitch in person at a produced event, where partner companies decide who gets funded live on stage.
The Full 6-Month Program
What’s happening, and what you get, at each stage.
What Happens
What the Sponsor Gets
Month 1: Define & Publish
Challenge defined and published.
A challenge shaped around your priorities.
Months 2-4: League Rounds
You review applicants and select who's invited to compete. iMasons runs six live online pitch rounds, two per partner, with 3-4 startups per round pitching to a real audience you help drive attendance for. The audience votes live through a simple voting tool; each round's winner advances.
Three months of public visibility for your challenge, not one evening. You watch your own finalists win their rounds live before they ever reach the final stage.
Month 5: Finalists Confirmed
Two audience-selected finalists are confirmed for each partner. Final-event format and date were already agreed with you back in month one, so there's no scramble.
You know exactly who's coming and when, months in advance.
Month 6: The Event
The live final happens at a member summit, local chapter, or standalone event. Finalists pitch to a panel of at least three partner companies.
Stage time, full production, and a live funding decision.
Sponsor a Pitch Cycle
Meet applying startups before anyone else does.
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Diamond
Annual amount
$5K
$25K
$50k
$100k
$150k
Access level
Visibility
Impact Challenge support
3-month program
6-month program
12-month program
Events
Logo on website + display boards at 1 event
Support the "Impact Challenge" at 1 Hackathon 𝗼𝗿 1 Pitch Competition
1 Hackathon
2 Hackathons 𝗼𝗿 1 Pitch Competition
4 Hackathons 𝗼𝗿 2 Hackathons + 1 Pitch Competition 𝗼𝗿 2 Pitch Competitions
Challenge Ownership
No challenge
Support the shared impact challenge
Bring your own challenge
Bring your own challenge
Bring your own challenge
Thought Leadership
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Podcast, panels, and thought leadership sessions
Podcast, panels, and thought leadership sessions
Podcast, panels, and thought leadership sessions
League Round Access (Pitch Competition)
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Invite to all League Rounds
+ Review applicants & select your League Round lineup
+ Review applicants & select your League Round lineup
+ Review applicants & select your League Round lineup
In-Person Judging (Pitch Competition)
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Seat on the final judging panel
Seat on the final judging panel
Seat on the final judging panel
Upcoming Pitch Competitions
What’s Ahead
Two full six-month Pitch Competition cycles are on the calendar. Sponsor a challenge early and help shape which problems startups pitch against.
How to Get Involved
Sponsor a challenge in our next Pitch Competition cycle
With two more cycles on the calendar over the next year, now’s the time to sponsor and help shape which problems startups pitch against.