Rosie Rios
Chair, America250 Commission and former Treasurer of the United States
Ms. Rios has appeared as a judge on “Unicorn Hunters” and “Meet the Drapers”.
America’sStartup
The Contest
What’s your winning idea?
America’s greatest innovations often begin as bold ideas — dreamed up in classrooms, garages, labs, and communities across the country. America’s Startup is designed to spotlight, support, and celebrate those ideas at their earliest stages.
As a signature program within America Innovates, America’s Startup provides a national platform for student founders, young entrepreneurs, and early-stage innovators whose ideas could help shape the next 250 years of American ingenuity, creativity, and progress.
America’s Startup is a national collegiate startup competition created to spotlight early-stage business ideas with the potential to drive America’s future economic, technological, and societal progress.
Participants submit a proposal and pitch video outlining their business idea, with selected teams advancing through a multi-stage review process that includes a live pitch experience.
The America’s Startup contest is now closed. Semi-finalists will be notified in mid-April 2026 and invited to a live pitch experience in early May 2026.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest begins at 12:01 am ET on 2/15/26 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on 3/31/26. Open to U.S. students who are 13+ and enrolled at an accredited university, college or trade school located in the U.S. Semi-Finalists must travel to San Mateo, CA, from May 1-3, 2026. See Official Rules for full details including how to enter, eligibility requirements, prize description/restrictions and judging procedure. Void where prohibited.
Who Can Participate
America’s Startup is open to:
- U.S. students enrolled as undergraduates in accredited U.S. colleges, universities, or trade schools
- Founders working individually or in small teams
- Early-stage ideas, concepts, or ventures across industries
Participants must be legal residents of the United States or U.S. territories and meet eligibility requirements outlined in the Official Contest Rules.
America’s Startup is intentionally student-centered, welcoming founders at the idea or early execution stage — not just those with polished companies or existing funding.
What Winners Receive
America’s Startup will award non-dilutive grant funding to 10 winners, allowing founders to retain full ownership of their business ideas.
Winning teams receive:
- $25,000 in non-dilutive grant funding
- National recognition as America’s Startup winners
- Visibility among investors, entrepreneurs, and innovation leaders
Additional opportunities may include mentorship, educational programming, and consideration for accelerator or incubator support.
Meet the Investor Council
The Investor Council members are top business leaders and investors in the United States who have volunteered to review submissions and provide mentorship and advice to winning teams.
Tim Draper
Founder, Draper Associates, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Draper University
Mr. Draper was an early investor in Hotmail, Skype, Tesla, SpaceX, Coinbase, Baidu, Twitch, Robinhood, and Bitcoin.
Steve Wozniak
Co-founder of Apple
A pioneer of the personal computing revolution, Mr. Wozniak helped create the Apple I and Apple II, laying the foundation for modern personal computers. He remains a leading voice in technology, innovation and education.
Joe Montana
Co-founder and Managing Partner, Liquid 2 Ventures
A proven leader on and off the field, Joe has been a major player in the VC world since his retirement from professional football in 1994. Mr. Montana is now a venture investor backing early-stage startups across technology and consumer sectors, championing companies like Pinterest, DropBox, Weave, and House Spirits, known best for its Aviation Gin.
Sarah Friar
Chief Financial Officer, OpenAI; Co-founder, Ladies Who Launch
A global technology leader, Ms. Friar has helped scale some of the world’s most influential companies. She previously served as CEO of Nextdoor, leading the company through its public listing, and as CFO of Square (now Block), where she helped take the company public.
How the Process Works
February 15 to March 31: Submit a written proposal and a short pitch video together through the online submission portal.
Early April: Submissions are evaluated by the Investor Council using a national scoring rubric focused on innovation, feasibility, market potential, and team strength.
Mid-April: 30 semi-finalist teams will be notified and will move forward through additional stages of review, including a live pitch experience.
May 1–3, 2026: Semi-finalists participate in a live pitch experience in San Mateo, CA, and 10 winners are chosen.
How to Apply
To apply to America’s Startup, submit a short written proposal and a brief pitch video through the online submission portal. All materials must be uploaded together in one session.
Applications may be submitted by an individual or a small team of up to five (5) participants. Each applicant or team may submit one entry only. Submissions should clearly explain your business idea, why it matters, and how it could grow. Before submitting, please review the Official Contest Rules and FAQs.
The America’s Startup contest is now closed. Submissions were accepted from Sunday, February 15, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. ET through Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Semi-finalists will be notified in mid-April 2026 and invited to a live pitch experience in early May 2026.