Venture Madness, presented by Invest Southwest in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority, pits 15 – 30 of the most promising startup companies against one another in a single-elimination, bracket style tournament. The Venture Madness Champion is crowned after a month of online competition plus a live, do-or-die event held in the first quarter of every year, featuring an audience of hundreds of guests including past winners, entrepreneurs, active angel and venture capital investors, emerging growth companies, seasoned mentors and expert service professionals.

It is completely FREE to apply for the Venture Madness Competition, other than your time to complete the application, create your pitch deck and practice your pitch before the event with the help of our expert mentors. If you advance as one of the final companies that participate in the live event, you will be responsible for your travel and accommodations to attend the Presenting Company Orientation and Reception and the live Venture Madness Conference in Arizona.

Companies that present at the conference will not only meet other founders and seasoned entrepreneurs who’ve walked in your shoes (which is invaluable in a startup’s journey), you’ll meet mentors and industry influencers who can help mentor your team and accelerate your growth. You’ll also have the opportunity to network and spend quality time connecting with some of our region’s most active angel and venture capital investors, get mentorship from successful entrepreneurs and past contestants, and connect with the other competing companies.

You’ll also network with and learn from a 30+ member selection panel that includes expert investors, investment bankers and seasoned service professionals, in addition to the other entrepreneurial minds and guest speakers who attend the event. Your startup will get national and international exposure through the Venture Madness website leading up to, and throughout the competition, as we promote the event and competing companies online through search and social media, as well as PR exposure through the local and national media.  All participating companies will be mentioned in the conference notebook and the press releases that are distributed to local press and nationally throughout the competition  as well as to more than 300 attendees at the live event. You’ll also receive ongoing promotions and PR following the event via the website, social media and PR.

Invest Southwest will review initial applications, and based on weighted scores, the top finalists will be invited to participate in Venture Madness. Read the How It Works section for more information.

Applications are reviewed and evaluated by an expert judging panel and evaluation criteria is based on your solution uniqueness, competitive differentiation, market traction, potential market opportunity, business model, team strength and presentation quality. Please check back for the competition Terms and Conditions for more details on evaluation timelines.

Note for 2021! As with our 2020 event, no pitch videos will be required for applicants, only your online application via our application portal. It is important that you include all requested information as well as your pro forma financials and initial pitch presentation (in PowerPoint .PPTX format). Watch for key dates and deadlines in Spring of 2021. Please note that late submissions will not be accepted for the competition.

We’ll provide a direct link to the online application portal. And be sure to sign up for news and event updates to stay informed as more information becomes available.

Once you have successfully submitted your application materials, our online application system will take you to a thank you page confirming your submission. If you apply prior to the deadline and do not see a thank you confirmation page or experience other issues with the application site, please email Karen Katzorke at karen.katzorke@investsouthwest.org.

An Invest Southwest representative will be in touch with you approximately one month prior to the conference if your company is selected to present. At that point you’ll receive all necessary instructions on your participation and preparation for the event. Then the rest is up to you!

An Invest Southwest representative will contact each company to notify them if they have been selected. The companies selected to present at the conference are required to attend our Presenting Company Orientation event (2021 date TBA), and the Mentor Team Sessions in September 2021.

If you have a technical difficulty submitting your application through ValidEval, please submit a help request here. If your response is not resolved through ValidEval, please contact Karen Katzorke, Executive Director of Invest Southwest., right away. Due to tight timelines, we ask that you follow up quickly with any issues or questions.

Please note that Invest Southwest receives a high volume of calls the week prior to the application deadline, and your request will be responded to in the order that is is received.

Yes, our 2021 event will be hybrid, with an in-person event venue, and also live-streaming for online attendees. Registration is open to the public. The event registration typically opens in 2 months prior to the event dates each year.