VentureCat 2026 Student Startup Competition

About

Northwestern University’s annual student startup competition selects semifinalists across five industry tracks, provides pitch preparation, and awards non-dilutive cash prizes at a public finals showcase.

Benefits

• 🏆Non-dilutive cash prizes
  VentureCat 2026 distributed more than $175,000 in non-dilutive funding to competing student ventures; finals prizes included a $100,000 Grand Prize, $50,000 Second Place, $25,000 Third Place, and $5,000 Audience Favorite.
• 🚀Pitch Prep Program
  Semifinalists participated in a four-week Pitch Prep Program with one-on-one pitch coaching and industry expert consultations.
• 🧑‍🏫 Mentorship and presentation support
  Northwestern/Kellogg descriptions state that semifinalists can receive mentors and graphic design assistance for presentations.
• 🎤Public showcase and pitch experience
  Finalists pitch at the Public Showcase and gain feedback, networking, and presentation experience.

Eligibility Criteria

• At least one team member must be a currently enrolled degree-seeking Northwestern University student
• The Northwestern student must be a co-founder and substantial equity holder in the business
• The Northwestern student must act as Team Lead, complete the application, serve as main point of contact, and present during the competition
• Only current Northwestern students may present at semifinals and finals and participate in the Q&A
• Teams may be any size and may compete in any of the five tracks: Business Products and Services (B2B), Consumer Products and Services (B2C), Energy and Sustainability, Life Sciences and Medical Innovation, or Social Impact
• Businesses that have raised more than $500,000 in equity capital are ineligible; SAFEs, convertible debt, or similar instruments count, while government or university grants are excluded
• Businesses started more than four years before the VentureCat application deadline are ineligible, with a petition option for an older entity taken in a new direction using Northwestern resources
• All applicants must attest that their team has or will have a signed equity ownership agreement by the competition date
• Previous VentureCat 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place finals winners are ineligible in future years; prior semifinal prize winners or finals teams that did not win a main prize are eligible
• To receive prize money, the student founder must have a U.S.-based registered business entity and provide a completed W-9 with EIN by July 1, 2026; payments cannot be made to foreign entities
• A student founder with a foreign business entity may participate but forfeits any awarded prize money

Participation Commitments

• Teams chosen as semifinalists must be fully committed to participating in the four- to five-week Pitch Prep Program prior to competition day
• Semifinalists must complete a brief application, a 60-second video pitch, and a 10-slide pitch deck
• At least one currently enrolled degree-seeking Northwestern student must complete the application, serve as the main point of contact, and present during the competition
• Only current Northwestern students may present at semifinals and finals and participate in the Q&A
• Unless otherwise noted, all day-of-competition activities must be completed in person by competing semifinalist and finalist teams
• All applicants must attest that their team has or will have a signed equity ownership agreement by the VentureCat competition date
• All semifinalist teams must meet with the VentureCat program lead to discuss the status of any University-owned IP if applicable and the origins of the team and business
• Finalist award winners must provide a completed W-9 for U.S.-based entities with EIN to receive prize payments; payments cannot be made to foreign entities
• Prize money over $25,000 will be paid in increments not exceeding $25,000 and certain team milestones must be met unless an exception is requested in writing and granted
• The 2026 Public Showcase was held on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at 6:00 PM CT, with closed-door semifinals at The Garage on the morning of May 27

Target Sector

Energy & Utilities, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Retail & Consumer, Other

Target Location

Open only to teams with at least one currently enrolled degree-seeking Northwestern University student; the Northwestern student must be a co-founder, substantial equity holder, and Team Lead. For prize payment, the business must be a U.S.-based registered entity with a completed W-9 and EIN; a student founder with a foreign business entity may participate but forfeits prize money. No general country or residence eligibility beyond these Northwestern-student and U.S.-entity requirements is stated.