43North
An annual investment competition in Buffalo, New York. Five startups win US$1 million each for 5% equity, then relocate to Buffalo and join 43North's accelerator programme.
US$1m invested · 5% equity
Status unknown
Pitch competition · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Venture Lab Startup Challenge
A Penn pitch competition for student founders from any school. Semifinalists pitch online in February and finalists at Tangen Hall in May for more than US$200,000, led by the US$75,000 Perlman Grand Prize.
Open · closes 10 Jan 2027 Run by Venture Lab, University of Pennsylvania
Verified 19 October 2026 · From the programme's own pages
Terms
- Funding
- US$75,000 Perlman Grand Prize US$75,000; runner-up US$50,000; US$10,000 awards for innovation, social impact, the top undergraduate team, collaboration, audience choice, AI (two awards) and climate. More than US$200,000 in cash and in-kind awards in all.
- Instrument
- Prize
- Equity taken
- not published
- Programme fee
- not published
- Duration
- not published
- Cohort size
- not published
- Cohorts
- not published
- Delivery
- In person
- Stages
- Idea, pre-seed
- Sectors
- Sector-agnostic
- Open to founders from
- not published
- Perks
-
- In-kind legal, accounting and strategy services from sponsor firms for selected winners
- US$10,000 Summer Venture Awards for semifinalists and finalists who work full-time on their venture over the summer
Application dates
Open · closes 10 Jan 2027Startup Challenge 2027
Startup Challenge 2027: applications close 10 January 2027; the programme starts 6 May 2027.
Who can apply
- Currently enrolled University of Pennsylvania students, from any school or degree programme
- The Gloeckner Undergraduate Award goes to the highest-ranking team that is at least 50% Penn undergraduates
- Stage: idea, pre-seed
What founders should check
- The programme does not publish how much equity it takes. Ask before you accept a place.
- It does not publish a fee. Ask whether you pay for desks, services or the programme itself.
- It runs in person in Philadelphia. Plan to be there for the length of the programme.
- Applications are open until 10 January 2027.
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