Applications are Now Open for the Big Launch Challenge!

Big Launch Challenge Pitch Competition - October 13, 2022

The Angel Capital Association (ACA) Angel University and The Launch Place are bringing together angel investors and entrepreneurs to learn, share and network. This event offers a unique, immersive experience connecting angel investors and entrepreneurs.

ACA Angel University will offer two courses valuable to both angel investors and entrepreneurs—Valuations and Term Sheet Basics. This is a unique experience where these two courses are being taught with angels and entrepreneurs learning together.

The Big Launch Challenge, a competition targeting the best startups in the country, is a unique opportunity to see 10 leading startups as they compete for $15,000 in prize money. Over the past 9 years of hosting this competition, The Launch Place has awarded $174,000 to 16 companies. The Launch Place strives to foster an environment for new and serial entrepreneurs in which they can raise capital and have access to support services they need to take their products and/or solutions into the marketplace.

“The goal of the Big Launch Challenge is to provide early-stage startups the opportunity to pitch their ideas to investors, and for The Launch Place Pre-Seed and Seed Fund to generate deal flow,” says The Launch Place President and CEO, Eva Doss. “Every year it is a different experience, with different business ideas and founding teams. We are very excited to host the competition in person again and to hear the thought-provoking pitches.”

More details about the event including locations and agenda will be shared soon. 

Deadline to apply is August 29, 2022

The challenge is an annual event and offers startups valuable business networking and capital opportunities, as well as critical resources. The goal of The Big Launch Challenge is to foster entrepreneurship by offering education, team creation, mentorship, early-stage prototyping, and potential follow-on seed financing.

For additional information, contact Varun Sadana at vsadana@thelaunchplace.org.

ACA Angel University: An Immersive, Interactive Learning Experience

Courses offered at AU at The Big Launch Challenge:

Valuation: Negotiating the current valuation of seed-stage startups at the time of investment is a critical component of angel term sheets. Getting valuation right establishes a fair percentage of ownership for both investors and entrepreneurs and optimizes returns for investing angels.

Term Sheet Basics: As a new angel, you’ll need to understand the term sheet, the document that outlines the terms and conditions of the agreement between the investors and the startup.

More details coming soon.