Startup competitions seeking EdTech companies

They include LearnLaunch Pitch Competition, Pitch IT! Challenge and The Global EdTech Startups Award

If you're a startup seeking opportunities to get funded, educated or connected, startup competitions are a great resource.

Vator has been holding its own competitions, using VatorX, to find and filter for the best startups. We've had some very successful and notable winners in the past that have gone on to raise big funding rounds including Thumbtack, DogVacay, Pokitdok, Grovo, Udemy and Apartment List, to name a few.

Anyone can list their program as VatorX is one of the most comprehensive listing guides to startup competitions, challenges, accelerators and programs. Click here to list your program!

As part of our weekly series, we'll look at top competitions with big cash prizes, as well as competitions that have teed up the most promising startups, to finding popular startup competitions you need to know about. 

Here are some of the startup competitions that are focused on the EdTech space:

 

• 2018 LearnLaunch Pitch Competition

Description: "Early stage edtech companies – representing K-12, higher and continuing ed – are invited to participate in the 2018 LearnLaunch Pitch Competition for the opportunity to pitch in-front of over 1,500 edtech stakeholders at the 2018 LearnLaunch Across Boundaries conference that will take place February 1 – 2, 2018."

Prize: Not specified

Previous winners: Speech Up, Tembo Education, examPAL, MentorWorks, uConnect

 

• Kellogg Education Innovation Case Competition

Description: "For the ninth year in a row, Kellogg’s Education Industry Club has partnered with The Mind Trust to write a case that will engage students in cutting-edge education reform and address real-world challenges facing the education industry in the United States today. In their analysis and presentations, teams will be asked to think boldly and creatively in envisioning the solution to a real task that leaders in the education industry are trying to accomplish."

Prize: Not specified 

Previous winners: Cody Fischer, Holly O'Dell, Kaleigh Ross, Tatyana Pramatarova and Jackson Edwards 

 

• Milken-Penn Education Business Plan Competition

Description: Considered the most prestigious and well-funded education business plan competition, since 2010 the EBPC has earned a name for itself by attracting innovative ideas from around the world and spotting winning education innovations early on. Previous finalists have gone on to grow their ventures, attract investors, and have a positive impact on education. The competition is distinguished by the size of its prize pool, the crowd-sourced judging process (which includes teachers, investors, entrepreneurs, and researchers), and both the breadth and depth of the ecosystem we offer aspiring entrepreneurs."

Prize: 

• Milken Family Foundation Grand Prize: $40,000
• American Public University System Prize: $20,000
• ChanceLight Behavioral Health & Education Prize: $20,000
• Navitas Prize: $20,000
• Each Venture Path Finalist will also receive a $1,000 Prize. 

Previous winners: MindBlown Labs, ActualizeMe

 

• Pitch IT! Challenge

Description: "Ten Start-Up Alley companies were chosen to participate in the Under the Ed Radar Pitch Competition at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference 2017. Each delivered a seven-minute business pitch focused on their innovative solutions and business models to a diversified panel of judges."

Prize: 

• Grand Prize

  • $2,500 cash prize
  • One complimentary badge registration to attend an EDUCAUSE event of your choice
  • Advertising in EDUCAUSE Review: Two full pages, one-half page

  Runner-Up Prize

  • One complimentary badge registration to attend an EDUCAUSE event of your choice
  • Advertising in EDUCAUSE Review: One full page, one one-half page

Previous winners: Cytilife, GlyphEd, Komprise, Spycloud 

 

 

• The Global EdTech Startups Award

Description: "The Global EdTech Startups Award (GESA) is an international competition for startups, founded by MindCET. It is an example of the productive cooperation between MindCET and a group of organizations from around the world which are at the forefront of educational innovation."

Prize:  $10,000, access to EdTech incubators and accelerators in Tel Aviv, New York, London, Barcelona and Bogotá – including office space and facilities, networking, mentoring and guidance

Previous winners: Edovo, Primo Toys, Penpal Schools

 

• TLabs LEAP Edtech Startup Competition

Description: "LEAP EdTech Startup Competition is an initiative by TLabs, the leading startup accelerator and support-stage fund and NASSCOM 10000 Startups, the growth enabler of NASSCOM to identify and support the rising stars in the EdTech world."

Prize: A chance to bag investment upto $1 million USD by pitching the idea to Edtech-focused prolific VC's and Angels at the Leap Edtech Conference in Delhi

Previous winners: None specified

 

• SXSW Launch Startup Competition

Description: "Launch celebrates emerging innovations in learning with a fast-paced pitch competition featuring early-stage startups during SXSW EDU."

Prize: The winning startup will be recognized and celebrated at the conference-wide Launch Party. Additionally, the winner will receive a prize package that includes two (2) SXSW 2019 Platinum badges, two (2),  two (2) SXSW EDU 2019 badges and a $2,500 cash stipend. Most importantly, the opportunity to receive invaluable exposure to the SXSW EDU community.

Previous winners: Choosito, disruptED, Epigrammar, examPAL

 

 

• Midemlab Startup Competition

Description: "Midemlab features the most promising international startups that offer innovative solutions, helping the music industry build new consumer experiences.

ENTER INTO 1 OF 4 CATEGORIES

• Music creation & education,
• Music discovery & distribution,
• Marketing & data/analytics,
• Experiential technologies – VR/AR, high-resolution, IoT & hardware."

Prize:

• 1 year of free access to Reed MIDEM Entertainment shows (includes Midem-Miptv-Mipcom)
• Free legal advice (with Jeff Liebenson from Liebenson Law)
• Free advertising on midem.com

Previous winners: Soundcloud, Soundcharts, Stagelink

 

• Global EdTech Startup Awards

Description: "Global EdTech Startup Awards (GESA) is an initiative led by a group of leading organizations representing all continents of the world.
 
The Awards will identify, showcase and recognise EdTech startups from all over the world!"

Prize: $50,000. 

Previous winners: Language Hero, Mursion, PaperVideo

 

• SXSW EDU Launch Competition

Description: "Launch celebrates emerging innovations in learning with a fast-paced pitch competition featuring early-stage startups during SXSW EDU."

Prize: The winning startup will be recognized and celebrated at the conference-wide Launch Party. Additionally, the winner will receive a prize package that includes two (2) SXSW 2019 Platinum badges, two (2),  two (2) SXSW EDU 2019 badges and a $2,500 cash stipend. Most importantly, the opportunity to receive invaluable exposure to the SXSW EDU community.

Previous winners: Bloom Board, ELSA, Learning Jar, Clever, RobotsLAB, Speaking Pal, Zaption

 

• SXSW EDU Student Startup Competition

Description: "The Student Startup competition brings together Central Texas high school students during the Learning Expo at SXSW EDU to pitch their business idea."

Prize: Finalists will compete in front of a panel of judges and live audience and the winner will take home a cash prize to fuel their startup vision.

Previous winners: Beaut.e, Bru, ConnectMe, FlexVE, Wuhu

(Image source: clarityedconsulting.com)