SXSW Pitch

The 18th annual SXSW Pitch, where innovation takes center stage. Over two exciting days, a live audience and a panel of expert judges will explore the forefront of emerging technology sectors. SXSW Pitch will take place March 13th and 14th, 2026.

SXSW Pitch provides an outlet for companies to present the latest ideas in selected categories to a panel of industry experts, early adopters and Venture Capital / Angel Investor community representatives. The categories for the 2026 SXSW Pitch Competition are:

• Enterprise and Future of Work
• Entertainment, Media, Sports & Creator Content
• Healthcare, AssistiveTech & BioTech
• Innovative World Tech
• Intelligent Systems, Robotics, & Multisensory Technology
• Smart Cities, Transportation, Manufacturing & Logistics
• Smart Data, Security, and FinTech
• Student Startups
• Sustainability, AgTech & Food

SXSW Pitch is a premier startup showcase that welcomes applications from emerging companies through an open call. By submitting your application, you agree to pay a non-refundable application fee, which supports the processing and evaluation of your entry. Please note that this fee is non-refundable, even if your startup is not selected as a finalist.

Entry Deadlines

• Early Bird Entry: June 24th to September 12th, 2025 (Fee $100)
• Regular Entry: September 13th to November 7th, 2025 (Fee $220)

SXSW Pitch Eligibility Criteria:

• The company's product and/or service must have been launched before January 1, 2023.
• Each company may only enter one product or service into SXSW Pitch. A company that enters more than one product or service will not be eligible to participate in SXSW Pitch.
• Startups are encouraged to apply to multiple SXSW competitions, including SXSW Pitch, SXSW Innovation Awards and SXSW EDU Launch (if you are an education-related startup). But because we want to showcase as many different compelling startups as possible at SXSW, know that your startup will only be selected as a finalist in one of these three competitions.
• Founders of the company applying must retain some portion of ownership in the company.
• The Company must not have raised over ten (10) million dollars in funding from combined funding sources.
• Startups should be legally registered and compliant with all relevant regulations and laws in their respective jurisdictions.
• The product or service must fall into one of the SXSW Pitch categories.

Please visit the SXSW Pitch page for further details about SXSW Pitch categories, eligibility, alumni stats, and more