Prize Pool Grows for 2021 Dempsey Startup Competition

The UW Foster School’s Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship will offer additional prize awards in several categories at the upcoming virtual Dempsey Startup Competition. The Pacific Northwest’s premiere student business plan competition just got even better. The UW Foster School’s Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship will offer additional prize awards in several categories at the upcoming virtual Dempsey Startup Competition. The prizes reflect an innovative approach to addressing current trends across the startup landscape, as well as increased support from the incredible sponsors in the community.

“The Dempsey Startup offers a trifecta of opportunity for students in which prizes play a key role,” said competition manager Sarah Studer. “We know funding can go a long way to helping these student teams eventually launch. However, the Dempsey Startup experience also allows students to grow their network and receive direct feedback from the hundreds of entrepreneurs and investors joining us as judges.”

The new and adjusted prizes for the 2021 competition are as follows:

  • New – $2,500 K&L Gates Best Business to Consumer Idea
    Recognizes a venture that offers an innovative B2C product or platform.
  • Increase – $15,000 BECU Second Place Prize (up from $10,000) 
  • Increase – $10,000 WRF Capital Third Place Prize (up from $7,500)
  • Increase – $7,500 Friends of the Dempsey Startup Fourth Place Prize (up from $5,000)

The Dempsey Startup Competition is open to undergrads and grad students in good standing at accredited colleges and universities across the Cascadia Corridor—Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia, as well as Alaska. The application deadline for the 2021 competition is Monday, April 5 by 11:59 pm PT.

Following the application deadline and Online Screening Round, the Dempsey Startup Investment Round will be held on Wednesday, May 5. The multi-stage event culminates with the Sweet 16 on Wednesday, May 25, and Final Round on Thursday, May 26. A video awards presentation will follow the next day on the Buerk Center’s YouTube page.

For more details on this competition and other programs and classes offered by the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, please visit startup.uw.edu.

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