FAQs

Tickets include all sessions, mentorship, 7x meals (breakfasts, dinners, snacks, and drinks), pitching events, and weekend programs.

Yes! Whether you are a serial entrepreneur or new to the startup scene, you’ll fit right in as long as you are motivated to build a product or startup and are open to new ideas. We believe that great ideas can come from anywhere.

The event is intended to be a collaborative and inclusive forum for sharing, learning, building, and having fun. We expect each member of the startup community to be inclusive of all people and their ideas at Techstars Startup Weekend and we welcome all, regardless of experience, industry or background.

No. Techstars Startup Weekend is designed to be the most effective platform for growing new businesses from the ground up over the course of a weekend. A key facet of the weekend, and a central value for participants, is the spirit of complete collaboration, buy-in, and ownership. We’ve found that having existing businesses in the mix undermines this spirit, in addition to creating an unequal playing field alongside those ideas that are truly conceived at the grass-roots level. The local organizers have the right to disqualify any existing ideas pitched during the event at any time.

No, but we highly encourage you to. You can pitch an idea you've been thinking about for years or something you think of at the last minute during the event. Please don’t pitch an idea you’ve already been developing or working on outside of Startup Weekend. The point of the event is to learn how to go from ideation to product. Pitching provides invaluable practice for public speaking. You won’t regret pitching, but might regret not pitching.

If you don't have an idea, don't worry! The event is designed to accommodate participants at various stages. You can join a team working on an idea that interests you, contribute your skills and expertise, and collaborate with others to bring the concept to life. This experience allows you to learn.

Yes! This is important not only to preserve your own learning experience, but also to minimize distractions or disruptions for the team you choose to join. At our Startup Weekend, a “Sunday Presentation and Networking” registration option is available for those wishing to only view the teams’ final pitch presentations and network with awesome people! We welcome any friends, family or colleagues you would like to invite to watch your final presentation to see all you have accomplished in just one weekend.

Friday: Participants typically arrive between 6-7 p.m., begin networking, and have dinner. There will typically be a short talk with a speaker. Then, the “Pitchfire” will commence: anyone intending to pitch will have 60 seconds to give their best pitch. No presentations are needed for Friday, it will just be you and a mic. After pitches are finished, all participants will vote on their favorites, and using these votes, the top ideas will be selected to be worked on over the weekend. The Facilitator will provide guidance on team formation. Then teams will form organically, consolidate, and get to know each other and begin working. Saturday: Teams will work all day, with the occasional breaks to eat, listen to short talks, or attend a short workshop. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks will be provided at an in-person event. In the afternoon mentors will be circulating to provide advice in the field of their expertise for those teams that want it. There will usually be a mentor sign-up sheet available where you can sign up for mentorship from someone with the industry experience that can support your team. Sunday: Breakfast, lunch and dinner also will be provided on Sunday at in-person events. Teams will work uninterrupted from morning until mid-afternoon. They’ll begin wrapping up their product/prototype and presentation around 3 PM to do tech-checks and practice their presentation. After all judges have arrived, presentations will begin. Each team typically has five minutes plus around a three to five minute Q&A from the judges (this varies occasionally). The judges will select the top teams, who will be awarded prizes (if applicable), and the event usually ends with a small celebratory get-together.

Laptop/Portable Computer is helpful but NOT manditory Power cord for Laptop Notepad and pen Business cards (or a business card app) Your phone - feel free to take pictures or video of the event Optional: A second monitor, keyboard, etc…. Whatever helps you to be most productive. Lots of energy!

Yes! You can absolutely bring your own food - just let us know of you will and if you need a refrigerator to store your food in and we will show you where it is. Remember to label your food.

Everyone who attends the event as a participant is expected to come to the event without a team and then join and participate with a team at the event. This is important to preserve the Techstars Startup Weekend educational experience. The ideal team consists of members from diverse backgrounds and experiences who collaborate to build a great minimum viable product (MVP) using the Lean Canvas framework. The more people you have on your team to help you do market research and business model development, the quicker you’ll develop an MVP to pitch on Sunday.

Yes! All friends and family are welcome to attend final pitches. We provide tickets at $15 that will need to purchased to attend. Dinner is included with the price.

You’ll be able to pay for your ticket at the door, on the day of the event.However, it’s preferable to buy your ticket in advance as organizers need to order catering and supplies to meet the needs of the weekend.

Techstars Startup Weekend can refund your ticket up to one week before the event kickoff. Please reach out to your local organizing team for more details.

We recommend that you arrive on Friday evening at 6 pm so that you get a chance to pitch or listen to other pitches in order to choose the team you'd like to work on through the weekend.

For Participants: Teams are formed on Friday night so you'll miss an important part of the weekend. Let us know if you're planning on arriving on Saturday morning and we will do the best we can to accommodate you, but do consider passing on your ticket to someone who can attend the entire weekend.

Yes! Our venue is accessible - you'll find accessible parking, entry, restrooms, pathways and everything else you'll need. Please contact us if you need any help whatsoever. Looking forward to see you!