STARKVILLE—The MSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach (E-Center) is excited to announce that the 15th annual student startup competition, Startup Summit 2023, has broken records with the highest number of competitors in the history of the event.
This year, 50 teams comprised of 78 entrepreneurs will pitch their innovative business ideas across eight divisions, vying for a chance to win prizes totaling $40,000 in prize money. The competition will take place nightly, March 27-31st, at the Mississippi State University campus in Starkville, MS.
“We are blown away to see so many talented and motivated student entrepreneurs participating in this year’s Startup Summit,” said Eric Hill, Director of the E-Center. “The Startup Summit has become a hallmark event for our center, and such massive participation goes to show just how alive the culture of entrepreneurship is at this university.”
The Startup Summit is a premier event for student entrepreneurs to showcase their skills and ideas. The business model pitches are evaluated by outside, industry-respected leaders serving as judges from companies all across the region. The pitches are evaluated based on the company’s technology, management, financials, and market potential.
Past winners of the Startup Summit have gone on to achieve great success, with the 2015 winner now valued at over $20 million, as well as multiple other national successes.
In addition to the competition series, Startup Summit 2023 will also feature keynote speaker Will Bunker, a renowned entrepreneur and investor who is widely recognized as the co-founder of one of the world’s first online dating platforms, Match.com. Bunker, a graduate of MSU’s Bagley College of Engineering, is highly respected for his expertise in online marketing, e-commerce, and customer acquisition in the tech industry. He is a sought-after speaker and has delivered talks at several conferences and events, including SXSW, TechCrunch Disrupt, and the Lean Startup Conference.
The E-Center has been a vital resource for student entrepreneurs since its founding in 2009, helping students, faculty, and community members start and grow successful companies. Through programs like the Startup Summit, the E-Center aims to strengthen a culture of entrepreneurship among the Bulldog family.
For more information about the MSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach and the Startup Summit, visit the E-Center website at https://ecenter.msstate.edu/summit.