Great news! The City of Philadelphia Department of Commerce is thrilled to host the Philadelphia Regional Tech Startup World Cup Pitch Competition on September 18, 2026, at the Science Education and Research Center (SERC) at Temple University.

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity positioning and celebrating Philadelphia on the global stage. This Philadelphia competition, hosted by the Department of Commerce, is one of more than 100 regional pitch competitions happening across the world. The Philadelphia first prize winner will compete in the Startup World Cup, the largest tech competition in the world.

Apply to compete

Ten tech startups will be selected to compete in Philadelphia on September 18. Selected tech startups must pitch for 3 minutes with 2 minutes of Q&A. Are you an eligible tech startup interested in pitching and competing that day? Submit your application.

The business applying:

  • Must be a registered business located in Philadelphia.
  • Must be legally recognized with an Employer Identification Number (EIN).
  • Must be a startup business. For the purpose of this application, we are defining a startup as an early-stage company that has been in existence for 10 years or less. The company can be pre- revenue, meaning it has not made a profit yet. However, each company must showcase that they have a plan to make revenue within the submitted pitch deck.
  • Must upload a pitch deck in the application.

The 10 tech startups selected will compete for the following regional prizes:

  • FIRST PLACE WINNER will be awarded $20,000 from the Department of Commerce and will be automatically selected to pitch at the Startup World Cup, the largest startup competition in the world, for a chance to win a $1 million investment prize in San Francisco.
  • SECOND PLACE WINNER will be awarded $10,000.
  • THIRD PLACE WINNER will be awarded $5,000.

The application deadline is July 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

The top 10 finalists selected to compete at the Philadelphia Regional Pitch Competition will be announced on August 14, 2026.

The selected tech startups must be available to attend and pitch onsite at the event on September 18 at the Science Education and Research Center (SERC) at Temple University – 1925 N. 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122.

Questions? Email Tempest.Carter@phila.gov.

 

Submit your application for the Philadelphia Regional Startup World Cup Pitch Competition