Inspired by conversations at the 2013 MassTLC unConference, Unpitch is designed to facilitate connections between entrepreneurs and investors. It’s NOT about delivering an elevator pitch onstage, a “demo day” presentation, or trying to grab a few seconds with a venture capitalist in a conference hallway. Instead, Unpitch is a chance to have lunch with an angel investor or VC in a casual, no-pressure environment, discuss your business, get meaningful feedback on your ideas, and make connections that will help you get to the next stage. Applications are due August 21. More information here.
The Board-Ready Bootcamp is designed to improve the quality of board governance and composition at tech companies by providing a high-impact curriculum on board fundamentals, strategy, and governance. Given the lack of diversity in the tech boardroom, the bootcamp is focused on preparing underrepresented tech leaders, including Black, Latinx, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, and women tech executives. Next application deadline is August 26. More information here.
HarborOne Bank’s $10,000 Small Business Pitch Contest – Are you a small business owner looking to launch a new product/service or looking to expand your business and could use $10,000? Take a few moments and check out the requirements for HarborOne’s 7th Annual Pitch Contest. Deadline to apply is August 31, 2022. More information here.
Merck Digital Sciences Studio Cohort 1 – The MDSS is a 10-month hands-on accelerator program providing mentorship, coaching, training, support, community and investment in digital health and biotech startups. MDSS invests in disruptive and innovative startup technologies, companies, or startups in digital health and biotech by offering up to $150,000 in convertible notes and access to Microsoft’s Founders Hub resources, including up to $150,000 in Azure compute credits. MDSS’ unique design and network empowers startups to engage with industry leading partners, who take an active role in development. Applications close September 1. More information here.
Techstars Crypto Boston – Techstars, a global investment business that provides access to capital, one-on-one mentorship, and customized programming for early-stage entrepreneurs, announces the launch of Techstars Crypto Boston powered by Algorand. This highly personalized program gives startups the advantage they need to succeed by providing 1:1 mentoring and support and investment. With partner Algorand, 12 high-growth, early-stage startups will participate in an intensive, 13-week program on an annual basis over three years. Application deadline is September 14. More information here.
The SCORE Northeast MA Women’s Business Summit is a full day conference exclusively for women entrepreneurs. You’re invited on Wednesday September 14, at the historic Willowdale Estate for a day filled with stimulating interaction with like-minded women entrepreneurs. The day will feature successful small business women from our community, covering educational and motivational business topics to include success stories, practical takeaways, engaging roundtable discussions, networking and more! More information here.
Startup Boston Week is back September 19th – 23rd. This annual conference brings together 3,400 attendees and 250 speakers across 80 sessions during this free, five-day event. Don’t miss out on your chance to connect with the New England startup community. Grab your free ticket right here.
Boston Fintech Week on September 27-29 brings you speakers you won’t see anywhere else and the opportunity to make meaningful connections with the innovators, regulators, and investors building the future of financial services. It’s an inclusive conversation among thousands of industry leaders and emerging fintechs from around the world. More information here.
The WICxTop100 spotlight campaign will recognize this year’s leading women tech founders who are developing cloud solutions that consider environmental sustainability and foster economic and social development. This digital spotlight series will highlight the Top 100 awardees and their solutions that are accelerating innovation, changemaking, and championing collective impact that’s helping to advance ESG and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Top 100 will be announced at WICxUNGA on October 13, 2022. Submissions Due October 7. More information here.
The Greentown Labs Climatetech Summit 2022: Catalyzing Commercialization – November 2-3
The Greentown Labs Climatetech Summit is a deep dive into accelerating deployment through collaboration. Climatetech entrepreneurs are developing the solutions that are the core of global decarbonization, yet they need support and partnership from investors, policymakers, and the growing climatetech workforce in order to scale their critical technologies. The energy transition is here, and the climatetech ecosystem needs your involvement to propel climatetech out into the world. More information here.
The 15th annual SXSW Pitch will take place at the Hilton Austin Downtown on Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12. A live audience, as well as a panel of expert judges, will discover advancements in various sectors of emerging technology. Don’t miss your opportunity to pitch your startup live at SXSW in Austin, TX. Application deadline is November 11. More information here.
FinTech Sandbox is a nonprofit which enables financial technology entrepreneurs to build robust products by providing access to critical data, development tools and a curated network of customers, entirely for free. FinTech Sandbox is open to all startups innovating in financial services that can use financial data products we offer for product development and testing. The spirit of the program is to offer data to start-ups that could not otherwise afford it. More information here.
The NAACP Power Forward Small Business Grant is available for Black-owned businesses with one to 25 employees located in New England (Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and select areas of Connecticut (more details in the application). $25,000 in grants are available on a rolling basis. More information here.
The Seed Investments Program is a two-stage investment program that provides up to $250,000 in convertible notes to pre-seed or seed-stage clean energy startups. The program exists to support companies as they advance and commercialize clean energy technologies and business models. More information here.
Venture Lane will be piloting a new virtual membership in Q2 called Venture Lane Connect. The membership will enable B2B startup founders based in Boston to tap into Venture Lane’s curated network, weekly programming focused on go-to-market strategy, $400K in perks like AWS and Microsoft Azure and other resources for early-stage growth. Interested B2B startup founders and their teams can sign up for the private beta here.
Created as a key pillar of KKR’s COVID-19 Relief Effort, KKR Small Business Builders (SBB) aims to support entrepreneurs and their small businesses around the world. The grants are designed to help business owners sustain their enterprises, maintain or create jobs, and spur economic opportunity as they respond to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and recover from its resultant economic dislocation. More information here.
P&G Ventures is an early stage startup studio within Procter & Gamble that partners with entrepreneurs to accelerate billion dollar ideas that improve consumers’ lives. Focus areas include nontoxic home and garden, women’s health, anti-aging, daily wellness, and cleaning/sanitizing. More information here.