BostInno is accepting nominations for its annual startup bracket challenge. Inno Madness is designed to generate awareness and excitement for Boston’s startup ecosystem — and those that are driving it forward. They are looking for all types of tech-enabled businesses or companies that support innovation. The Inno team will then assemble brackets based on your nominations. Deadline for nominations is February 16. More information here.
The Clean Green Challenge is now accepting applications from innovators, students, entrepreneurs, researchers, and startups who are developing solutions in one of two areas. The first is Recycled Materials where applicants will need to address one of the multiple issues surrounding this topic. The second category will be Safer Chemicals where applicants will be focused on topics such as PFAS, pollution, and forever chemical projects! Applications are due February 21. More information here.
Eforall Merrimack Valley Winter 2024 Pitch Contest: EforAll Pitch Contests are lively two-hour events that offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business idea to a friendly audience and receive valuable feedback from experienced judges. Business ideas across a wide range of industries are encouraged! A total of four cash prizes will be given out (1st place @ $1000, 2nd @ $750, 3rd place @ $500 as well as a $500 Fan Favorite prize). Deadline to apply: February 22. More information here.
Eforall Cape Cod Spring 2024 Pitch Contest: EforAll Pitch Contests are lively two-hour events that offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business idea to a friendly audience and receive valuable feedback from experienced judges. Business ideas across a wide range of industries are encouraged! A total of four cash prizes will be given out (1st place @ $1000, 2nd @ $750, 3rd place @ $500 as well as a $500 Fan Favorite prize). Deadline to apply: April 3. More information here.
Eforall Rhode Island Spring 2024 Pitch Contest: EforAll Pitch Contests are lively two-hour events that offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business idea to a friendly audience and receive valuable feedback from experienced judges. Business ideas across a wide range of industries are encouraged! A total of four cash prizes will be given out (1st place @ $1000, 2nd @ $750, 3rd place @ $500 as well as a $500 Fan Favorite prize). Deadline to apply: April 4. More information here.
Eforall Greater Worcester Spring 2024 Pitch Contest: EforAll Pitch Contests are lively two-hour events that offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business idea to a friendly audience and receive valuable feedback from experienced judges. Business ideas across a wide range of industries are encouraged! A total of four cash prizes will be given out (1st place @ $1000, 2nd @ $750, 3rd place @ $500 as well as a $500 Fan Favorite prize). Deadline to apply: April 17. More information here.
Techstars Startup Weekend Boston 2024: Techstars Startup Weekend on April 26-28 is a three-day program where aspiring entrepreneurs can experience the excitement and challenges of building a startup. Over the course of the weekend, aspiring entrepreneurs will form teams, learn the foundations of entrepreneurship, including customer validation, MVP building, marketing & sales and have a chance to pitch their product or service to a panel of judges. Three intense days will be filled with workshops, hands-on learning, sessions with expert mentors and networking opportunities with like-minded startup enthusiasts. More information here.
Share your skills as a Youth Pitch Contest Coach: SCI Social Capital Inc. is launching its 2024 Youth Grant Pitch Contest with the goal of empowering young people to address pressing needs they see in the community. SCI is seeking professionals interested in volunteering as Pitch Contest Coaches to provide guidance and support for teams of youth as they develop their project presentations for the Pitch Contest. Volunteer coaches and participating youth groups commit to 6 one-hour virtual coaching sessions during February and March. We are seeking to recruit two coaches per team, with at least one available for an initial in-person session with the youth. With the guidance and support of their volunteer coach, youth groups will develop their project ideas and be in the driver’s seat of positive change. The program will culminate in the Pitch Contest, an event at the Microsoft NERD Center in Cambridge on April 6, 2024, where a panel of judges will award a total of $10,000 in grant funds for project implementation to selected groups. If you are interested in coaching, fill out this interest form or contact SCI Program Operations Coordinator, Nicole Osborne, at nosborne@socialcapitalinc.org or by phone at 252-347-8849.
MassTLC’s award-winning Board Ready Bootcamp has helped almost 350 women, tech leaders of color, LGBTQ+ tech leaders, and other underrepresented executives advance their careers. The Bootcamp is built on a high-impact curriculum designed by industry leaders with expertise in board fundamentals, strategy, and governance. But equally impactful is the strong network of industry luminaries, ready to help participants make the right connections. Participants must be current tech executives who’ve been nominated to attend and have the support of an industry executive or board member. More information here.
Accelerate Your Impact: Massachusetts Small Business Coaching Program: Boston Impact Initiative (BII) and Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) have partnered to offer entrepreneurs and small business owners coaching and resources to build sustainable and socially impactful businesses. 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.
Venture Lane is piloting a new virtual membership 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.
Techstars is the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed. As one of the largest pre-seed investors in the world, they funded over 3,200 companies that have gone on to have a market cap of $79B+. Each company receives up to $120,000 in funding, and access to the worldwide network of investors, hands-on mentorship, and over $4M of perks. Applications are open year-round and will be considered on a rolling basis. Your application will be valid for 12 months from the date of application. More information here.
Through its 2030 Fund, MassCEC invests at the earliest stages of company development across the climatetech landscape. With a focus on tough tech and underserved sectors, MassCEC investments aim to advance clean technology, fill funding gaps, create green jobs, and leverage private capital throughout the Commonwealth. 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.
IFundWomen Boston is a crowdfunding ecosystem designed to help the women-led startups, small businesses, nonprofits, side hustles, and passion projects of Boston raise funds to launch and grow. Join iFundWomen if you are a Boston-area women-led startup to fundraise for your business and get your ideas launched. More information here.
Whole Foods Local Producer Loan Program (LPLP): Whole Foods Market is committed to supporting local suppliers. In addition to featuring local products in stores, they created the Local Producer Loan Program (LPLP) to provide fixed, low interest loans to farmers, food artisans, and emerging entrepreneurs in local communities. They are proud to support small producers through the LPLP program to help expand their businesses and deepen our commitment to local. More information here.
Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts is pleased to offer small business grants through the Equity Fund. The Equity Fund is managed by the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts and will serve Greater Boston based Black entrepreneurs with priority given to Cambridge and Somerville entrepreneurs, or those whose businesses reside in Cambridge. The Equity Fund will be appropriated using funds raised to support long-term racial and economic equity investments in the form of grants and low interest loans. The Fund will initially offer technical assistance grants from the Fund to support the retention and growth of Black businesses in Cambridge, Somerville and the Greater Boston area. More information here.
South Eastern Economic Development (SEED) Corporation is a regional nonprofit economic development corporation with the mission of empowering entrepreneurs, strengthening local economies, and creating jobs by financing all types of small businesses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. With loan programs ranging from $1,000 micro loans to $5.5 million SBA 504 loans and a long history of assisting small business owners, SEED is a one-stop shop for anyone looking to start-up, grow, or streamline their business. More information here.