• Welcome to Our Startup Community

    Home of the Startup of the Year® program, we are a community for startups to connect with mentors, investors, support organizations, and each other. This community has worked with diverse, emerging startups, founding teams, and entrepreneurs for over ten years to help push their companies to the next level.

     

    Powered by Established®, we are a global community and network, an exciting competition and awards program, and a resource designed just for you. We're so glad you're here.

     

    By scrolling below, you can find out what our Startup of the Year Community is all about and ways to become involved.

  • Established house at SXSW 2024

    SXSW® was a hit!

    Stay tuned for photos and videos from the Established® House (San Jac Saloon/Jack’s Upstairs) where authentic SXSW magic took place. Produced by Established, Startup of the Year, and Established Ventures; Sponsored by EcoMap Technologies.

  • What Can You Do Here?

    STARTUPS

    Join our Startup Community

    Grow your business by:

    • Competing in our annual awards program to be the next Startup of the Year
    • Participating in Mentor/Investor Office Hours
    • Connecting via our Slack Community
    • Attending tailored events
    • Gaining access to opportunities from our Global Partners
    • Elevating your brand

    INVESTORS

    Join our Investment Community
    Expand your portfolio by:

    • Becoming a Mentor and hosting Office Hours 
    • Serving as a Judge for one or more of our events
    • Increasing your Deal Flow
    • Gaining insight into the best startups on the rise
    • Utilizing event-driven strategies as to expand your portfolio
    • Gaining private access to pre-vetted companies with curated 1:1s at our annual Summit

    SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS

    Join our Partner Network 

    Build your innovation community by:

    • Creating value as part of an expanding and collaborative entrepreneurial ecosystem
    • Building brand awareness of your startups via our global investor and partner portfolio
    • Introducing your mission and capabilities to new, rising startups
    • Sharing expertise and data to drive results
    • Implementing beneficial co-marketing activities
  • Recent Startup of the Year® Podcasts

    Startup of the Year Podcast - Halcyon Fund & StartFast Ventures

    Investor Discussion: Halcyon & StartFast Ventures

    Ep. #115 (9/19/23) | On this episode, Jen Consalvo, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Established, hosts an Investor Discussion with Halcyon Fund's Dahna Goldstein, Chief Investment Officer and Co- Managing Director, and Phoebe Van Duinen, Principal and Investment Manager. Also part of the conversation is Olivia Goldstein, Vice President, StartFast Ventures.

    Startup of the Year Podcast - Dr. Richard Munassi

    Dr. Richard Munassi Discusses the Tampa Bay Wave Accelerator Program

    Ep. #0114 (8/10/23) | On this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast, Frank Gruber, Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Established, interviews Dr. Richard Munassi, Director, Tampa Bay Wave Accelerator during SXSW 2023. Dr. Munassi highlights his four-year journey in creating the nonprofit incubator and its top-notch community.

  • Startup of the Year® Summit 2022

    From Las Vegas and San Francisco to Boston, Memphis, and Tampa - we've hosted thousands of startups, investors, and innovators over the years. With more than a decade of producing and presenting events, our purpose behind gat,herings is steadfast in - building authentic connections and celebrating one another's successes. Of all of our events - spanning across CES, SXSW, Client conferences and activations, virtual competitions, webinars, investor ask-me-anythings, and much more -- our annual Summit is one of the most special - see it for yourself.

    Watch the Startup of the Year Summit Finals recorded live in Tampa, FL in January 2022.
     

    >> View past online events here.

  • 2020 Startup of the Year® Competition

    ELIGIBILITY

    • Have a founding date between 2014 and 2020 (fewer than 6 years old at time of application)
    • Have raised no more than $5MM USD (if funding is raised between application and the final competition, the Startup of the Year Team reserves the right to determine company participation)
    • Must have a live and viable product
    • Be an independent company (not a subsidiary) 

    STARTUP OF THE YEAR®

    1. Attracts the most innovative, emerging startups from around the world - and has been since 2006. In doing so, we have had the pleasure of meeting and helping to amplify the stories of some great companies such as GrubHub, Groupon, LivingSocial, AddThis, Desk, and Uber.

     

    2. Provides founders the opportunity to grow their startup to its best potential via a global network that includes investors, influencers, and a world-wide startup community.

    - Check out the Daily Dealflow and Startup of the Year Podcast to learn how to get your startup in front of our global community.

     

    3. Elevates inclusivity and embraces diversity; our 2019 competition had nearly 50% women or minority founders.

  • APPLICATION PROCESS

    The Startup of the Year ® competition will culminate online from November 16 - 18, 2020 at our 8th Annual Summit.

    1

    Apply

    All eligible applicants must apply through the centralized application. There is only one application. The conditional questions for the special .US Veteran Startup of the Year are within this application. Apply here.

    2

    Top 100 Selected

    Established's network of external judges review the pool of eligible applications to carefully choose which startups to invite to join us as the Top 100.

    3

    8th Annual Summit

    The 8th Annual Startup of the Year competition will culminate at our virtual Summit November 16 - 18, 2020.

    The Top 100 will experience curated connections with Investors, Corporate Leads, and more. Past prizes have included potential investment, American Airlines Business Extra points, and more.

     

    Stay in the Loop! Sign-up here.

    4

    1st Round of Pitches

    Startups will compete in a private pitch and Q&A session with a small panel of renowned judges.

    5

    Top 5 Finalists

    The Top 5 pitch Finalists will pitch to a virtual audience and a curated panel of judges at Summit.

    6

    Champion Announced

    The 2020 Startup of the Year Champion will be announced!

  • Past Startup of the Year® Winners

    2019 Startup of the Year Winner re:3D

    re:3D

    2019 Startup of the Year Winner

    Houston & Austin, TX | San Juan, Puerto Rico

     

    re:3D is committed to decimating the cost and scale barriers to industrial 3D printing. After pioneering the world’s first affordable, human-scale industrial 3D printer, they are now enabling 3D printing directly from reclaimed plastic pellets or flake.

    2018 Startup of the Year Winner - Aperiomics

    Aperiomics

    2018 Startup of the Year Winner | Established Ventures Portfolio

    Sterling, VA

     

    Aperiomics is revolutionizing the way that medical professionals around the world identify infections. Aperiomics identifies every known bacteria, virus, fungus, and parasite through Deep Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing, using our world renown database containing over 37,000 microbes. They help doctors and their patients identify the causes of infections that other tests cannot identify, thus streamlining the path to a positive clinical outcome.

    2017 Startup of the Year Winner - Oska Wellness

    Oska Wellness

    2017 Startup of the Year Winner | Established Ventures Portfolio

    Carlsbad, CA

     

    Oska Wellness is committed to developing health and wellness technology-driven products that assist individuals in living a more active, pain-free lifestyle.

     

    2016 Startup of the Year Winner - ShearShare

    ShearShare

    2016 Startup of the Year Winner | Established Ventures Portfolio

    McKinney, TX

     

    Connects salon and barbershop owners to individual beauty operators to fill unused salon suites and stations on a temporary basis, allowing salon and barbershop owners make money on their excess inventory.

    2015 Startup of the Year Winner - Blendoor

    Blendoor

    2015 Startup of the Year Winner

    San Francisco, CA

     

    A blind recruiting app that facilitates job matching based on merit, not molds.

     

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    HIS Energy

    2014 Startup of the Year Winner

    Hampton, VA

     

    Eliminating the cost and logistics associated with changing batteries in remotely located sensors.

     

    2013 Startup of the Year Winner - Maxwell Health

    Maxwell Health

    2013 Startup of the Year Winner

    Boston, MA


    UPDATE July 2018: Maxwell Health acquired by Sun Life Financial June 2018.

     

    The first ever operating system for employee benefits. Maxwell simplifies benefits, reduces costs, and improves employee health. Maxwell Health has gone on to raise over 69 million dollars in funding.

  • Subscribe / Contact Us

    Get in touch with Established, the team behind Startup of the Year!

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    Introducing...

    Startup of the Year Podcast

    Get your startup fix! We provide insights on emerging companies and highlight newsworthy stories and global trends affecting the startup ecosystem.

     

    Find your preferred podcast platform here. Thank you to Silicon Valley Bank and American Airlines (Official Airline Sponsor) for supporting the Startup of the Year™ Podcast.

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    Get concise information about one vetted startup delivered to your inbox every workday. You'll even have the ability to contact the startup directly. Subscribe today.

     

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    Submit it for consideration. Thank you to Silicon Valley Bank for supporting the #SOTYPodcast and Daily Dealflow™.