Apply to be in the 2026 Startup Showcase!
Want funding for your venture—plus the chance to pitch in front of an audience of investors and Duke VIPs? At the Duke Startup Showcase on April 9, we’ll be highlighting exciting student ventures being created at Duke. Join founders working on the Next Big Thing—apply by January 19 for a spot in the showcase and the chance to take home some of the whopping $110,000+ we’re giving away in prizes!
To access the application, log into Airtable with Single Sign On and enter netID@duke.edu email address.
Register to attend the 2026 Startup Showcase
Connect with groundbreaking Duke startups spanning diverse sectors at the Duke Startup Showcase on April 9, 2026 from 4:00-7:00pm at the Fuqua School of Business.
Engage with top-tier Duke student talent and see Duke I&E's experiential learning in action. Unlock potential investment prospects and partnerships. Cast your vote for the "Best in Showcase" venture, and get inspired when over $110k in prizes are awarded at the final pitch session.
Duke I&E’s Premier Event Celebrating Student Entrepreneurship
The Duke Startup Showcase, launched in 2023, features Duke’s top student ventures from across the university. The Showcase provides a venue for student founders from any Duke degree program or school to connect with potential investors, mentors, and collaborators from the Duke and local startup ecosystems. Student ventures apply to the Showcase and go through multiple rounds of judging for the chance to show off their ventures in the event. The top undergraduate and graduate/professional venture teams are invited to pitch before a virtual judging panel in the weeks leading up to the Showcase. The finalists from that round are invited to make live pitches at the Showcase and have the chance to win more than $110,000 in non-dilutive funding.
Save the date: The Duke Startup Showcase returns on April 9, 2026 — join us for an unforgettable evening spotlighting the next generation of Duke student founders and innovators!
Watch Pitches and Awards From the 2025 Duke Startup Showcase
“The quality of ventures and pitches at the Duke Startup Showcase was unbelievable. I don't see better ventures, traction, or pitches from some of the serial entrepreneurs who we invest in. Seeing that quality in student ventures was incredibly inspiring!”
Tobi Walter, Partner, Cofounders Capital