Penn Wharton Startup Challenge
Objective
The Startup Challenge is Penn's largest student pitch competition, giving Penn student entrepreneurs a platform to present their ventures to alumni and industry judges and compete for cash and in-kind prizes to help launch and grow their companies.
Description
What it is
The Startup Challenge is Venture Lab's flagship, campus-wide pitch competition at the University of Pennsylvania, tracing its roots to the Wharton Business Plan Competition founded in 1998 and rebranded in 2016.
Who can participate
- Open to currently enrolled Penn undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students from any Penn school
- Teams must have a Penn student as Team Leader; other members need not be Penn students
- No minimum or maximum team size; individuals may join more than one team
Format
- Online application including venture description, pitch deck, and elevator pitch video
- Semifinalist ventures pitch before a pool of alumni and industry judges
- Finalists pitch live to an audience and judging panel at the Startup Challenge Finals, held at Tangen Hall
Notable details
- Teams compete for an award pool of more than $200,000 in cash, in-kind support, and resources, including the Perlman Grand Prize
- Semifinalists may opt in to the Summer Venture Award, funding full-time work on their venture over the summer
- Additional sponsored awards include the AI at Wharton Award and The Climate Award
2027 Finals, dates TBA
January 11, 2026
Private
Career
Entrepreneurship
Management
venturelab@upenn.edu
U. of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School
Grant Thornton
KPMG
Venture Lab, The Wharton School, Penn Engineering, Stuart Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania
Perlman Grand Prize (top award)
Additional cash and in-kind awards, including Summer Venture Award, AI at Wharton Award, and The Climate Award
Total award pool: over $200,000 in cash, in-kind support, and resources