presented by the Walton Family Foundation

Launch Startup Competition

The Launch Startup Competition celebrates emerging innovations in learning with a fast-paced pitch competition featuring early-stage startups during SXSW EDU.

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Launch Startup Competiion - SXSW EDU 2023 - Photo by Sarah Navarrete

ABOUT

 

The Launch Startup Competition, presented by the Walton Family Foundation, showcases emerging innovations and breakthrough technologies making an impact on the future of teaching and learning. The competition provides a platform for early-stage startups seeking feedback, investment, strategic partnerships, and exposure.

Watch selected finalists compete live before a panel of industry experts in the Launch Startup Competition on Tuesday, March 5 on the Next Stage in the SXSW EDU Expo. Following the live competition, join us for an evening reception and winner announcement at the Launch Spotlight.

Application Process

Early-stage education startups are encouraged to complete the online application process to be considered as a finalist for the Launch Startup Competition.

Tuesday, June 27 | Application Opens
Sunday, September 10 | Early Entry Deadline | Application Fee: $55
Friday, October 27 | Final Entry Deadline | Application Fee: $95

Eligibility Requirements

  • Launch is open to early-stage startup companies in the education market.
  • Companies must be established with a management team and public-facing website, able to convey a sustainable business model and able to demonstrate user traction, engagement, and adoption metrics.
  • Companies that have raised over $8 million in funds from combined funding sources at the time of application are ineligible.
  • Each applicant is only eligible to present in one of the SXSW startup events (SXSW Pitch or SXSW EDU Launch). If you apply and are selected as a finalist for both, you will need to choose in which competition you’d like to present.
Opportunities for Selected Participants

Finalists

  • Receive 2 complimentary credentials to SXSW EDU 2024
  • Pitch live to an audience of educators, investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators on the Next Stage in the SXSW EDU Expo
  • Have access to coaching sessions with savvy entrepreneurs selected by SXSW EDU to help participants refine and perfect their pitch
  • Have the opportunity to win one out of three awards
  • Participate in our Launch Spotlight, a cocktail-style reception where teams can connect one-on-one with attendees, demo products and receive valuable, real-time feedback
  • Attend an invite-only networking event for startups and investors in attendance

Semifinalists

  • Receive 2 complimentary credentials to SXSW EDU 2024
  • Participate in our Launch Spotlight, a cocktail-style reception where teams can connect one-on-one with attendees, demo products and receive valuable, real-time feedback
  • Attend an invite-only networking event for startups and investors in attendance
Awards

Launch Award:

This award is given to the Launch Startup Competition’s grand prize winner. The recipient of this award impressed the judges as the top startup with its overall creativity, innovation, ease of use, potential to scale, strength and unique perspective of the team, and potential to improve learning outcomes.

Impact Award:

The recipient of this award has the most potential to impact student learning based on the science of learning, according to the competition judges. This startup has shown a commitment to using research-based interventions to substantially improve student learning and outcomes.

Community Choice Award:

The recipient of this award has received the most votes from the audience during SXSW EDU. This startup has not only captured the attention of the diverse SXSW EDU community, which is comprised of perspectives beyond the startup industry across the education space, but also centers equity, accessibility, and supporting historically marginalized learners.

Frequently Asked Questions

For frequently asked questions and answers, check out the Launch Startup Competition FAQ.

History

Learn more about the history of the Launch Startup Competition by browsing a full list of past startup finalists and winners.

JUDGES

Kristen DiCerbo

Chief Learning Officer

Khan Academy

Joanna Cannon

Joanna Cannon

Fellow

Walton Family Foundation

Carlos Moreno

Co-Executive Director

Big Picture Learning

EMCEES

Evan Baehr

Managing Partner

Learn Capital

Taniya Mishra

Founder & CEO

SureStart

FINALISTS

 

CUENTOLOGIA
Delaware

Cuentologia is a screen-free storytelling platform that offers therapist-curated stories in an Immersive Audio Format, designed for children's social-emotional growth.

Culture Crate
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Culture Crate innovatively bridges the digital divide in cultural education. Focused on adolescents, we blend online and hands-on learning to preserve endangered cultural practices. Our interactive, bilingual platform fosters empathy and cultural appreciation, ensuring the survival of global traditions for future generations. Join our culturally rich educational journey.

Keenious
Tromsø, Troms, Norway

Keenious uses AI to analyze users' documents, compares them with a vast array of research, and instantly delivers tailored recommendations for relevant articles – maximizing knowledge discovery and minimizing search efforts. Carnegie Mellon University, the global leader in AI research, endorses Keenious as "Your New Favorite Research Tool.”

Maro
Bozeman, Montana

Our mission is to eliminate the 11-year gap between first symptom and first intervention when it comes to youth mental health. We've built the most efficient tool for screening students ages 7-18 for anxiety and depression at school & referring their families to care.

NaTakallam
NYC, New York

NaTakallam leverages the digital economy to provide meaningful income for displaced persons by hiring them as online teachers & translators, connecting them to individuals & companies worldwide.

Shoelace Learning
Lake Loon, Nova Scotia, Canada

Shoelace delivers full literacy for all learners through games they love.

Struggly
Austin, Texas

Struggly is an online math learning program for students in grades K-8 integrating neuroscience, math education research and behavioral game design into engaging and challenging mathematical tasks that teachers love and students beg to play! Our tasks contain no instructions meaning no language or literacy barriers. Instead, students are immediately put into an active thinking role to make sense of how the task works.

SEMIFINALISTS

 

Lost Abroad
Los Angeles, California

Lost Abroad creates immersive, fun, and effective language learning experiences through video games. In our first game, Lost Abroad Café, players open a coffee shop in another country where they must learn the language to serve their customers and grow their business.

LUCA
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

LUCA is an AI-powered digital reading tutor that empowers underserved students with dyslexia to achieve their dreams of academic, social, and economic success.

Mili Llama
Denver, Colorado

Mili Llama is on a mission to end the substitute teacher shortage by connecting college students with K-12 schools.

Peerbagh
Austin, Texas

Peerbagh, a 501c3 nonprofit, builds creative confidence and diversifies bookshelves through South-Asia inspired workshops, children’s books, and toolkits. We are shaping the future of cultural learning, providing inclusive places for storytelling to nurture diverse perspectives and cognitive empathy. Our vision is a world where all stories matter.

Playbl
New Haven, Connecticut

Playbl improves behavioral health outcomes for adolescents by delivering Tier 1 evidence-based video games to schools, community health organizations, hospitals, and treatment centers. Our games, focused on skill building related to smoking & vaping, opioid misuse, mental health, and sexual health, were developed at Yale University and are validated by a series of randomized controlled trials.

COACHES

Varun Gulati

Co-Founder & CEO

LitLab.ai

Kavindya Thennakoon

Co-Founder & CEO

Tilli

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