5:00 PM - 9:00 PM Mountain
Startup World Cup Regional Qualifier: Boise 2026
Idaho's official qualifier for the world's largest startup pitch competition. Winner advances to the San Francisco Grand Finale to compete for a $1,000,000 investment prize.
Reserve Your Seat Here
1000 W Myrtle St, Boise, ID 83702, USA
Boise, ID 83702
Click here for Google Maps
(phone: 4066004756)
Startup World Cup Regional Qualifier: Boise 2026
Idaho's official qualifier for the world's largest startup pitch competition. Winner advances to the San Francisco Grand Finale to compete for a $1,000,000 investment prize.
Date & Time
Thursday, May 21, 2026 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM MT (VIP after-party to follow)
Location
JUMP (Jack's Urban Meeting Place) Pioneer Room, 6th Floor 1000 W Myrtle St, Boise, ID 83702
About This Event
The Startup World Cup Regional Qualifier is Idaho's bridge to the global innovation economy. On May 21, ten of the region's most promising early and growth-stage founders will take the stage at JUMP to pitch live in front of a panel of venture-caliber judges, a room full of investors, and the community that's building Idaho's startup future.
The winner walks away as Idaho's official delegate to the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco this November, where they'll pitch alongside more than 100 regional winners from around the world for a shot at a $1,000,000 investment prize.
This is more than a pitch competition. It's a showcase of what the Mountain West is building, a chance for local investors to see what's rising out of our ecosystem, and a reminder that founders here are ready for the world stage. Idaho has a track record to back it up. In 2024, Ashley Crafton of Galena Innovations placed top 10 at the Grand Finale out of a global field, and Rattler Medical Solutions carried our region forward in 2025.
Whether you're an investor looking for your next deal, a founder building toward your own moment, or a community member who cares about what's being built here, we'd love to have you in the room.
What to Expect
The evening opens with a networking reception and happy hour, where founders, investors, and ecosystem partners can connect before the main stage begins. From there, the ten finalists will each deliver a four-minute pitch followed by two minutes of live Q&A from our judging panel. After the winner is announced and the trophy is handed over, we'll move into a VIP after-party on the JUMP deck with a DJ, food and drink, and good company to celebrate the finalists, the champion, and the ecosystem that makes this possible.
Ticketing Options:
General Admission Ticket - Free
Supporter Ticket - $5.00 + fees
VIP Ticket + After Party Access - $40.00 + fees
Run of Show
5:00 PM – Doors open, networking reception and happy hour
5:30 PM – Welcome and pitch competition begins
6:45 PM – Winner announcement and trophy presentation
7:00 PM – VIP after-party on the JUMP deck
About the Organizers
Trailhead is a Boise-based nonprofit entrepreneurial hub and the regional host of Startup World Cup Boise. Our mission is to build the conditions for founders in Idaho to start, scale, and succeed, and programs like SWCRQ are a direct expression of that work.
Pegasus Tech Ventures and Startup World Cup are our global partners. Startup World Cup is the largest pitch competition in the world, hosting more than 100 regional events across the globe each year, all leading to the Grand Finale in San Francisco.
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