INNOVATE: Pitches for a Purpose

Two girls pitching in the pitch competion

OVERVIEW

Pitch Competition

Established in 2019, the Augusta University pitch competition was formed around finding solutions for the inspiring story of a 15-year-old girl with a colostomy bag named Emma. This annual pitch competition is a 5-minute platform for teams to pitch their ideas to address challenges and improve our community. This challenge includes any problem in our community.

2027 Pitch Competition Timeline:

October 1, 2026: Registration is open for any team!
October 2026-January 2027: Entrepreneur sessions with guest speakers.
January 11, 2026: Qualifying round – ideas submitted, 5 slides.
January-February 2026: Mentorship sessions.
February 26, 2027: Pitch Competition at the Georgia Cyber Center, 5-minute pitches for top selected teams.
April 2027: USG Pitch Competition at Georgia Southern University

Undergraduate and Graduate Level Prizes:

First Place: $5,000 + Pabst Patent Office provisional patent for free if applicable
Second Place: $3,500
Third Place: $2,500
Audience Choice Award: $500

Sponsored Community Entrepreneur Award: $5,000

DISCOVER

Pitch, Prototype, Innovate

At the heart of our mission is a commitment to collaborate and innovate. We believe that by coming together and thinking creatively, we can solve problems and find new and better ways to serve our community while creating positive change. Ideas can include a product, service, or plan.

Leading to Innovate

Participants level up through dynamic events like design thinking workshops, business model labs, and guest speaker sessions. Each experience builds momentum toward launching something truly original.

Prototype and Design

Ideas meet reality in the makerspace, where the Prototype phase transforms inspiration into something tangible through rapid testing and hands-on creation with tools like 3D printers.

Pitch Competition

Pitch is a process where bold ideas are shared and refined through feedback from mentors and peers. A great pitch makes people believe in what comes next, not just tell a story.

Entrepreneur Mentor Network

Mentors, prototypes, and real-world testing help teams refine their business models and market strategies. The final showcase celebrates the people who were brave enough to build their products, not just the products themselves.

Rules and Eligibility

The INNOVATE competition hosts multiple tracks available for students, faculty, students, staff, and community entrepreneurs. To view the rules and eligibility, please download the official guidebook.

Rules and Eligibility