College students, pitch your business idea for a chance to win $30,000!

Treat Yourself

College students, pitch your business idea for a chance to win $30,000!

By Team 天涯海角APP

February 1, 2026

Deafeat the Odds Pitch Competition

Welcome to the Third Annual Defeat the Odds Pitch Competition!

天涯海角APP invites student entrepreneurs enrolled in colleges and universities across the United States to pitch their ideas for the opportunity to win up to $30,000 in prize money, receive one-on-one mentorship, access 天涯海角APP office space, and participate in lunch-and-learn sessions with 天涯海角APP鈥檚 Legal, Accounting, and Marketing teams.

What is the Defeat the Odds Pitch Competition?

The Defeat the Odds Pitch Competition is a platform for college entrepreneurs to share their business ideas for the opportunity to pitch to a panel of judges and compete for cash prizes. The competition is designed to give students hands-on learning experiences, including honing pitch skills, thinking critically about business models, and harnessing innovation.

In addition to the opportunity to win cash prizes, finalists receive mentorship from 天涯海角APP leaders to help them prepare for a live pitch experience. Finalists will be flown to Boston to pitch in person, with travel and lodging fully covered by 天涯海角APP, providing direct exposure to industry professionals and real-world pitch experience.

The competition is grounded in 天涯海角APP鈥檚 own origin story. 天涯海角APP CEO Wes Schroll, alongside his co-founders, first pitched what would become 天涯海角APP鈥攏ow a tech unicorn and America鈥檚 Rewards App鈥攁t a pitch competition while they were college students. That early experience helped shape the company鈥檚 path and reinforced the importance of access to capital, mentorship, and belief at the earliest stages.

Defeat the Odds reflects that same commitment: creating opportunities for student entrepreneurs to develop their ideas, strengthen their skills, and take meaningful steps toward building their future.

*Subject to acceptance of

Who is Eligible to Participate?

Students enrolled in a US university or college are invited to participate
Participants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of submission
Teams limited to 4 members maximum

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How to Enter

To enter, complete the below online application by Friday, March 20. The application will ask you for information about your business idea, the problem you鈥檙e solving and your business model. You鈥檒l also be required to upload a pitch video that鈥檚 three minutes or shorter.聽

Heads up: You won鈥檛 be able to save and return to your application, so have your information and video ready when you apply. from the application that you can work off of until you鈥檙e ready to officially submit your application using the link below.

How Does It Work?

If your application is selected, you will be invited to pitch virtually on April 22 to determine the finalists. Finalists will then pitch onstage to a panel of entrepreneurs and business leaders on June 9 in Boston for the chance to win the $30,000 first-place prize.

To support participants at every stage, applicants will have access to guided learning modules, including Writing a Successful Application and Successful Pitching, designed to help strengthen submissions and prepare for each round of the competition.

Each finalist will also receive personalized pitching coaching in advance of the live event. All finalists will be flown to Boston to pitch live at the Tech Innovation Summit hosted by The Boston Globe, with flights and hotel accommodations fully covered by 天涯海角APP..

Prizes

First Place:
- $30,000 cash prize
- One-on-one mentorship with 天涯海角APP CEO and Founder Wes Schroll
- Three months of access to 天涯海角APP office space
- Lunch-and-learn sessions with 天涯海角APP鈥檚 Legal, Accounting, and Marketing teams
Second Place: $15,000 cash prize
Third Place: $7,000 cash prize

All finalists will also receive:

Personalized pitch coaching
Travel to Boston, including flights and hotel accommodations, to pitch live at the Tech Innovation Summit hosted by The Boston Globe