expand_content
The Dempsey Startup Competition provides a real-world experience for student entrepreneurs, promoting student ideas and new venture creation to the entrepreneurial community. Participating in the Dempsey Startup gives students practice in the dynamics of venture creation by developing an idea, putting together a founding team, writing a business plan, and presenting to investors.
The competition is open to undergrads and grad students at accredited colleges and universities across the Cascadia Corridor – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia, as well as Alaska.
For more information visit the website at https://foster.uw.edu/centers/buerk-ctr-entrepreneurship/entrepreneurship-competitions/dempsey-startup-competition/
The competition is open to undergrads and grad students at accredited colleges and universities across the Cascadia Corridor – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia, as well as Alaska.
For more information visit the website at https://foster.uw.edu/centers/buerk-ctr-entrepreneurship/entrepreneurship-competitions/dempsey-startup-competition/
Why Should Students Participate?
Find out what it takes to bring a new idea to the world
Top-level professionals from the community will mentor you.
Work with an interdisciplinary team.
Prepare yourself for an impact career.
Win prizes worth up to $25,000.
Top-level professionals from the community will mentor you.
Work with an interdisciplinary team.
Prepare yourself for an impact career.
Win prizes worth up to $25,000.
What is needed to enter the Dempsey Startup Competition?
ALL ENTRANTS
Register your team and teammates
5-7 page Business Summary (ENTRY DEADLINE Monday April 6, 2026 @ 11:59pm) NOTE: The 5-7 page business summary has 7 sections to complete.
TOP TEAMS SELECTED FOR INVESTMENT ROUND
Investment Round Resource Night | Thursday, April 16, 2026 (Mandatory event for all teams advancing to the Investment Round)
Pitch Workshop | Thursday April 23, 2026 (Mandatory event for all teams advancing to the Investment Round)
Office Hours with Mentors | Week of April 20 (30-minute appointments with mentors for teams advancing to the Investment Round)
1-page business summary (Due Thursday, April 23, 2026 @ Noon)
Dempsey Startup Competition Investment Round | Thursday, April 30, 2026
Register your team and teammates
5-7 page Business Summary (ENTRY DEADLINE Monday April 6, 2026 @ 11:59pm) NOTE: The 5-7 page business summary has 7 sections to complete.
TOP TEAMS SELECTED FOR INVESTMENT ROUND
Investment Round Resource Night | Thursday, April 16, 2026 (Mandatory event for all teams advancing to the Investment Round)
Pitch Workshop | Thursday April 23, 2026 (Mandatory event for all teams advancing to the Investment Round)
Office Hours with Mentors | Week of April 20 (30-minute appointments with mentors for teams advancing to the Investment Round)
1-page business summary (Due Thursday, April 23, 2026 @ Noon)
Dempsey Startup Competition Investment Round | Thursday, April 30, 2026
Rules
Teams entering must have at least one full-time or part-time student on the team who is enrolled in a degree-seeking program at an accredited college or university in the Cascadia Corridor - Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia, as well as Alaska. If you graduated the summer quarter prior to the year of the competition or later, you are considered a current student in the competition.
The competition entry must be developed during the student’s tenure at the college or university. Students working with outside entrepreneurs must create their own original business plan and have responsibility for their own portion of the business.
All submissions to the Dempsey Startup Competition must live up to the higher ideals of the University of Washington. The team’s idea must be appropriate for a university-sponsored event. The Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is its judgment violates the letter or the spirit of the competition or exceeds the bounds of social convention.
If the team or company entering the competition is revenue positive, total revenue cannot exceed $250k. For the purposes of the Competition, “revenue” includes but is not limited to commercialization grants (I-Corp, Gap Fund, SBIR, etc), investments (friends and family, angel, or VC), and competition winnings. (Please note this is different than the company’s projected revenue. This rule does not apply to projected revenue.)
Eligible students can form a team with non-students. Students must have an ownership stake in the business or the potential for equity or employment.
Only student team members are eligible to earn prize money. No payments will be made to non-students.
Note: The Director of the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship reserves the right to make the final determination of the eligibility of submitted business ventures.
The competition entry must be developed during the student’s tenure at the college or university. Students working with outside entrepreneurs must create their own original business plan and have responsibility for their own portion of the business.
All submissions to the Dempsey Startup Competition must live up to the higher ideals of the University of Washington. The team’s idea must be appropriate for a university-sponsored event. The Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is its judgment violates the letter or the spirit of the competition or exceeds the bounds of social convention.
If the team or company entering the competition is revenue positive, total revenue cannot exceed $250k. For the purposes of the Competition, “revenue” includes but is not limited to commercialization grants (I-Corp, Gap Fund, SBIR, etc), investments (friends and family, angel, or VC), and competition winnings. (Please note this is different than the company’s projected revenue. This rule does not apply to projected revenue.)
Eligible students can form a team with non-students. Students must have an ownership stake in the business or the potential for equity or employment.
Only student team members are eligible to earn prize money. No payments will be made to non-students.
Note: The Director of the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship reserves the right to make the final determination of the eligibility of submitted business ventures.
Confidentiality
Your submission into the competition is distributed to a large group of community professionals who act as judges.
We strongly encourage any team with concerns regarding intellectual property such as patent or copyright potential to either contact their University’s intellectual property office (for University-developed discoveries) or competent legal counsel (for non-University related discoveries) before submitting their proposal into the competition.
The University of Washington, the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, the Foster School of Business, and the organizers of the competition are not responsible for any proprietary information and/or intellectual property included in a submitted business summary.
Ultimately, protection of sensitive materials is the sole responsibility of the individual or team participating in the competition.
We strongly encourage any team with concerns regarding intellectual property such as patent or copyright potential to either contact their University’s intellectual property office (for University-developed discoveries) or competent legal counsel (for non-University related discoveries) before submitting their proposal into the competition.
The University of Washington, the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, the Foster School of Business, and the organizers of the competition are not responsible for any proprietary information and/or intellectual property included in a submitted business summary.
Ultimately, protection of sensitive materials is the sole responsibility of the individual or team participating in the competition.
Photo and Video Disclaimer
By attending Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship events in-person, online, or otherwise—participants grant the Buerk Center permission to the rights of their image, likeness, and recorded voice, without payment or consideration, for non-commercial use. Participants must understand that there is no time limit on the validity of this release, nor are there any geographic limitations on where these materials may be distributed. Students, judges, mentors, and all other related parties to events may request photos for use following the event in question. Requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Attribution/Courtesy must be included with all photo/video use. The Buerk Center retains the right to request photos/videos be removed from third-party websites, distributed materials, and/or similar media. University of Washington licensing and other media-related policies related to the UW Brand can be found at https://www.washington.edu/brand/