Startup World Cup is one of the world's largest startup competitions, connecting more than 100 regional events with a Global Finale in San Francisco. Regional winners compete for the opportunity to receive a US$1 million investment from Pegasus Tech Ventures. Gradient is proud to host the Startup World Cup Tulsa Regional Competition on September 24, 2026 at Gradient in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during Chroma—the flagship innovation event of Tulsa Tech Week. Ten startups will pitch live, with one advancing to the Global Finale in San Francisco.

Your application is reviewed from your slides, and an optional video is also available. The video helps the review committee better understand your company and is especially useful if your business is difficult to explain in a few slides, though submitting one will not necessarily increase your chances of being selected. Sharing that you applied on social media (LinkedIn, X, Instagram) is encouraged but not required — a suggested template is: "Our team just applied to @SWCPTV #StartupWorldCup #YourCompanyName". You can download the SWC pitch deck template

The Tulsa Regional winner receives: entry to the Startup World Cup Global Finale in San Francisco (November 4–6, 2026); a $5,000 travel stipend from Gradient; two tickets to the Global Finale; a complimentary Gradient Membership; an executive leadership experience with Hogan Assessments; and a press release plus marketing exposure. Runners-up receive a complimentary Gradient Membership and a Startup World Cup swag bag. Startup World Cup provides free event tickets to the Networking Party and Grand Finale for each regional winner, but does not cover or reimburse flights or other travel expenses — Gradient's $5,000 stipend is provided separately to help cover the trip to San Francisco.

The winner will receive a complimentary executive leadership assessment and one-on-one debrief with Hogan Assessments' VP, Zsolt Feher, helping founders better understand their leadership style, strengths, and growth opportunities.

Startup World Cup has 100+ regional events across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, and each regional winner competes in Silicon Valley at the Global Finale — held November 4–6, 2026 at the Hilton Union Square in San Francisco. It brings together founders, investors, Fortune 500 companies, and technology leaders from around the world for three days of competition, networking, and investment opportunities. Each startup is allocated 4 minutes to pitch followed by 2 minutes of Q&A from the judging panel. All finalists pitch on Day 1; if you make it to the final round, you move on to pitch on the main stage on Day 2. More details are on the Grand Finale page

Even if you don't win, you'll pitch in front of investors, enterprise leaders, and ecosystem partners, gaining valuable exposure, feedback, and new connections through Chroma.