Startup
$120,000 • 100s OF STARTUPS • 1 CHAMPION
Showdown
The Startup Event for Everyone
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open to tech entrepreneurs everywhere

Startup Showdown is a unique opportunity for early-stage startups to present to well-known investors and innovators in the tech ecosystem as they look to take their company to the next level. All finalists will pitch to guest investor judges while at the same time building long-lasting connections in the innovation ecosystem. This is the competition to be a part of, showcasing the next frontier of innovation and the most promising talent of the day.

Hosted by BIP Ventures, Startup Showdown is going on tour again in 2023, hosting events nationwide.

Join us next at Venture Atlanta for Startup Showcase Live on September 27-28.

Startups

There's $120,000 and momentum-building exposure on the line in a high-stakes pitch competition for early-stage tech startups.
Apply

Attendees

Limited tickets are available for a front-row seat to watch the most innovative tech startups compete for investment.
Attend

FAQs

Are you ready to submit your application or register to attend the event but still have questions? We answer all of them here.
Learn More

Event Overview

Round
1
25 Semifinalists are selected from hundreds of applications to attend Mentor Day and further refine their pitch.
Round
2
After Mentor Day, five finalists will be selected to pitch to a panel of judges with $2B+ of portfolio exits.
Round
3
Finalists compete for a $120,000 investment and Showdown bragging rights in front of a live audience.

Guest Investor Judges

Our guest judges are eager to select tomorrow's success story today.

Jennifer Prince
Jennifer Prince Chief Commercial Officer, Los Angeles Rams

As the Chief Commercial Officer of the Los Angeles Rams, Jennifer is responsible for overseeing all partnerships — including sales, activation, and strategy — as well as the commercialization of the media business, including owned-and-operated channels, social media accounts and media partnerships.  Jennifer previously spent over 8 years at Twitter as the Global VP and Head of Content Partnerships and Managing Director of Global Media & Entertainment Partnerships.

Prior to joining Twitter in August 2013, Jennifer was Head of Industry for Film & Television at Google and Head of YouTube Media & Entertainment. Earlier, Jennifer was SVP of Advertising at Demand Media and helped the company through its IPO. Years prior, Jennifer worked at other notable companies such as American Greetings, Ziff Davis & TBWA/Chiat Day. Jennifer has spent over 25 years in digital advertising, content and partnerships.

Mark Buffington
Mark Buffington Managing Partner, Panoramic Ventures

Since founding BIP Capital in 2006, Mark has built what is now Panoramic into the region’s most active Venture Capital firm and one of the most recognized brands in venture capital outside of Silicon Valley.

Mark has led investment rounds in more than 80 companies in numerous industries (Healthcare, Digital Media, Ed Tech, Enterprise SaaS, FinTech and Advanced Computing).

Mark graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology (where he lettered as a varsity baseball player) and received an MBA from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University.

Kobie Fuller
Kobie Fuller Partner, Upfront

Kobie has been a partner at Upfront since 2016, with a core investing focus in SaaS, marketing technology, and emerging technologies including VR and AR. His notable Upfront investments include Bevy, Wave, Cordial and MetaCX. While at Upfront, Kobie also founded and incubated Valence, a platform to unlock economic opportunity, investment and community for Black professionals; he is also on the Advisory Board for PledgeLA, an organization working to increase diversity and equity in tech.

Prior to Upfront, Kobie was an investor at Accel, helped found OpenView Venture Partners, and was an investor at Insight Venture Partners, with early investments including Exact Target and Oculus. He was also the Chief Marketing Officer at LA-based REVOLVE, one of the largest global fashion e-commerce players. Kobie graduated from Harvard College.

Baron Davis
Baron Davis Founder, Baron Davis Enterprises

Entrepreneur, investor, and two-time NBA All-Star and record-holder, over a thirteen-year career, Baron Davis played for the Charlotte Hornets, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the New York Knicks. Known for his electrifying style on the court, Davis was a powerful point guard, who won national acclaim for executing in crucial, high-pressure moments, when his team needed him the most. As a businessman, Baron was one of the original investors for Vitaminwater and helped launch Thrive Market.

Baron is also the founder of several companies, including Sports and Lifestyle in Culture (SLIC), The Black Santa Company, BIG and No Label—each with the objective of combining creative talent with original publication and production to develop and provide educational and heartwarming stories that appeal to global audiences of all ages.

Baron also served as producer of several acclaimed documentaries including Crips and Bloods: Made In America, 30 for 30: Sole Man, and The Drew: No Excuse, Just Produce.

Apolo Ohno
Apolo Ohno Partner, Tribe Capital

Apolo is the most decorated US Winter Olympian in history, earning eight Olympic medals in short-track speed skating across three consecutive Olympic Games.

Following his final Games, Apolo took his understanding of sports psychology & his personal experience with success & setbacks to develop a resilient and mission-driven approach to life. He wrote a book on this subject, Zero Regrets, a New York Times bestseller.

He has been a broadcaster, analyst, and commentator for 2012, 2014, and 2018 Olympics. He remains deeply entrenched in the Olympic movement, being a board member for the LA28 Olympics in Los Angeles.

As a partner at Tribe Capital, Apolo and the team are focused on using product and data science to engineer N-of-1 companies and investments across all investment, acquisition, and IPO stages.

Mentors

Kate O'Neil
Kate O'Neil
Co-Founder, Head of Marketing
Teaming.com
Tim Dorr
Tim Dorr
Managing Director
Techstars Atlanta
Cameron Cegala
Cameron Cegala
Co-Founder
General Mills Venture Studio
Jeff Perkins
Jeff Perkins
CEO
ParkMobile
J.R. McNair
J.R. McNair
CEO
The Velocity City
Gerald Gallagher
Gerald Gallagher
Investor
Healthworx
Richard Harris
Richard Harris
Founder
The Harris Consulting Group, LLC
Jonathan Goldman
Jonathan Goldman
Principal, VentureLab
Georgia Institute of Technology
Lauren Patrick
Lauren Patrick
VP, Marketing
Curricula
Jennifer Tacheff
Jennifer Tacheff
CEO
Manifest Advisors
Mark Bryan Quisao
Mark Bryan Quisao
VP
Panoramic Ventures
Jason James
Jason James
CIO
Net Health
Tanya T Morris
Tanya Morris
President and Founder
Mom Your Business
Stefanie Jewett
Stefanie Jewett
Program Manager
Square One
Gissell Malfitano
Gissell Malfitano
CMO
Yuansfer
Aly Merritt
Aly Merritt
Managing Director
Atlanta Tech Village
Steve Ostroff
Steve Ostroff
General Manager
Fiserv
Alla Adam
Alla Adam
Lean Startup Coach
biohack.yourself
Alyssa McCord
Alyssa McCord
Startup Advisor
Nashville Entrepreneur Center
Adwait Joshi
Adwait Joshi
Founder and Chief Seer
DataSeers
Paul Anthony
Paul Anthony
CEO
OpStart
David Rudolph
David Rudolph
CEO
PlayOn! Sports
Mike Gomez
Mike Gomez
Allegro Consulting
President
Lara O'Connor Hodgson
Lara O'Connor Hodgson
President & CEO
NowⓇ
Jamie Walker
Jamie Walker
SVP Marketing
Keyfactor
Trent McClure
Trent McClure
Director of Product
Panoramic Ventures
Katie Christian
Katie Christian
Head of Customer Success
Calendly
Christy Johnson
Christy Johnson
CEO
AchieveIT
Patrick Wiseman
Patrick Wiseman
Founder and CEO
Spaceship
Allyson Eman
Allyson Eman
CEO
Venture Atlanta
Holly Beilin
Holly Beilin
Head of Content and Communications
Flock Safety
Mark Tegtmeier
Mark Tegtmeier
Founder and CEO
Trailmerge
Stephen Weber
Stephen Weber
Associate Vice President
Nasdaq
Harold Solomon
Harold Solomon
Principal
Georgia Tech Venture Lab
Dauda Barry
Dauda Barry
CEO
Alidasoft
Sean Daly
Sean Daly
CEO
Expetitle
Musaddeq Khan
Musaddeq Khan
Chief Product Officer
BlueConduit
Jude Fils-Aimé
Jude Fils-Aimé
Cybersecurity
Evangelist
Jason Egnal
Jason Egnal
Chief Marketing Officer
Zenfolio
Adam Marx
Adam Marx
Founder and Speaker
The Zero to One Networker
Chris Moreno
Chris Moreno
Investor and Advisor
On Deck
Jessica Shraybman
Jessica Shraybman
Founder and Managing Partner
Shraybman Law, PLLC
Dan Roselli
Dan Roselli
Founder and Managing Director
RevTech Labs
Grahme Taylor
Grahme Taylor
Associate
Wildcat Venture Partners
Harry Lee
Harry Lee
Co-founder and President
Fuel Media TV
Jesse Lindsley
Jesse Lindsley
Founder and CEO
Thrust Interactive
Kerry Tracy Rapp
Kerry Tracy Rapp
Product Manger and Strategy Director
picky.fun
Sam Agarwal
Sam Agarwal
CEO
AppZoro Technologies Inc.
Luis Murguia
Luis Murguia
Managing Director
Murguia Associates, LLC
Kevin Peak
Kevin Peak
Client Development
Truist Financial
Andrew Tabit
Andrew Tabit
CEO
MVP Now Studio
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