Applications Open for the 2026 Startup World Cup Sacramento Regional
The Startup World Cup is returning to Sacramento — and this year, there’s more at stake for the regional winner than ever before.
Applications are now open for the 2026 Startup World Cup Sacramento Regional, taking place Tuesday, October 20 at The Urban Hive in downtown Sacramento during Sac Tech Week. Ten startups will be selected to pitch live, and one will advance to the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco to compete for a $1 million investment prize.
And for the first time, Sacramento’s regional winner will take home a substantial prize package before ever setting foot on the global stage.
$20,000 in Local Cash and Services
The Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Sacramento State is providing a $10,000 non-dilutive cash award to the Sacramento Regional winner.
Witan Law Group is adding approximately $10,000 in in-kind legal services through a three-month fractional general counsel package designed for startups. Together, that means the Sacramento winner will receive approximately $20,000 in cash and services locally, in addition to advancing to the Grand Finale.
That’s a meaningful boost for a growing startup. The cash can help a founder put resources where they’re needed most, while access to experienced startup legal counsel can help strengthen the company as it grows and prepares for future investment.
From Sacramento to the Global Stage
Startup World Cup is a global pitch competition hosted by Pegasus Tech Ventures, with more than 100 regional competitions around the world. Regional champions advance to the Grand Finale in San Francisco, where startups from across the globe compete for a $1 million investment prize.
And Sacramento startups have already shown they can compete at that level.
In 2022, Sacramento Regional winner JAPA advanced all the way to the global top ten. Electro Scan followed the next year, again putting Sacramento among the top ten at the international competition.
That track record says something important about the companies being built here. Greater Sacramento may not always get the attention of larger startup hubs, but our founders have demonstrated that they can hold their own on a global stage.
On October 20, we’ll find out which Greater Sacramento startup gets the next shot at making its mark on the global stage.
Ten Startups Will Take the Stage
Ten finalists will be selected from the applicant pool to pitch at The Urban Hive on Tuesday, October 20.
And there’s value in being selected even if you don’t ultimately take home the trophy. All ten finalists will work with Traction Lab advisors ahead of the competition to strengthen their pitches and prepare for the live event. The regional winner will receive additional intensive preparation before heading to San Francisco for the Grand Finale November 4–6.
Pitch night will put those ten companies in front of a live audience and a panel of venture capital and corporate innovation leaders. It’s an opportunity to tell your company’s story, get visibility, make connections and represent some of the innovation happening right here in our region.
Three Regional Organizations, One Big Opportunity
The Sacramento Regional is being produced collaboratively by StartupSac, the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Sacramento State, and Traction Lab.
Each organization brings something different to the table, from founder education and connections to pitch preparation, investment readiness and direct financial support.
For us at StartupSac, that collaboration is part of what makes this event important. Our region is stronger when organizations across the startup ecosystem work together to connect founders with opportunities that none of us could create quite as effectively on our own.
And Startup World Cup gives us an opportunity to do that on a particularly big stage.
Startup World Cup Meets the First Sac Tech Week
There’s another reason we’re excited about this year’s event.
The Startup World Cup Sacramento Regional will take place during the first-ever Sac Tech Week, happening October 19–24. Startup World Cup takes the stage on Tuesday evening, October 20, putting entrepreneurship and some of the region’s most promising startups in the spotlight during a week dedicated to Sacramento’s growing technology and innovation community.
Bringing founders, investors, technologists, students, business leaders and ecosystem organizations together for a week of events creates new opportunities for connections — including connections among people who might not ordinarily find themselves in the same room.
We think Startup World Cup is a pretty great way to show Sac Tech Week attendees what Greater Sacramento’s startup community can do.
Think Your Startup Should Be One of the Ten?
If you’re building a scalable technology company in the Greater Sacramento Region, now is the time to throw your hat in the ring.
There is no fee to apply. Applications are open now and close Friday, September 25 at 11:59 PM PDT.
Apply for Startup World Cup Regional
Come See the Competition Live
Not pitching? Come be part of the audience. The Startup World Cup Sacramento Regional is free and open to the public, and we’d love to fill The Urban Hive with people ready to support the ten companies taking the stage.
Event: Startup World Cup Sacramento Regional
Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Time: 5:30–8:00 PM
Venue: The Urban Hive in Downtown Sacramento
Register to attend
