Call for startups

Startup Pitch Competition

Two days of pitches. Judges and the audience pick the winner.

Submit your pitch See results See all pitches

Key dates

Application deadline: January 31, 2027
Shortlist announced: February 14, 2027
Live pitches: March 18–19, 2027
Format: 7 minutes on stage plus 3 minutes of Q&A

Who can apply

Building an AI product for healthcare, life sciences, or public health.
Raised no more than a Series A at the time of application.
A founder or executive must present in person at Stanford Faculty Club.
Selected teams register for the conference (a competition rate is applied).

How the competition runs

Submit your pitch through the application form — you need a free account.
The selection committee shortlists teams and publishes them on this page.
Shortlisted teams pitch live across the two conference days.
Judges score each pitch and attendees vote online — one vote per person.
The winner is announced at the closing session on day two.

Judging

How pitches are scored

Every pitch is scored on the same five criteria, each out of 10 and weighted as shown. Round 1 scores your written submission and deck; round 2 scores the live pitch on stage. The audience vote counts as an additional judge, so bring your community.

Problem and clinical need

×1 · /10

How real, urgent and well-evidenced is the problem?

What to address: Who is harmed today, how often, and at what cost? Cite prevalence, current standard of care, and why existing tools fall short. Name the clinical setting and the decision your product changes.
On stage (round 2): Was the need framed convincingly on stage?

Solution and technology

×1.5 · /10

Is the AI approach credible, differentiated and safe?

What to address: Explain the model or system, the data it learns from, and what makes it hard to copy. Cover safety, failure modes, human oversight, integration into clinical workflow, and regulatory classification.
On stage (round 2): Demo quality, technical credibility, differentiation.

Traction and evidence

×1.5 · /10

Pilots, deployments, outcomes, regulatory progress.

What to address: Show evidence, not intent: pilots and sites, patients or studies covered, outcome or accuracy results, published work, regulatory clearances, letters of intent, revenue and retention.
On stage (round 2): Evidence presented live, including Q&A answers.

Team

×1 · /10

Clinical, technical and commercial depth to execute.

What to address: Show clinical, technical, and commercial depth: who has shipped regulated software, who holds the clinical credibility, prior domain experience, advisers, and what you are still hiring for.
On stage (round 2): Presence, credibility and command of the domain.

Written pitch clarity

×1 · /10

Is the deck and written submission clear and complete?

What to address: One clear claim, a logical arc, readable slides, defined terms, and honest limitations. Keep to the time limit and make the ask explicit.
On stage (round 2): Storytelling, timing and handling of judge questions.

Totals are a weighted mean on a 0–10 scale, so solution and traction carry the most influence. The winning team receives a showcase slot at the closing plenary, an investor introduction round, and complimentary registrations for the next edition.

The pitches

All startup pitches

Loading pitches…