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Firestarter Pitch Contests

The Firestarter Pitches are designed to be the first funds the student competes for once they are post-product.  And while non-dilutive funding is at stake, the bigger goal is to have students practice pitching, get (friendly) critical review of their business, and open up relationships with alumni who can help them on their journey.

The Firestarter Pitch Competitions occur once per month when class in session.  All competitions are held on a Monday starting at 5:30 pm in Management Hall Classroom 204.  The competition is open to the first 10 student founders who apply each month. Community and alumni members judge the competition with the winner receiving $750, 2nd place receiving $300, and 3rd place receiving $150. 

 

2025 - 2026 Academic Year Competition Dates:

  • September 15th
  • October 20th
  • November 10th
  • December 1st
  • January 19th
  • February 9th
  • March 23rd
  • April 13th
                      Eligibility Criteria
  1. A Vanderbilt University student must serve as the founder or co-founder of the startup.
  2. Vanderbilt University students must control 51% of the cap table for the startup.
  3. The startup must have a functioning product or service.
  4. Startups who have raised $10,000 or more (including via SAFE or similar instrument) are ineligible.
  5. Startups concepts which have won a prior Firestarter Competition are ineligible.
  6. Vanderbilt students who have won three prior Chancellor's Launch Grants competitions are ineligible. 
  7. Only Vanderbilt students may present during the pitch part of the competition.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do applications open?

For each month’s pitch competition, the application window opens on the first day of the month at 9:00 a.m. CT. For example, the window for the September competition will open on September 1 at 9:00 a.m. CT.

The first 10 applications received after the window opens will be scheduled for presentation in that month’s competition. To ensure fairness, applications submitted before the window opens will not be considered.

 

What should I include in my pitch deck?

The Firestarter Pitch Competition uses a six-slide format for pitch presentations:

  1. Problem: What problem are you addressing in the market?

  2. Solution: How does your product or service solve the problem your users face?

  3. Market Size & Dynamics: What is the total available market (TAM), serviceable available market (SAM), and serviceable obtainable market (SOM) for your product or service? What is the market’s compound annual growth rate (CAGR)? Who are your main competitors, and how does your offering differentiate from theirs?

  4. Traction: What milestones has your business achieved to date? (Examples: filing or obtaining intellectual property, acquiring users, demonstrating value creation for users, generating revenue, or winning significant clients.)

Note: It is wise to anticipate judges’ questions and prepare backup slides to reference when responding. However, these backup slides should not be included in the core presentation.

Should I print slides for the judges?

We do not recommend printing slides for the Firestarter Pitch Competition.

How long do I have to pitch?

You will have 4 minutes to pitch, followed by 3 minutes of questions from the judges. To be respectful of our judges’ time, we will promptly cut off both the pitch and the Q&A when time is up.

Will their be a timer clock I can see during the pitch?

Yes, we have a pitch timer that will display the elapsed time during your presentation.

How is the judging performed?

We select alumni with startup experience—as founders, advisors, or investors—to serve as judges. After the pitches, each judge is given a theoretical $1 million in investment dollars to allocate among the contestants. Judges may invest all, some, or none of their dollars in any pitch. The student founder who 'raises' the most investment is named the winner.

How much does the grant award?

The Firestarter Pitch Competitions provides the following payouts each month for the top three finalists:

1st place: $750

2nd place: $300

3rd place: $150

Are the funds dilutive?

No, this is a grant that is given to your business.  Vanderbilt will not become part of your cap table from this award.

Does my startup need to be incorporated?

No.  We can issue the Fireside Pitch winnings to a business account; however, we can also issue these a stipend to the student.

Are there restrictions on how I use the fund?

No - we love to see winners use the funds to power growth engine experiments; however, we do not restrict how you use the funds.

Does the Honor Code apply to submissions?

Yes, the Honor Code applies. Participants must not misrepresent or embellish achievements pertaining to themselves or their business in any submission, pitch deck, or presentation. If the Center determines that materially false information has been provided, the following actions will be taken:

  1. Immediate disqualification of the student from the current pitch competition;

  2. Prohibition of the student from participation in future pitch competitions; and

  3. Referral of the matter to the Vanderbilt Honor Council for adjudication.