2021 $200k
Pillar VC Pitch Competition

All prizes are grants (dilution-free). Winners will receive coaching and mentorship from experienced biotech founders.

Application closed October 1st

$100k

First
Place

First prize will be awarded to the most compelling team working on breakthrough science with the potential for significant impact.

$25k

Second
Place

Two second place prizes will be awarded to promising teams as they emerge into the biotech ecosystem.

$15k

Third
Place

Two third place prizes will be awarded to two teams that are onto something exciting at the intersection of bio and tech.

$5k

Audience
Choice

Four audience choice awards will be chosen by you during the live event.

Notable dates:
Oct. 1st — Initial entries due by 11:59 pm ET
Oct. 15th — Finalists notified
Nov. 4th — Top three awardees share their ideas alongside field leaders;
                      live audience choice voting closes and winners are announced

FAQs

What is a pitch competition?

The Pillar VC Pitch Competition invites biotech founders attacking the world’s largest problems at the frontier of biology and engineering to submit an idea for the chance to win mentorship and non-dilutive grants totaling $200K. 

Who should apply?

Whether you’re just beginning to think about turning your research into a company or are actively building a new biotech startup, we invite you to apply.

How do I apply?

You can apply online here. The deadline for applications is October 1st. Not ready to apply? Sign up for updates to be reminded of deadlines.

What's required to apply?

Share background about idea, your team, and a < 2 minute introduction video. You can apply online here. The deadline for applications is October 1st.

How many finalists are selected?

10+ finalists will be selected by October 15th. All finalists will receive 30 minutes of coaching and are in consideration for the audience choice awards. 

How are winners chosen?

20+ leaders in the biotech community are providing input to help us select the top awards. Then we’ll tap the power of the crowd to select several audience choice awardees.

When are winners announced?

The top three awardees will present their ideas live at the Summit on November 4th between 12 – 1:00 pM ET. Audience choice winners will be announced at the end of the event.

Summit is over. See you next year!

Oct 31st - Nov 4th, 2022

Founder-led Biotech Summit is a free and
entirely virtual event.