Compete for equity-free funding at PitchFest where $150,000 in grants will be awarded to the region’s fiercest Founders.
The 2025 cohort will receive additional benefits including business software, a dedicated student intern who will attend every workshop, access to additional interns at 50% of cost (based on 160 hours at $18.75/hour), a dedicated mentor, introductions to potential mentors, customers, team members and advisors, and access to five 7-hour workshops. At the end of the program, participants will have a comprehensive business plan and the vision, tools and relationships they need to hit their goals.
Grant recipients will receive $2,500 at the start of the program, and the remainder of the grants will be awarded alongside an Entrepreneurship Certificate from the University of Missouri–St. Louis upon completion of the five workshops.
*2025 partners include Schnuck Markets’ ‘Schnucks Springboard’ Diverse-Owned Business Accelerator, WEPOWER’s Construction Accelerator, Arch Grants, and others.
Finalist Pitch, an exclusive event where the top finalists present their polished business pitches to an esteemed panel of judges and potential investors. This event provides a platform for finalists to showcase their innovative ideas and compete for the top spots. This dynamic day is designed to inspire, educate, and propel participants toward success in their entrepreneurial journey.
Whether or not you applied to the accelerator and/or were invited to participate in the accelerator pitch competition, we wanted to share with you a PowerPoint template you are welcome to modify and use during your next "live" pitch presentation about your startup. With just eight slides, the template provides a framework for efficiently discussing some of the most critical questions that potential accelerators (or potential investors or other stakeholders) may have about your company:
This accelerator would not be possible over the years without the anonymous support of friends and the public commitment of Ameren Corporation, Edward Jones, Anheuser Busch Foundation, MTC and Kauffman Foundation:
UMSL is the only public university in the region to carry dual AACSB accreditations for its business and accounting programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
