5 New Pitch Competitions + Hackathons for College Students
Money on the table, interesting people to meet, and a deadline to finally build the thing
Every couple of weeks, I hear from one of my amazing friends who is organizing brilliant events and opportunities for the intercollegiate entrepreneurship community.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to finally polish up that slide deck, shoot your shot, and build the thing — this is it.
Below are a few of the most interesting pitch competitions and hackathons that recently landed on my desk. Whether you're still figuring out your idea, have already raised a friends-and-family round, or just want to build something interesting from scratch, there’s a little something for everyone here.
1. Critical Venture’s University Impact Prize
Critical Ventures is an early-stage VC firm that supports students in building real solutions to major global issues—think climate, health, and economic mobility. Led by an inspiring team of Gen Z’s themselves, it’s backed by a $5M fund and supported by individuals who have long led the venture, philanthropy, and academic landscapes.
This semester, they’ve launched their inaugural University Impact Prize, with a total of $125,000 in funding and support up for grabs. They’re partnering with Michael Baum (founder of Splunk, $28B exit) and judges from firms like Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst, and Lowercarbon Capital. Their goal? Support college founders working on what they call “critical problems” and give them a serious launchpad.
I have personally been incredibly impressed by their vision, energy, and love for supporting collegiate entrepreneurship, and I would definitely recommend any serious founder to apply.
2. Brown Entrepreneurship Program’s Collegiate Entrepreneurship Awards
Brown’s EP (Entrepreneurship Program) is one of the amazing student organizations I’ve had the pleasure to get to know through the NGEN network. They’ve teamed up with Jonathan Speed, co-founder of LongJump AI and a Venture Partner at Waterman Ventures, to launch a pitch competition that’s open to college founders from around the world .
The Collegiate Entrepreneurship Awards aim to level the playing field, bringing visibility and resources to startups that might not have the same institutional support. The format is simple: submit a 3–4 minute video using the LongJump platform, and finalists will pitch live at a virtual event on April 12th. There’s a $10,000 prize pool (cash and in-kind) and a People’s Choice category where students can vote on their favorite pitch.
They’re capping it at 60 entries, so if you’ve got a student-founder project or know someone working on something meaningful — this is a good reason to record that pitch.
3. H*QUOTIENT’s Neurotech Hackathon
H*QUOTIENT is building a deep tech community for college students who are interested in things like brain-computer interfaces, cognitive enhancement, neuromodulation, neurofeedback, neuroeducation platforms, and more. Their team is made up of student researchers, builders, and tinkerers across top universities, with advisors from academia, industry, and venture.
This April 26th, they’re launching their first-ever Neurotech Hackathon in Boston. You can expect a mix of software ideation, rapid prototyping, and hardware experiments for people who want to build the future of science. If you are curious about the intersection of neuroscience and technology and down to collaborate on something experimental, this is the place to be.
There will be prizes, expert mentorship, and a crowd of people who are thinking very far outside the box.
4. Launch Yard’s Yardwork AI Hackathon
Launch Yard is a grassroots group of builders, operators, and technical founders in Boston who have hosted underground meetups, startup sprints, and more. Their recent project, Yardwork, is an AI Hackathon with a singular rule: “only cool ideas.”
Held on April 12th in Boston, Yardwork has multiple tracks that intersect with AI, including Scientific Discovery, Stablecoins and the Future of Money, Cybersecurity, AR/BCI/Hardware, Agents, and a general track.
If you’re in or near Cambridge and want to meet sharp people building cool AI things, this event is worth attending.
5. Yale Undergraduate Quantum Computing’s Y Quantum Hackathon
Y Quantum is Yale’s premier quantum computing hackathon, building an ecosystem for student founders interested in quantum computing and adjacent deep tech verticals. Led by the Yale Quantum Institute, a global leader in quantum research and beyond, the event attracts the best and the brightest in the field who are interested in the advancement and application of quantum algorithms, computing, software, and more.
Held on April 12th and 13th by Yale Undergraduate Quantum Computing, this premier event is a must-attend for individuals passionate about the industry.
Pitch competitions and hackathons have been an exciting way for individuals to be able to get in front of industry leaders with their ideas and expertise. Regardless of the stage, you are in on your entrepreneurship journey; they are a great opportunity to put yourself out there.
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