Not high-growth or a tech startup? AltCap Your Biz $10K prize could be the boost you need
September 21, 2018 | Austin Barnes
A $10,000 prize can mean a world of difference for the right entrepreneurial dream, said Davin Gordon.
“There’s not a ton of opportunities for small businesses to not only pitch their business and go through that process, but actually have an opportunity to win some money,” he said.
Entering its fourth year on the startup scene, the AltCap Your Biz competition offers startups the chance to pitch their business and win money with no strings attached, Gordon, AltCap’s business development officer, explained.
“I think it’s so important because it gives [opportunity to] those small to mid-size companies that don’t really stand a chance [in funding competitions against more advanced startups],” he said.
Interested in applying? Submit an online application and two-minute pitch video that answers six business questions by 5 p.m. Oct. 3, Gordon said with urgency. AltCap –– a community development financial institution focused on aiding underserved populations –– enforces a strict deadline for applications.
“That’s the only way you can kind of weed out those that are serious about this,” Gordon said of the deadline.
Applicants accepted into the competition’s top 10 will submit detailed business proposals to AltCap judges. From there, finalists will be chosen to make an in-person pitch.
The winning entrepreneur(s) will be announced Nov. 14, as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week programming.
Although certain restrictions apply, startups don’t have to be high-growth or tech ventures to throw their hat into the ring. Small businesses of all kinds are encouraged to apply, Gordon said.
“This gives some of these small folks an opportunity to directly apply [the prize money] to their business right away,” he said.
Past winners of the AltCap Your Biz competition include; BareFood’n Happy, Maker Village, and Hostel KC.
A second-place $5,000 prize and third-place $2,500 also are awarded.
“I’ve kept this very mission-driven and we’re very community-oriented. That’s a huge component for us … How is this going to contribute to our local community and to the ecosystem here in Kansas City?” Gordon said.
The winner of the 2018 AltCap Your Biz competition will also receive help finding office/retail space and consulting services to help develop their brand.
Click here to apply for the AltCap Your Biz competition.
Featured Business
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
WeWork closing Corrigan Station, once a core hub for Kansas City’s startup community
Coworking giant WeWork on Thursday confirmed the planned closure of its Corrigan Station location in Kansas City — a space once closely intertwined with the local startup scene and its flourishing culture of innovation. “As part of WeWork’s strategic restructuring efforts, we have made the difficult decision to end our operations at Corrigan Station,” a…
Starting a business in KCMO is too expensive, study says; here’s how the city can cut those costs
Entrepreneurs in Kansas City, Missouri, face a higher cost of entry to the world of small business than their peers in St. Louis — or even just across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas, said Jennifer McDonald. “We look at things like how expensive it is to start a business, how complicated it is,…
Royals’ pitch for a Crossroads ballpark isn’t the first; what struck out KC’s plans for a domed downtown stadium 60 years ago?
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Kansas City PBS/Flatland, a member of the KC Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, The Kansas City Beacon, and Missouri Business Alert. Click here to read the original story. On June 27, 1967, Jackson County voters approved a $102 million general obligation bond…
Scoring Google’s $1B data center feels like Super Bowl overtime as KC keeps notching wins, officials say
Kansas City is hitting it out of the ballpark, said Mike Parson, returning from the governor’s office to the region Wednesday for yet another major economic development announcement — this time, a billion-dollar Google data center coming in 2025. “Maybe I should say, ‘You’re hitting it out of the ballpark and scoring touchdowns,” Parson, R-Missouri, told…