Blake Family Military & Veterans Pitch Competition
Clemson University Brook T. Smith Launchpad (funded by Frank and Jennifer Blake)
$2,500 to $10,000 prizes
Cash prizes of $2,500 to $10,000 for startups with a military or veteran founder, judged at a live pitch at Clemson. The 2026 round closed October 16.
The Blake Family Military & Veterans Pitch Competition at Clemson University pays cash prizes to startups with at least one founder who is active duty, active ROTC, reserve, national guard, veteran or a military spouse. Prizes are $10,000 for first place, $7,500 for second, $5,000 for third and $2,500 for fourth. Finalists pitch in person at Clemson, South Carolina for six minutes plus four minutes of questions. The 2026 application closed on October 16, 2026 and the event is on November 6, 2026. This is the second year of the competition, and the 2027 dates have not been posted.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Private
- Amount range
- $2,500 – $10,000
- Realistic amount
- $10,000, $7,500, $5,000 or $2,500 to the four winning teams.
- Deadline
- 2026 round closed Friday, October 16, 2026 at 11:59 pm; 2027 not posted
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- Nationwide
Who qualifies
- At least one founder must be: active duty, active ROTC, reserve, national guard, veteran, or military spouse
- Pitch in person at Clemson, South Carolina
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Prize money for the business (use restrictions not published)
Ineligible expenses
- See official program guidance
How to apply
-
1
Apply on Clemson StartUpTree
The form's questions were not visible on 2026-10-17.
~3 hrs
-
2
Live pitch at Clemson
Six-minute pitch plus four minutes of questions.
~10 hrs
The pitch is only six minutes with four of questions, so practise a tight story; the next round likely opens in fall 2027, so check the Launchpad page each September.
Deadline & timing
2026: application deadline Friday, October 16, 2026 by 11:59 pm; event Friday, November 6, 2026. The competition is annual (2025 was the inaugural year), so expect a fall 2027 round, but no 2027 dates are posted. Applications run through Clemson StartUpTree.
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Required documents
- Online application on Clemson StartUpTree (contents not public)
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