Bracket-style startup pitch competition courts innovators, angels for March gameplay

WICHITA, Kan. — Applications are open for a statewide startup pitch competition set to return in March alongside the Big 12 men’s basketball tourney. The high-profile event connects emerging founders with angel investors and corporate innovators — and a $25,000 top prize.

Gamechangers & Champions attendees participate in a basketball-themed lounge at the event, organized with a backdrop of the NCCA Mens Basketball Tournament in Wichita; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

The Gamechangers & Champions 2026 “Bracket Bash” is planned for March 10 at the University of Kansas Conference Center at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, rallying support from organizers at NXTUS, the Kansas Department of Commerce, and KU Innovation Park.

“We’re excited to host our second-ever Gamechangers & Champions event, celebrating and supporting the exciting range of startups growing across Kansas,” said Mary Beth Jarvis, president and CEO of Wichita-based NXTUS. “We’ll gather state-wide founders, investors, and supporters in Lawrence this time, hosted at KU’s brand-new stadium event space on the opening day of the Big 12 men’s basketball tournament.”

A key feature of the one-day event is its live pitch competition, where Kansas-based startups at the pre-seed and seed stage hit the paint in a bracket-style format for prize funding and follow-on investor conversations. The goal is to surface companies that are actively building, raising, and gaining momentum.

Click here to apply for the competition.

Key competition dates include: 

• Feb. 13: Application deadline 
• Feb. 25: Round of 32 announced 
• March 4: Top 16 announced 
• March 10: Innovative Eight pitch live, with judges selecting the Top Four and ultimate winner at the event

“This high-energy day will create new connections and opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors, as well as showcase Kansas’ ‘cooler than you expect’ startups and innovations,” said Jarvis.

Click here to read about the 2025 Bracket Bash winner: Roeland Park-based edtech startup VU Scholarships.

The day begins with breakfast and networking, recognizing the businesses and startups driving innovation across the state.

Mary Beth Jarvis, president and CEO of Wichita-based NXTUS, leads a Gamechangers & Champions panel conversation in 2025 with Kevin Lockett, Fulcrum Global Capital; Dan Kerr, Flyover Capital; and Josh Oeding, Tenzing Capital; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

The Innovative Eight finalists will pitch live, then the event splits into two breakout tracks featuring targeted panels and workshops, one for startups and one for angel investors and corporate leaders. Throughout the day, attendees can gather in the Business & Basketball Lounge for networking and interactive activities. 

The event concludes with a keynote speaker presentation and the pitch competition finals, where the top four startups will present live to judges and the crowd. The winning startup will be awarded $25,000 in prize funding sponsored by the University of Kansas Business School. 

Following the event, NXTUS, Accelerate Venture Partners, and the OREAD Angel Group will coordinate follow-on investment opportunities. A closing networking happy hour will wrap up the day. 

Event registration is now open for Kansas entrepreneurs, angel investors, potential investors, innovation leaders, corporates, and community members. 

Click here for tickets to the day-long event.

Matt Williams, Noonan, pitches during the 2025 Gamechangers & Champions event; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

The inaugural Gamechangers & Champions event was hosted in Wichita in 2025. It saw $20,000 (sponsored by the Barton School of Business at Wichita State University) awarded to VU Scholarships and a $2,500 Fan’s Choice Award (sponsored by Wichita Startup Week) to Lenexa-based Noonan, one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2025.

The event drew nearly 300 attendees and advanced 32 startups from a competitive pool of 74 applicants through the pitch competition. Key capital providers, including Accelerate Venture Partners, Oread Angels, Equity Growth Ventures, KC Rise, and Flyover Capital, participated, helping mobilize follow-on capital for the top startups, attracting new Kansas angel investors, and leading to dozens of individual meetings between startups and investors.

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