VetsinTech Annual Tech Startup Pitch Contest
VetsinTech, presented by J.P. Morgan
Eligibility
Early-stage startups founded by veterans or military spouses.
Award
$40,000 total purse across three prizes. Grand prize $25,000.
Deadlines
Annual (summer) · 6th annual ran August 20, 2026 at Andreessen Horowitz, San Francisco. Watch vetsintech.co for the 2027 cycle.
Editor's take
Early-stage veteran or military spouse tech founders who can get to San Francisco. Finalists pitch live at a16z, which is worth as much as the check.
You are not building a tech product, or you cannot travel. This is an in-person contest in the Bay Area.
A tight pitch deck and a demo. Watch for the 2027 cycle to open around spring, since the contest has run in August each year.
2026 grand prize went to Hardshell, an AI data-security company co-founded by Hunter Moore and Andrew Schoka. Six years running with a consistent corporate sponsor is a durability signal.
Vet reviews of this program
Verified veteran founders who actually attended.
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- •Time spent: hours in-person, hours virtual, duration in weeks, required attendance.
- •Actual benefit: cash grants received, follow-on capital raised, cost coverage, equity taken.
- •Selectivity: cohort size, acceptance rate, percent veteran or military.
- •Best parts and worst parts: up to four each, specific facts, no marketing language.
- •Truth check: was the program marketing accurate? What did they oversell or leave out?
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