Are You Ready to Raise the Rim? Annual Startup Basketball Tournament is Back

If you're anything like the rest of America, you're glancing at what's left of your bracket and grimacing. All you billion dollar hopefuls out there are upset by the upsets. On Thursday, April 3, however, the time will come for locals to regain their pride and take their friendly frustrations out on the basketball court — all for a good cause.

The Third Annual Raise the Rim startup basketball tournament is finally here, promising the perfect office distraction for even the most novice of ballers and "old school hip hop beats so good they'll knock your headband off."

Hosted by alumni engagement startup EverTrue, private coaching company CoachUp and local nonprofit Technology Underwriting Greater Good, better known as TUGG, Raise the Rim will bring the innovation community together in a series of 15-minute three-on-three games at Basketball City.

Whether a founder, venture capitalist or fan of all things Boston startups, you won't want to miss the action. Roughly $272 million of VC money slapped the hardwood last year between the 28 startups involved, and this year's lineup looks just as promising. The teams thus far include:

All proceeds from the event will benefit InnerCity Weightlifting, a TUGG-supported nonprofit focused on reducing youth violence by getting at-risk students off the streets and into the gym.

"TUGG has been a partner in making Raise the Rim a reality since its onset and has enabled us to show that innovation isn't just about technology," said event organizer Harvey Simmons, EverTrue's dean of marketing affairs. "It's also found in the work of organizations like InnerCity Weightlifting, which is making an impact for at-risk youth through positivity."

With the help of the Startup Institute, this year is also the first that Raise the Rim will be taking place in Chicago.

So, don't let yourself just sit on the sidelines. Register for the event, lace up on those sneakers and get prepared to cheer from 5:30 to 9:30 next Thursday night. If nothing else, you can redeem yourself from a potential Startup March Madness loss.

Here's a look at some of last year's fun, courtesy of Pretty Instant.