The Houston Startup Showcase, an 11-month long competition hosted by The Ion, empowers startups to fine-tune their pitch and successfully showcase their product or service. During the ongoing pandemic where many entrepreneurs continued to operate remotely, startups were faced with a new set of challenges, such as meeting the right investors, building an online platform, or accessing new opportunities. However, opportunities like the Houston Startup Showcase, reopened many doors for entrepreneurs and allowed them to once again come face to face with potential investors.
The Showcase takes place at The Ion, Houston’s innovation hub, where it has become a successful mainstay since the program’s beginning. The Showcase spans across 11-months starting in January and wrapping up with the final pitch competition in November. It is normally hosted on the fourth Wednesday of the month and in 2021, we had 24 companies deliver a total of 32 pitches in 11 pitch sessions.
With November 2021 being the first in-person version of the series since the pre-pandemic era, our team began to think about our community’s resilience how the event has been able to pivot from in-person to virtual, back to in-person, without missing a beat. Even with the shift in settings, we were able to bring in startups and founders from outside the Houston-Galveston-Texas area, even welcoming international companies to pitch in the competition.
One of the main draws of this event series is that The Ion is leveling the playing field for startups and entrepreneurs. Regardless of size or status, startups from any background can compete for a prize package including cash and in-kind legal services from our partner Baker Botts. Our team is eagerly recruiting eligible startups to present at our 2022 Showcase line up. You may apply here.
The result of the event is a diverse group of startups from every industry imaginable participating in a fun, friendly competition that has helped bring out the best in each company. Last year’s Showcase started with a total of 24 startups, eventually winding down to a final four pitch-off finale where we crowned one top startup as the winner – Ankr, a Houston-based cancer education and navigation platform.
There are many benefits to hosting an exhibition like the Houston Startup Showcase. These include creating new opportunities for startups, raising awareness in the tech ecosystem for startups, and growing an innovation community where people can make the right connections.
Providing access and opportunities
Startups can face many challenges today – from raising money to fund innovation to finding the right people to invest. By removing barriers and providing access to an event that showcases their innovations, startups can be set up on the right path to success. For example, Houston Startup Showcase participants do not need to be tied to an accelerator or member of an organization to showcase their company.
Creating a platform
Another benefit of a showcase event for startups is that it allows those involved in an innovation ecosystem to become aware of new and exciting startups, further allowing startups to expand the reach of their audience. This can lead to more connections when raising venture capital, funding, or even new top talents interested in joining the company.
Growing a tech community
With longer-lead competitions, like the Houston Startup Showcase, a year-long series consisting of monthly events, an audience gets to know the companies and presenters partaking in each event. With this exposure, startups’ connections and networking are fostered, further fueling and growing the innovation ecosystem. While there may be some challenges in a virtual setting, in-person networking can prove valuable for potential introductions to new partners, customers, or investors.
In 2022, The Ion will continue to look at the Houston Startup Showcase as one of our flagship events, continuing to offer a cash prize for the winner and in-kind prizes from our partners. With the competition to be held monthly on the Forum staircase at The Ion, the event will provide an excellent stage for Houston’s best startups to showcase their innovations and refine their pitching skills. We have a few new wrinkles we will be adding this year to make the event even more successful and draw a larger audience.
