A free, five-day event in October aims help local startup founders grow their ideas, and investors tap into Wichita's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Wichita Startup Week, planned for Oct. 4-8 at Groover Labs, will feature a $100,000 pitch competition, a business trade show and an appearance by AOL founder Steve Case and his Rise of the Rest tour bus. A group of local organizers announced the event during a launch party Thursday.
"For the past few months, a group of founders have been working together to bring a national event to Wichita to realize and celebrate the community entrepreneurial opportunities," said Ramsey Jamoul, who is CEO is Unified Esports, a local startup, and a co-founder of the event. "It's five days of free events to help you turn your idea into an item, your app into an investment or your segment into a star."
The event is in partnership with Techstars, a Colorado-based seed accelerator that has hosted more than 280 startup week programs in 140 cities worldwide.
"Imagine Tallgrass Film Festival ... it's like that but only focused on celebrating entrepreneurships, and all the founders that are here that are trying to make their dreams a reality," said James Williams, community affairs manager for Black Hills Energy and another event co-founder. "It's going to be a week of learning from experts that will help you hone your craft."
Throughout the week, attendees can participate in four different tracts:
- Idea phase: For new or curious entrepreneurs
- Pre-revenue: For new businesses trying to establish themselves
- Growth: For established businesses looking to scale
- Investor: For successful businesses and business owners looking to help others
Event partners are NXTUS, Martin Pringle Law Firm and the Greater Wichita Partnership.
Josh Oeding, president and CEO of NXTUS, said the Rise of the Rest appearance coming up in October is the same tour that was postponed last spring because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The seed fund takes road trips across America to highlight startup success, awarding money along the way.
"We're incredibly humbled that they're going to be a part of it and the timing was just incredible," Oeding said.
