Cultivate 269 pitch competition is back, with $100K on the line for WMU student entrepreneurs
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—After awarding $100,000 to a Western Michigan University student whose innovative technology helps break down language barriers, Michigan’s largest student pitch competition that lets founders retain full ownership of their businesses is back for a second year.
“Cultivate 269 Year 1 blew us away,” says Marcel Fable Price, director of platform and programming at Kalamazoo Forward Ventures (KzFV), which launched the competition last year in partnership with WMU. “Investors traveled from across Michigan to Kalamazoo to witness what our students were pitching, and the response was unanimous: This community truly shows up for student innovators.”
This year, Kabundant, a hyperlocal entrepreneurial resource organization that works with underrepresented founders, has joined the hosting partnership.
“Our goal at Kabundant is to elevate entrepreneurship and innovation in this city, and if we’re going to do that, we have to elevate the outstanding Broncos from my alma mater, WMU,” says Bobby J. Hopewell, president and CEO of Kabundant. “We’re excited to be a full-fledged partner in this work, to grow student entrepreneurship and support amazing ideas coming from Broncos.”
Current Western students have until the end of the day on Jan. 29, 2027, to submit their concepts, prototypes, ventures and scalable for-profit ideas. Submissions will be posted online where the public can view them and WMU students can vote for their favorites by the end of the day on Feb. 26.
“Cultivate 269 helps students start companies while they are still in school, with funding and coaching from investors who know what it takes,” says Dr. Remzi Seker, senior vice president for research and innovation at WMU. “Last year, 49 students pitched ideas, and more than 2,000 of their classmates voted.
“At Western, entrepreneurship is another form of Experience-Driven Learning, building skills that serve students for life. That is why we value partnerships like this one and are excited to do this again with Kalamazoo Forward Ventures and Kabundant.”
New this year, KzFV and Kabundant are sponsoring a $2,690 prize for the registered student organization that rallies the most applicants. “Our goal is to double last year’s momentum,” Fable says.
Nine finalists—determined by a combination of popular vote and a judging committee—will be announced in early March. Those nine finalists will then each get six minutes in the spotlight on April 8 to make their case in front of a live audience for their share of $100,000 to turn their business dream into a reality. Last year, the high-energy event at the WMU Student Center drew more than 400 people, including community members, business leaders and potential investors.
Five judges will score the pitches and choose the winner of the $75,000 prize, and a live audience vote will determine the winner of the $25,000 prize. As happened last year, it’s possible that one pitch could win over both the judges and the audience to cinch the full $100,000. The funding is non-dilutive, meaning students will retain full ownership of their business.
More information about the pitch competition—including how to submit and vote for ideas—is available on the Cultivate 269 website.
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