Boise Entrepreneur Week opens applications for pitch competitions ahead of fall event

IBR Staff//June 29, 2026//

Karen Applegren of Zions Bank presents a $50,000 check to the Boise Entrepreneur Week main pitch winner, Rattler Medical, accepted by CEO Donald Young in October 2024. (PHOTO: COURTESY OF ZIONS BANK)

IBR Staff//June 29, 2026//

Listen to this article

Boise Entrepreneur Week is accepting applications for its two pitch competitions through July 6, with the annual event scheduled for Sept. 28 through Oct. 2 at Jack’s Urban Meeting Place in downtown Boise.

At a Glance:

Boise Entrepreneur Week accepting applications through July 6
Main pitch competition offers $50,000 in cash and prizes
Event produced by nonprofit Trailhead at Jack’s Urban Meeting Place

The Main Pitch Competition, open to Idaho startups from any industry, offers a prize package totaling $50,000 in cash and sponsor prizes. The Trailmix Pitch Competition spotlights emerging consumer packaged goods and food and beverage brands. Final prize details for both competitions will be announced before the events.

To be eligible, businesses must be registered in Idaho with less than $1 million in annual recurring revenue and less than $1 million in capital raised. Past winners are not eligible to re-enter the same competition. All finalists will receive mentorship, pitch coaching and exposure across Idaho’s startup community.

The event is produced by Trailhead, Boise’s nonprofit entrepreneurial hub. Last year’s event drew more than 1,300 attendees, featured over 70 events and awarded $131,500 in non-dilutive capital to Idaho startups.

The 2025 Main Pitch Competition was won by QTex AI, founded by Chris Dagher and Oliver MacDonald, for PartWise, an AI-powered search engine that helps engineers source microchips for electronics research and development. Paula Mares won the Trailmix title with Mama’s Beef Jerky, a food product line made from pasture-raised beef with no hormones, antibiotics or nitrates.

More information is available at boiseentrepreneurweek.org.

This story was written using artificial intelligence with human oversight.