Ready for Funding?
Why Us?
What we look for
What we look for
- Founded by Women for Women
- Average check size of $100,000
- Access to 50+ investors and advisory board members
- Value-added roles as advisors, mentors, board members
- Help to make new connections
- Possible follow-on funding
- Referrals to other investor networks and funds
- Active promoters and supporters of Women entrepreneurs
What we look for
What we look for
What we look for
- Female with significant equity ownership
- Coachable team, willing to learn, pivot, change
- Success story or track record
- A team capable of scaling the company
- Product or service that can make a 20+ year impact
- Must be a Tech company or have a Tech component
- Post revenue with traction
- Large market size
- Industry disruptor or a unique market position
- Reasonable Valuation
Minimum Criteria
What we look for
Minimum Criteria
- Female leading with 30%+ ownership
- Seed Stage to Series A
- Round size $500,000 to $3 million
- C-Corp or willing to convert
- Headquartered in the U.S.A.
- Have established minimum viable product
- $100,000+ ARR
- Traction
- Tech Company/ Tech component
- Plan to exit in 3-7 years
- Nationally scalable
- Not waiting on FDA approval
- Not a CPG business
FundHERbiz™ Startup Showdown 2026
Startup Showdown
Pitch competition spotlighting innovative products and services from Ohio based women-founded companies.
This event will have two categories to pitch from, Lifestyle Businesses and Startup Businesses. Please see below for descriptions of each.
Lifestyle Business: Growing a business for yourself, your family, your employees and expect to own and grow it for many years, passing it down to future generations or selling it when you retire. Examples of Lifestyle Businesses:
- Family run window cleaning service that employs 10 to 20
- Restaurants
- Marketing firms
- Small accounting practices, or other professional services
Startup Business: Early stage, high growth, innovative business scaling for the purpose of exiting in 3 to 7 years through an acquisition or IPO Examples of Startup Businesses:
- Technology company building software that intends to be acquired by a large company like Microsoft
- Medical device software
What are the Requirements for applying to pitch?
Your business MUST..
- Ohio-founded and headquartered
- Women-owned business
- Women leading the company as CEO/COO
- Seeking grant money as well as professional services
Key Date
Application Opens Monday, April 13th
Application Deadline Monday, June 8th
Founders Notified Monday, June 15th
Pitch 1:1 Training Sessions July 6th-8th
Pitch Training Group Sessions July 13th or 14th
Final Event Day July 22nd