FundHERbiz™ Startup Showdown 2026

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

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

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