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We launched TechRise nearly four years ago with the goal of catalyzing $50M in follow on funding to overlooked Chicagoland founders by 2025. As of October 2024, our community of founders has raised a remarkable $191M since pitching on TechRise and has created 1140 new jobs in under four years, driving additional economic growth across our city.
Here’s the impact of this series so far:
Our goal is to raise $100,000 over 60 days (by December 31, 2024) through the collective generosity of individuals in the local community to support the prize fund for these competitions.
Every TechRise competition catalyzes $1.9M in follow-on funding, approximately 76X the prize funds granted. Thank you to the Chicago community for your continued support. We appreciate anything you can give!
Little Village/Pilsen Competition 2024
North Lawndale Competition 2024
We’re setting a goal to raise $100,000 in the next 60 days to fund four TechRise prizes. (Any funds raised exceeding this goal will be allocated toward the $750,000 annual general TechRise Prize Fund.)
We launched TechRise nearly three years ago with the goal of catalyzing $50M in follow on funding to overlooked Chicagoland founders by 2025. As of October 2024, our community of founders has raised a remarkable $191M since pitching on TechRise and has created 1140 new jobs in under four years, driving additional economic growth across our city.
This success is a community-driven effort—we’ve engaged over 500 mentors, coaches, judges, and community partners, and our work is powered by our community of over 350 Chicagoland entrepreneurs.
As we prepare for another TechRise season, we’re raising funds from our community to further extend the reach of TechRise’s impact to entrepreneurs building businesses in neighborhoods across our city’s South & West sides. In TechRise Season 4, we are excited to host a series of place-based pitch competitions to support entrepreneurs in:
Corporate and institutional funders interested in sponsorship can learn more here.
About TechRise
TechRise by P33 and Verizon is a multi-stakeholder initiative designed to support Chicago’s historically underrepresented tech founders throughout the lifecycles of their businesses, from idea stage to exit. In partnership with the city’s incubators, venture capital firms, the startup community, civic organizations, and corporate sponsors, TechRise is bringing together the capital, networks, and knowledge overlooked founders need to launch and grow their businesses.
The Opportunity
At TechRise, we recognize that entrepreneurial innovation is universal, but access to the capital, networks, and knowledge needed to grow and scale a startup is not.
The impact of underinvesting in overlooked tech founders ripples across our economy and innovation ecosystem, stifling wealth equality and economic mobility, limiting the tech workforce pipeline and job growth on our South and West sides, and squandering our ability to retain and recruit top tech talent.
One of the most crucial opportunities to drive economic mobility as our global technology economy continues growing is by supporting overlooked, early-stage founders to get their startups on track for growth and scale. Overlooked tech founders face larger barriers to entry because they often lack:
Sufficient personal or network wealth for a traditional “friends and family” round of funding.
A network of peers or mentors to help guide them through the startup process.
Access to affordable service providers.
Pathways to angel or venture capital investors.
The Solution
TechRise, with the support of our partners, is tackling this challenge with the following programs:
TechRise $5M Pre-Seed Non-Dilutive Grant Fund: TechRise is partnering with sponsors to fund a series of weekly pitch competitions that provide $25K-$50K launch grants to overlooked tech founders. Essentially making Chicago their “friends and family,” the competitions simultaneously bring visibility to early-stage founders, create network connections with existing founders and incubators, and help establish new pattern recognition for our venture community. Partners include 1871, GET Cities, mHub, World Business Chicago, and more.
TechRise Community: The TechRise community provides workshops, online resources, events, and investor introductions for founders at every stage.
For information on Sponsorship Opportunities, please fill out this form or read more here.
Feel free to email us at [email protected]
1234 W Fulton Market
Chicago, IL 60607
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#TechRiseChicago
