Bracket bash races to halfcourt, cutting pitch competitors down to 16 Kansas startups
March 4, 2026
Round of 16 competitors for the 2026 Bracket Bash at Gamechangers and Champions; courtesy images
The competition for $25,000 in startup capital is intensifying for more than a dozen Kansas entrepreneurs as a high-profile pitch event announced Wednesday that it had narrowed the field from 32 finalists to 16.
Selected companies — half of which hail from the Kansas City region — advance to the next round of the 2026 Gamechangers and Champions 2026 pitch competition.
Set for Wednesday, March 10 at KU’s David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, the “bracket bash” competition is designed to bring Kansas startups face-to-face with angel investors and regional venture-capital fund managers — all set amid the excitement of the Men’s Big 12 Basketball Tournament being hosted in Kansas City March 10-14.