Gamechangers & Champions - A Bracket Bash for Innovators & Angels, Set for March 10 at KU Football Stadium
Wichita, Kan. – January 26, 2026– NXTUS, Inc., in partnership with the Kansas Department of Commerce and KU Innovation Park, has officially opened startup pitch competition applications and attendee registrations for Gamechangers & Champions 2026: A Bracket Bash for Innovators and Angels, a high-energy event connecting startup founders with angel investors, corporate innovators, and support resources from across the Midwest.
Set for Tuesday, March 10, at the Conference Center at KU’s David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, this one-day experience will feature networking, educational sessions, speaker presentations, and a competitive pitch event—all set against the excitement of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament in Kansas City. The event is designed to catalyze new angel investments, support early-stage companies, and accelerate Kansas’s innovation momentum.
The day begins with breakfast and networking, recognizing the businesses and startups driving innovation across the state. The Innovative Eight finalists will pitch live, then the event splits into two breakout tracks featuring targeted panels and workshops, one for startups and one for angel investors and corporate leaders. Throughout the day, attendees can gather in the Business & Basketball Lounge for networking and interactive activities.
The event concludes with a keynote speaker presentation and the pitch competition finals, where the top four startups will present live to judges and the crowd. The winning startup will be awarded $25,000 in prize funding sponsored by the University of Kansas Business School. Following the event, NXTUS, Accelerate Venture Partners, and the OREAD Angel Group will coordinate follow-on investment opportunities. A closing networking happy hour will wrap up the day.
The bracket-style pitch competition is open to Kansas-based high-growth startups in the pre-seed or seed stages. Applications are accepted here, offering entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to showcase their businesses to investors and industry leaders. Key competition dates:
February 13: Application deadline
February 25: Round of 32 announced
March 4: Top Sixteen announced
March 10: Innovative Eight pitch live, with judges selecting the top four and ultimate winner at the event
Registration is now open for Kansas entrepreneurs, angel investors, potential investors, innovation leaders, corporates, and community members. Tickets are available for purchase here.
Last year’s Gamechangers and Champions 2025 event, hosted in Wichita, Kansas, awarded $20,000, sponsored by the Barton School of Business at Wichita State University, to Kansas startup, VU Scholarships and a $2,500 Fan’s Choice Award, sponsored by Wichita Startup Week, to Kansas startup, Noonan. The event drew nearly 300 attendees and advanced 32 startups from a competitive pool of 74 applicants through the pitch competition. Key capital providers, including Accelerate Venture Partners, Oread Angels, Equity Growth Ventures, KC Rise, and Flyover Capital, participated, helping mobilize follow-on capital for the top startups, attracting new Kansas angel investors, and leading to dozens of individual meetings between startups and investors.
For media inquiries, sponsorships, event registration, or pitch competition applications, visit nxtus.io/events/gc26 or contact elleigh@nxtus.io or Cory.Keller@ks.gov.