Kansas’ bracket-style pitch competition just revealed 32 startups vying for its $25K prize
February 25, 2026
Competitors for the 2026 Bracket Bash at Gamechangers and Champions; courtesy images
An innovation-led startup tournament taking Kansas by storm is just built different, said Conor Adler, announcing the nearly three-dozen contenders featured in this spring’s competition.
“One of the most inspiring facets of Gamechangers and Champions is seeing founders from rural Kansas standing alongside entrepreneurs from our largest cities,” said Adler, investment manager for Wichita-based NXTUS, which is organizing the bracket-style competition in Lawrence in its second year. “These startups, from bioscience to agtech to advanced manufacturing, show that innovation is happening in every corner of Kansas.”
Set for March 10 at KU’s David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Gamechangers and Champions 2026 is a “Bracket Bash for Innovators and Angels,” organizers said. The competition is designed to bring together Kansas startups 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.