The road to $1M
How the competition works.
From your city round to the finale stage. Here's the full path and what's on the line.
2 min
Pitch length
8 min
Q&A with judges
4
Startups per city
The stages
- 1City Round4 startups · 1 winner
Each city episode features 4 startups. You get a 2-minute pitch followed by 8 minutes of Q&A with Tim Draper and the VIP guest judges. One winner from each city advances.
- 2SemifinalsCity winners advance
All city winners compete in the semifinals. Three founders make it through to the finale.
- 3FinaleFinalists + 3 wildcards
The three semifinal winners are joined by 3 wildcard startups voted in by viewers — founders who lost their city round but earned their way back through audience support. Investment is on the line.
Finale prizes
1st place
$1,000,000
2nd place
$500,000
3rd place
$250,000
Founders pitch for up to $1M in total investment across the competition.