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# Skip the VC meetings. Win $50K instead.
One 60-second video. Five finalists. One winner takes home 50k cash + exposure to millions across the HubSpot Media network.
Applications now closed.
[Register Interest for Next Year](https://www.hubspot.com#apply)
### Here's What We're Thinking:
Most brilliant AI ideas get stuck in one of two places:
1\. Great product, zero visibility → Your solution deserves more than LinkedIn posts to your network
2\. Amazing concept, funding gap → Bootstrap budgets don't always match big ambitions
So we're doing something about it. With $50K and a very large megaphone.
Previous Next
- 1
Film Your Pitch
Create a 60-second video explaining your AI startup and how it helps customers grow better.
- 2
Submit Your App + Wait
Complete our application form with your video and company details. Takes about 5 minutes. Our expert panel will select 5 finalists who meet all eligibility requirements.
- 3
Fly to SF (Travel + Hotel On Us)
If you're selected as a finalist, we'll fly you out to INBOUND 2025 (September 4th) for the live finale.
- 4
Pitch to Win
Present your startup on stage to our expert panel of judges in front of 1,000+ attendees. Winner takes home the $50K prize.
### What You Could Win:
__💰 $50,000 Cash__ *Real money you can actually use to grow your startup. No strings, no equity required.*
☁️ __$25,000 in AWS Credits__ *Scale your AI infrastructure without breaking the bank*
*📣 Massive Media Reach* *Get featured across HubSpot Media's flagship brands, and instantly reach millions.*
*🔥 600,000 Clay Credits + Pro Plan* *Because growth happens faster with the right tools*
__🎤 Center Stage at INBOUND 2025__ *Pitch your startup live in San Francisco to 1,000+ attendees and industry leaders*
### What We're Looking For
✅ AI-focused solutions that help customers "grow better" *AI must be central to your product or service*
✅ Bootstrapped to Series A startups *Early-stage companies looking to scale*
✅ Incorporated in the United States *Must be a US-incorporated business*
✅ Functional product with real traction *Demonstrated users, revenue, partnerships, or pilot programs*
### Meet Your Host + Judges
## Mark Roberge
__Mark Roberge__ is Co-Founder and Managing Director at Stage 2 Capital and a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School. As founding CRO at HubSpot, he scaled revenue from $0 to $100 million and is the author of "The Sales Acceleration Formula."
## Marina Mogilko
__Marina Mogilko__ is an education entrepreneur focused on making learning accessible globally. Based in California, she's built a massive following as the creator behind the Linguamarina and Silicon Valley Girl YouTube channels, where she shares insights on language learning, entrepreneurship, and tech.
## Nathan Lands
__Nathan Lands__ is the creator of Lore Brief, a weekly AI newsletter read by 32,000+ builders, and co-host of The Next Wave podcast, an official HubSpot original show. He builds media, products, and communities focused on helping people thrive in the age of AI, and has experience in fundraising with $10M+ raised across various ventures.
## Bruno Estrella
__Bruno Estrella__ is the Head of Marketing at Clay, leading teams focused on growth, product marketing, education, events, and ecosystem. Prior to Clay, Bruno was Director of Growth Marketing at Webflow, where he owned New ARR and focused on paid acquisition, demand generation, organic growth, and CRO.
## Ben Berkley
__Ben Berkley__ is the editor in chief of The Hustle and oversees HubSpot Media’s other industry-leading newsletters: Mindstream, Masters in Marketing, and The Pipeline. Prior to joining HubSpot in 2023, he worked for a billionaire who made his fortune in the space and electric vehicle industries, led the editorial team at The Onion, and was the founding editor of ClickHole, The Onion’s acclaimed satirical spin-off.
## Kipp Bodnar
__Kipp Bodnar__ is Chief Marketing Officer at HubSpot, the #1 CRM platform for scaling companies. He co-authored "The B2B Social Media Book" and serves as a marketing advisor for multiple SaaS companies.
## Keep Me in the Loop
First Name*
Last Name*
Email *
Phone Number*
Website URL*
How many employees work there?*
\- Please Select -12 to 56 to 1011 to 2526 to 5051 to 100101 to 200201 to 500501 or more
Primary role*
Please SelectStartup FounderStartup Team MemberVC/InvestorStartup Ecosystem ProfessionalEnterprise Leader (Director+)Enterprise EmployeeAgency, Consultant, or Service ProviderCreator or MediaOther
Content Language
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We're committed to your privacy. HubSpot uses the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, check out our [Privacy Policy.](https://legal.hubspot.com/privacy-policy)
[See our official competition rules for more information.](https://www.hubspot.com/startups/ai-pitch-comp-rules)
### Who should apply?
AI-focused bootstrap, pre-seed, seed, or series A startup founders who are building solutions that help customers grow better. This is your chance to showcase your innovative AI solution on one of tech's biggest stages.
### When do submissions close?
August 1st, 2025 at 11:59pm EST.
### Where can I find the official rules?
Please take a look at our [official competition rules](https://www.hubspot.com/startups/ai-pitch-comp-rules) for more information.
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