ARIZONA'S LEADING EARLY-STAGE PITCH COMPETITION IS BACK WITH A NEW STRUCTURE & JASON FEIFER AS SHOWCASE JUDGE

January 9, 2026 (Tucson, Ariz.) - A flagship event of TENWEST, IdeaFunding continues to give early-stage companies across Arizona the opportunity to gain mentorship and pitch training and to compete for cash prizes and awards. Applications are now open for businesses across the state to join the competition, including a chance to pitch to Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, who will be one of the Main Stage Showcase judges.

IdeaFunding is co-led by Startup Tucson and the University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI) and presented by the Arizona Commerce Authority. Over $50,000 in prizes will be awarded to Arizona-based companies on March 26, 2026, at the historic Rialto Theatre as part of the 2026 TENWEST Festival.

IdeaFunding and TENWEST extend their gratitude to the Arizona Commerce Authority for its continued support of Arizona’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well as to HUSTL – a Vantage West digital banking solution built to help entrepreneurs streamline their finances – for serving as the 2026 festival’s title sponsor.

New Structure to Better Serve Arizona Founders

This year’s event is introducing a newly reimagined competition model designed to better serve the diverse founder community in Arizona. Over the past several years, IdeaFunding has grown substantially, drawing an increasingly diverse group of founders—from scalable tech startups to creative product companies, community-serving businesses, and everything in between.

“For more than 25 years, IdeaFunding has helped companies get the fuel they need to grow their businesses and serve their communities. We’re proud to be the leading early-stage pitch competition in Arizona and excited for founders across the state to join us for the 2026 competition. As IdeaFunding has grown alongside TENWEST, we’ve continued to evolve the experience to better support founders. This new structure reflects that commitment, offering a clearer, more engaging path for applicants and the broader ecosystem,” said Liz Pocock, CEO of Startup Tucson and TENWEST.

“IdeaFunding truly showcases Arizona’s entrepreneurial community, but just as importantly, it provides founders with the tools and support they need to move their ventures forward,” said Casey Carrillo, Executive Director, UACI. “Participants benefit from tailored pitch training, one-on-one mentorship, and the opportunity to build a complete, investor-ready pitch deck that they can continue using long after the competition. The process highlights the power of mentorship, collaboration, and innovation in driving our community ahead.”

For the first time, founders will choose between two tracks to apply to — the Tech Startup Track and the Creative & Community Innovation Track. 

The Tech Startup Track is for innovation-driven, scalable businesses, including: SaaS, tech platforms, bioscience & medical technologies, advanced materials, deep tech, science-based ventures, SBIR/STTR Phase I funded teams, high-growth & investor-oriented startups, etc. 

The Creative & Community Innovation Track is for creative product and community-serving ventures including: CPG, food & beverage, wellness and lifestyle brands, design-forward or consumer-facing goods, innovative retail concepts, physical or packaged products, service-based businesses, community ventures, social enterprises & nonprofits with entrepreneurial models, etc. 

Additionally, IdeaFunding 2026 features live track finals on the day of the event. Judges select finalists in real time, who then move on to the evening Main Stage Showcase.

Jason Feifer to Judge Main Stage Showcase

IdeaFunding is pleased that Jason Feifer, Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine and bestselling author of Build for Tomorrow, will serve as a Main Stage Showcase judge. 

Feifer will headline the 2026 TENWEST Conference on Thursday, March 26. Feifer, known nationally for helping founders navigate change and seize opportunity, will speak to this year’s festival themes—innovation, resilience, creativity, and the future of entrepreneurship.

“We’re thrilled to have Jason Feifer join us not only as the TENWEST keynote speaker, but also as a judge for the IdeaFunding Main Stage Showcase. Jason has judged pitch competitions of all stages across the country, and his perspective on innovation, resilience, and the future of entrepreneurship makes him an incredible addition to this year’s event. Our finalists will have a unique opportunity to pitch to someone who deeply understands what it takes to build and grow in a changing world,” said Pocock.

Application & Prize Details

Entrepreneurs must apply by February 1, 2026. During the application period, founders will have access to pitch training through two virtual info sessions held on:

• Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 5:30 PM MST

• Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM MST

Founders will be provided with the knowledge and training they need before applying and finalizing their pitch deck for submission. Registration for these sessions, as well as detailed competition rules and regulations, can be found here: https://www.startuptucson.com/ideafunding.

This year’s pitch competition offers a wide variety of available prizes valued from $1,000 to $25,000 which include a mix of cash and services. Main Stage Showcase winners will receive $10,000 in non-dilutive cash, as well as a sponsored year in the UACI incubator program, a prize valued at $10,000. Track, Industry, and Specialty prizes are also available for sponsorship.

ABOUT TENWEST

TENWEST is the largest entrepreneurship and creativity festival in the Southwest. Fueled by HUSTL and hosted by Startup Tucson, TENWEST helps attendees call forth the entrepreneur, creator and innovator within them so they can navigate our changing world. In the 10+ years of TENWEST, tens of thousands of attendees have launched and grown their startup or micro-business, thrived as a creative, and cultivated their culinary footprint. The TENWEST festival is March 24-29, 2026 in Downtown Tucson.

Learn more at www.tenwest.com.

ABOUT THE UA CENTER FOR INNOVATION

The University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI) is a startup incubator network with outposts across the Southern Arizona region. For two decades, the program has directly served over 300 companies, impacting thousands of entrepreneurs who have attracted $200M in external capital. This is done by providing access to the people, place, and programming that help entrepreneurs take their companies from idea to market. With the mission to fuel the Arizona economy, UACI works to help scale science and tech-based startups under the scope of Tech Parks Arizona creating university-based economic impact.  

Learn more at https://www.uaci.com/.

ABOUT STARTUP TUCSON

TENWEST is hosted by Startup Tucson, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming the regional economy through innovation and inclusion, Startup Tucson supports hundreds of entrepreneurs year-round through mentorship, workshops, and ecosystem-building initiatives that help Southern Arizona thrive. 

Learn more at www.startuptucson.com.