Top 10 Startup Competitions for AI Startups in North America in 2025
The landscape of artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly, and North America is at the forefront of this revolution, hosting numerous startup competitions that provide platforms for innovation, networking, and securing funding. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the Top 10 Startup Competitions for AI Startups in North America in 2025:
Write FREE SEO-optimized Blog Articles! Our Article Writer ensures your blog is loved by both Google and your readers, turning those clicks into customers.
👉 Write your article here
1. Startup Grind Global Pitch Battle
When: January 13-23, 2025
Where: Various local chapters, final event online
Focus: Tech-driven, scalable companies
Format: 2-minute pitches (semi-finals), 3-minute pitches with 1 slide (final)
Prizes: Chapter winners receive full access to the Startup Grind Conference in Silicon Valley, while finalists get two tickets to the conference.
Judges: Renowned VCs and industry leaders evaluate the pitches.
2. 'AI Startup of the Year' Award - Cloud Awards
When: Standard Deadline: July 18, 2025
Where: North American Office, New York City
Focus: AI innovation and impact
Announcement of Winners: January 2025
Details: This award is part of the Cloud Awards program, specifically recognizing AI startups that show excellence in innovation.
Boost Your SEO with 1,500+ Free Business Directories: increase your DA, get backlinks and traffic.
We've compiled an exclusive list of directories and websites where you can submit your business and start building high-quality backlinks to boost your website traffic and get your SEO snowball rolling.
👉 Submit your startup now!
3. Imagine AI Live
When: May 28-30, 2025
Where: The Fontainebleau, Las Vegas, USA
Focus: Practical applications of AI technology in various industries
Features: Attendees can engage with real-world expertise, networking opportunities, live demos, and hands-on experience.
Audience: AI enterprise leaders, innovators, and speakers from major tech companies.
4. AI Startup Competition 2025 by hessian.AI
When: Application Deadline: January 5, 2025
Where: Online
Focus: Early-stage AI startups and individuals with innovative AI business ideas
Prizes: Up to €5,000 in prize money, coaching, workshops, and networking opportunities.
Eligibility: Open to startups aged 2 years or younger and individuals with business ideas.
5. CES 2025 Eureka Park Startups
When: January 7-10, 2025
Where: Las Vegas, NV
Focus: A broad range of tech innovations, including AI
Features: A unique platform to showcase tech products and connect with investors, journalists, and potential customers.
Competitions also include: Patient Safety Technology Challenge and U.S. Army xTech Live Pitch Competition.
Boost Your SEO by Getting Featured in Our Blogs and get a backlink.
We publish content about startups, education, tech, funding, etc. that ranks well not only in Google but also in Perplexity, ChatGPT, Grok and other AI tools.
👉 Get featured now!
6. Forbes AI 50
When: Submission Deadline: February 7, 2025
Where: Online
Focus: Promising private AI startups
Selection Criteria: Evaluated based on quantitative and qualitative data, including technical abilities, revenue growth, and valuation.
Details: Entry is free, and companies can mark their financial information as confidential.
7. NYC Tech Transit Lab Competition
When: Program Length: Eight weeks (exact dates TBD)
Where: New York City
Focus: AI solutions aimed at improving public transportation
Partners: Includes MTA, Port Authority of NYC, NJ Transit, NYC DOT
Details: Focused on analyzing ridership data and optimizing system maintenance.
8. Startup World Cup
When: Grand Finale: October 17, 2025
Where: San Francisco, CA
Focus: Multiple tech sectors including AI
Details: Over 100 regional events lead up to the grand finale, providing vast networking and pitching opportunities.
Organized by: Pegasus Tech Ventures.
9. CES 2025 Startup Pitch Competitions
When: January 7-10, 2025
Where: Las Vegas, NV
Focus: AI, IoT, Robotics, and healthcare technology
Prizes: $25,000 prize pool for the Patient Safety Challenge; up to 10 winners can each receive $10,000 for xTech competition.
Participants: Small to medium businesses and startups.
10. CIX Startup Awards
When: TBD
Where: Canada
Focus: Innovative tech companies across various industries, including AI
Selection: Conducted by a committee of over 150 North American investors.
Benefits: Recognition, networking opportunities and past recipients enjoying up to 87% funding success within 6 months post-award.
Join F/MS: Startup Facilitator & Incubator and unlock your startup dreams today! Get your first customers, register you company in the Netherlands and get startup visas for the team.
FAQ
Q: What is the Startup Grind Global Pitch Battle?
A: The Startup Grind Global Pitch Battle is a global pitch competition featuring local battles leading to regional semi-finals and a final virtual showdown. Companies focus on tech-driven and scalable solutions. Learn more about Startup Grind Global Pitch Battle.
Q: How does the AI Startup of the Year Award by Cloud Awards work?
A: This award program recognizes excellence in AI startups, with a standard deadline for submissions on July 18, 2025, in New York City, with winners announced in January 2025. Discover the Cloud Awards.
Q: What can attendees expect at Imagine AI Live?
A: Imagine AI Live is an immersive conference from May 28-30, 2025, focused on practical AI applications across industries, featuring real-world expertise, networking, and live demos. Learn more about Imagine AI Live.
Q: What are the eligibility requirements for the AI Startup Competition by hessian.AI?
A: The competition targets early-stage AI startups and individuals with innovative business ideas, allowing entries from startups up to two years old or individuals with innovative concepts. Find out more at hessian.AI.
Q: What is the CES 2025 Eureka Park Startups showcase?
A: CES 2025 Eureka Park is a platform for startups to showcase their products at the Consumer Electronics Show, connecting them with investors and customers from January 7-10, 2025. Explore CES.
Q: How does the Forbes AI 50 selection process work?
A: The Forbes AI 50 features an annual list showcasing promising private AI startups, evaluated on various metrics like growth and valuation, with a submission deadline of February 7, 2025. Learn more about Forbes AI 50.
Q: What is the purpose of the NYC Tech Transit Lab Competition?
A: The NYC Tech Transit Lab Competition seeks innovative AI solutions to improve public transportation in New York City, with a focus on ridership analysis and maintenance optimization. Discover more about the NYC Tech Transit Lab.
Q: What is the format of the Startup World Cup?
A: The Startup World Cup is a global competition featuring regional events culminating in a grand finale scheduled for October 17, 2025, in San Francisco, encompassing various tech sectors, including AI. Learn more about Startup World Cup.
Q: What are the opportunities presented by the CES 2025 Startup Pitch Competitions?
A: There are multiple pitch competitions focused on AI and technology at CES 2025, offering a $25,000 prize pool along with pitching opportunities to the Department of Defense for startups. Explore CES Startup Competitions.
Q: What are the benefits of winning a CIX Startup Award?
A: CIX Startup Awards showcase innovative Canadian tech companies, providing recipients with recognition, networking opportunities, and increased chances for funding within six months of winning. Find out more about CIX Startup Awards.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.
