Economic Development

Amplify your local community to a global platform.

StartupBus connects talents across the continent, acting as a cultural and intellectual exchange on wheels while democratizing the tech playing field.

Partner with us and make your city great. Let's talk.

Please contact us with the form here.

A TECH ENTREPRENEURSHIP BOOT CAMP

AND GLOBAL CHAMPIONSHIP ON WHEELS.

10 years of fostering the next generation of leaders in tech.

On our tenth anniversary we are running 9 bus routes to bring 200 top talents in tech from all across North America to New Orleans this Summer.

Developing skills required in the first year of a startup within 5 days.

Heralded as the “Navy SEALS boot camp for tech entrepreneurs”, contestants ideate, prototype, build, and launch working products and pitch to real investors and advisors.

Connecting diverse talents across America.

We expose emerging innovators to unique places and scenarios, widening their mindsets, expanding their social and cultural capital, and pushing them to challenge their biases and stereotypical thinking.

A global network of successful and venture-backed founders.

Our global network of tech entrepreneurs span across the globe from Austin TX to Tallinn, Estonia. have since formed companies altogether raising over $1 billion in venture capital funding.

Why partner with StartupBus?

10 years in the making, StartupBus is a gathering of diverse multi-discipinary talents with an authentic brand well-cherished by the tech startup and hackathon communities. There is nothing quite like StartupBus in the tech world.

Our Brand.

Globally respected and extensively documented by the tech community, our brand is authentic, grassroots, and edgy.

Our Talents.

Your brand can have the complete attention of our vetted, proven, and exclusive community of talents for entirety of 5 days.

Our Diversity.

Thanks to our diversity initiatives, 40%+ of our participants and our team in 2018 were women, and 40%+ were people of color.

Our Curriculum.

Help your employees gain new valuable skills such as product ideation, rapid prototyping, and familiarity with the latest tech.

Our Alumni.

Your brand can reach our exclusive community of proven talents and hyper-connected tech influencers, many of them founders of successful startups.

Our Audiences.

We are connected with many local tech communities across the continent, and have fans and media outlets following our event.

Our buses have stopped by numerous cities and worked with many local tech organizations across the continent.

Word on the street.

“An annual rite of passage for the tech industry.”
“The StartupBus is as close to blood sport as Silicon Valley entrepreneurship gets. By compressing the time from concept to prototype, it becomes a pedal-to-the metal business incubator.”
“Participants will tell you that the StartupBus is the mother of all hackathons... Imagine building a real startup in a compressed time capsule traveling at 60 miles per hour.”
“[StartupBus] is like MTV's "Road Rules" meets Y Combinator. It's all the drama and frustration and excitement of launching a company condensed in three days while you're on a bus.”

Partnership Opportunities.

Every year, StartupBus brings together talents from across the continent to see the world and expand their visions. Make your region and community be part of the conversation. Contact our team today to see how we can help make your local community better.

There are many ways we can partner to bring positive social change, such as:

Be the host city of our annual competition
Start a new bus route from your city
Host a pitch battle between multiple buses
Host a tour of your city's best technologies

Reach out to us today.

Our team here is excited to bring StartupBus to your town. Looking forward to talk to you soon!

Elias Bizannes

NA Conductor 2010
EU Conductor 2011
AU Conductor 2014
Executive Director 2010 - present

Danna Kiedis

NA Senior National Director 2022
MX Lead Conductor 2019
MX Mentor 2018
Core Team 2021

Brian Davis

NA National Director 2022
TX Buspreneur 2018
Core Team 2021

Madelena Mak

NA Senior Director 2019 - 2021
NA National Director 2018
NY Lead Conductor 2017
NY Buspreneur 2014
Digital Director 2022 - present

Laura Horak