For entrepreneurs with tech ideas in southern Missouri, the opportunity to successfully launch their company just got easier, say officials with the Ozarks Small Business Incubator, which is supporting Ozarks Startup Weekend, Sept. 13 through 15 in Springfield.
Startup Weekend is 54-hour event hosted by Codefi that challenges participants to dream big, build fast and start strong. Registration is now open for the event at codefiworks.com/startupweekend. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.
During the three-day event, participants with ideas will work with volunteer team members to develop a business idea, design and build a software prototype, and compete for the chance to win cash prizes, free services and potential investment from Codefi, said officials. The weekend culminates in a final pitch competition in which teams present their work to a panel of judges.
With similar events offered in other regions in Missouri, Ozarks Startup Weekend is set apart because it offers $15,000 in cash prize money, a potential for a $100,000 investment, eligibility for admission into Codefi’s pipeline of programs for a year, and coaching, office, legal, branding and customer acquisition services.
"Ozarks Startup Weekend provides a sort of pressure cooker where aspiring entrepreneurs can come together with developers and designers to transform their big tech ideas into reality, and learn from other experienced tech founders," said Crystal Owens, head of Startup Programs at Codefi. "It's an incredible opportunity to build something truly unique in an exciting, fast-paced setting and it takes the support of community partners like OzSBI to make this scale of an event a success in southern Missouri.”
