DRAFT WEEK SHOWCASE
A high-stakes pitch showdown where AI startups compete to be drafted into the big leagues. Competing live for the $1,275,000 Forge AI Prize: Draft Week Showcase — backed by AWS and Pittsburgh’s Magarac Venture Partners — founders pitch in front of global investors and CEOs, with Pittsburgh’s own Mark Cuban and Ed Stack in the room — moving from prospect to platform with a direct path to pilots, partnerships, and growth.
Presented by Carnegie Mellon University’s Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship and the AI Strike Team, this is where the next breakout AI companies get called up—and built to scale.
Come to Pitchburgh. Build in Pittsburgh. Power the future of sport
A high-stakes pitch showdown where AI startups compete to be drafted into the big leagues. Competing live for the $1,275,000 Forge AI Prize: Draft Week Showcase—backed by AWS and Pittsburgh’s Magarac Venture Partners—founders pitch in front of global investors and CEOs, with Pittsburgh’s own Mark Cuban and Ed Stack in the room—moving from prospect to platform with a direct path to pilots, partnerships, and growth.
Presented by Carnegie Mellon University’s Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship and the AI Strike Team, this is where the next breakout AI companies get called up—and built to scale.
Come to Pitchburgh. Build in Pittsburgh. Power the future of sport.
PITCH LIVE DURING NFL DRAFT WEEK TO GLOBAL INVESTORS & TOP AI MINDS
Come to Pitchburgh. Build in Pittsburgh. Power the future of Physical AI.
Finalists pitch live during NFL Draft Week in Pittsburgh, in front of global investors and the world’s top Physical AI minds, with a clear emphasis on company recruitment, real-world deployment, and long-term growth in Pittsburgh.
Come to Pitchburgh. Build in Pittsburgh. Power the future of Physical AI.
Finalists pitch live during NFL Draft Week in Pittsburgh, in front of global investors and the world’s top Physical AI minds, with a clear emphasis on company recruitment, real-world deployment, and long-term growth in Pittsburgh.
EVENT JUDGES
FORGE PRIZE FAQs
Pre-Series B startups building at the intersection of leading-edge technology and sport. We’re looking for founders building in and harnessing the power of AI, robotics, physical AI, computer vision, digital twins, and more to tackle:
- Athlete performance, training, and athlete safety
- Game and athlete analytics
- Fan Engagement Platforms
- Venue technology, broadcast
- Health & Wellness
U.S. and international companies are eligible. While the Forge AI Pitch: Draft Edition is open to qualified applicants globally, preference will be given to companies that commit to establishing a substantial and sustained operating presence in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
A “substantial operating presence” may include, but is not limited to:
- Establishing a headquarters or primary office
- Opening a significant satellite office
- Locating engineering, R&D, manufacturing, or deployment operations in the region
- Hiring a meaningful number of employees based in Pennsylvania
Finalist Requirement:
As a condition of receiving prize funds, the winning company must enter into a Location Commitment Agreement confirming its intent to base or expand meaningful operations in Pittsburgh within a defined timeframe, subject to mutually agreed-upon terms.
Failure to satisfy the location commitment may result in delayed, reduced, or forfeited prize disbursement.
This competition is designed to accelerate real company formation, job creation, and Physical AI deployment in Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania, not solely to award capital.
Finalists are required to be in Pittsburgh, PA on April 22 to present in-person at the Pitch Competition.
Total Prize: $1,275,000
- $1,000,000 in compute credits powered by AWS
- $275,000 investment
Plus founder-level advantages unavailable anywhere else:
- Access to premier Physical AI workspace at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Innovation Center, subject to availability and standard CMU terms
- Direct mentorship and advisory access to leading roboticists, AI researchers, and applied-AI operators from Pittsburgh’s Physical AI ecosystem
- Founder and team access to Pittsburgh’s sports culture, including season passes to Pittsburgh Steelers games for founders or key employees, subject to availability and team policies
- Warm introductions to league partners, healthcare systems, investors, and compute platforms operating in Pittsburgh
As part of the founder experience, winning companies may receive access to Pittsburgh’s professional sports ecosystem, which may include opportunities such as:
Attendance benefits for founders or employees at select Pittsburgh Steelers games, subject to availability and applicable team policies
Invitations to ecosystem events connecting sports, technology, and innovation leaders
Participation does not imply endorsement by the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. All benefits are non-transferable and provided at the discretion of event partners.