Your journey through the entrepreneurial ecosystem has been an inspiring tale of perseverance and success. Now, there’s a unique opportunity to extend your legacy by guiding the next generation of trailblazers at Venture Lab.
How You Can Support
Your experience and insight play a critical role in the success of Penn’s student entrepreneurs. As a judge for the Startup Challenge, you’ll help assess promising ventures, offer valuable feedback, and stay connected to Penn’s dynamic entrepreneurial community—all while gaining fresh perspectives and engaging with the next wave of innovators.
First Round Judges
Help us identify the most promising ventures from our applicant pool.
Eligibility: Open to all Penn alumni
- Review 3 to 5 startup applications, including pitch decks and short videos, matched to your industry expertise.
- Evaluate each venture by submitting quantitative scores and qualitative feedback via SurveyMonkey Apply.
- Timeline: January 26 – February 16, 2026
Eligibility: Open to all Penn alumni
Semifinals Judges
Join us live to help select the finalists for the Startup Challenge.
Eligibility: Open to all Penn alumni prior to 2015
- Attend the virtual semifinals on Friday, March 20, 2026. Choose from a morning (9:00 AM–12:30 PM ET) or afternoon (1:00–4:30 PM ET) session via Zoom.
- Evaluate 4 to 7 ventures in a virtual room matched to your industry background.
- Score each presentation to help determine which teams advance to the final round.
- Preview startup materials in advance through SurveyMonkey Apply.
Eligibility: Open to all Penn alumni prior to 2015
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria are subjected to changes and updates.
Idea
• Value proposition
• Originality, innovation and thoughtfulness
• Impact on big problem
• Originality, innovation and thoughtfulness
• Impact on big problem
Product/Service
• Differentiation from the existing competition
• User experience
• Identification and addressing of major relevant risks, and inclusion of contingency plans
• User experience
• Identification and addressing of major relevant risks, and inclusion of contingency plans
Preparation For Launch
• Target market and customer identification and segmentation
• Pricing model
• Core revenue model and ancillary revenue streams
• Semifinalists and Finalists will be required to provide 3-5 year financial projections
• Pricing model
• Core revenue model and ancillary revenue streams
• Semifinalists and Finalists will be required to provide 3-5 year financial projections
Progress/Traction
• Product development
• Traction-to-date (relationships with key market participants, sales, downloads, website traffic, etc.)
• Future measurable, achievable milestones
• Traction-to-date (relationships with key market participants, sales, downloads, website traffic, etc.)
• Future measurable, achievable milestones
Team
• Expertise of founding team
• Commitment and motivation of founding team
• Strategy to attract additional key people
• Commitment and motivation of founding team
• Strategy to attract additional key people
Execution
• Marketing strategy
• Sales strategy
• Plan to scale
• Sales strategy
• Plan to scale
FAQ
Questions about judging for the Startup Challenge? Contact Kacey Beltz at beltz11@wharton.upenn.edu
Why should I serve as a judge?
Your experience and insight play a critical role in the success of Penn’s student entrepreneurs. By serving as a judge, you’ll help evaluate high-potential ventures, provide meaningful feedback, and engage with Penn’s thriving entrepreneurial community—while gaining fresh perspectives from the next generation of innovators.
Who is eligible to be a judge?
First Round Judges: Open to all Penn alumni, regardless of graduation year or industry background.
Semifinals Judges: Open to Penn alumni who graduated prior to 2015, with preference given to those with relevant industry or startup experience.[a]
Semifinals Judges: Open to Penn alumni who graduated prior to 2015, with preference given to those with relevant industry or startup experience.[a]
What is the expected time commitment?
First Round Judges:
Semifinals Judges:
- Review 3–5 startup applications (pitch decks + short videos)
- Estimated total time: 2–3 hours, completed anytime between January 26 – February 16, 2026
Semifinals Judges:
- Participate in one live virtual session on Friday, March 20, 2026
- Morning session: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM ET OR Afternoon session: 1:00 – 4:30 PM ET
- Preview assigned startup materials in advance
- Estimated total time: 4–6 hours, including event and preparation
What does a First Round Judge do?
- Review 3 to 5 ventures matched to your industry expertise
- Evaluate each using a provided rubric on SurveyMonkey Apply
- Submit both quantitative scores and written feedback
- All judging is done asynchronously during the review window: Jan 26 – Feb 16, 2026
What does a Semifinals Judge do?
- Join a live Zoom session on March 20, 2026
- Hear live pitches from 4–7 ventures in a breakout room based on your industry
- Score each pitch using a provided rubric
- Help determine which teams advance to the final round
- Review materials ahead of time via SurveyMonkey Apply
How will I be matched to ventures?
We’ll match you based on your industry and background.
Will everyone who signs up be selected to judge?
We’re fortunate to receive a high volume of interest from alumni each year. While we truly appreciate the enthusiasm and support, we may not be able to accommodate everyone interested in judging. If you're not selected this year, please know how much we value your interest, and we encourage you to stay engaged for future opportunities to support Penn’s student entrepreneurs.
Who can I contact to learn more?
If you have questions or would like to discuss the judging experience further, please reach out to Kacey Beltz at beltz11@wharton.upenn.edu.
Questions about judging for the Startup Challenge? Contact Kacey Beltz at beltz11@wharton.upenn.edu
We receive an overwhelming amount of interest in serving as a judge for the Startup Challenge each year. While we’re grateful for the enthusiasm and support from the Penn alumni community, we may not be able to accommodate everyone interested in judging. If you are not selected this year, please know how much we appreciate your interest, and we encourage you to stay engaged for future opportunities to support our student entrepreneurs.
The Startup Challenge is Venture Lab’s premier yearly event, showcasing Penn’s most promising teams of student entrepreneurs,These motivated teams capture the spirit of Penn entrepreneurship—innovative, interdisciplinary, inclusive—and we offer our congratulations and our optimistic wishes for their futures!
Lori Rosenkopf, Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship and Simon and Midge Palley Professor at the Wharton School.