Venture Madness Events

Annual Venture Madness Conference & Expo

Our signature event draws active investors and Arizona’s most promising ventures together live on stage in an action-packed event that included networking, company presentations, speaker panels and an expo all in one place.

INVESTOR PROGRAMS & EVENTS

Join us for investor focused programs and events,
and learn more about
Arizona’s latest investor activities.

STARTUP PROGRAMS & EVENTS

Give a great first impression! Startups are encouraged to join us for one of our
Get Ready seminars and other events to learn more from seasoned investors
and what it takes to be part of the Madness!

Check out our highlight reel to see what all the madness is about

ACA

About

Venture Madness by Invest Southwest brings together investors with the Arizona’s most promising ventures.  Venture Madness offers year-long memberships, partnerships, programs and events.  Want to be a part of the madness?  Visit our Get Involved page to learn more and join.

Check Out Our Featured Past Winner Story

Campus Logic - Venture Madness Winner

Watch More Past Winner Stories on Competing in Venture Madness

Watch Venture Madness Winner Stories

How it Works

The annual Venture Madness Conference brings together investors with the region’s most promising companies. Companies selected to present at the event are chosen by an expert selection panel, and present to an audience of more than 300 attendees on stage at the live event.

The conference & expo this year will be a flagship event within Arizona’s Tech Week.

Please review the Venture madness Rules and Guidelines and the Venture Madness Terms and Conditions.

PRESENTING COMPANY CATEGORY SAMPLES
(SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

Revenue Categories

  • $0 – $100K in Annual Revenue
  • $100K to $1 Million in Annual Revenue
  • $1 Million to $5 Million in Annual Revenue
  • $5 Million+ in Annual Revenue

Industry Categories

  • Software/SaaS – All software and software as a service companies.
  • Hardware Technologies – Non-medical hardware devices companies.
  • Medical (non-software) – Medical device companies.
  • Manufacturing – Manufacturing companies who make their own physical products.
  • EV and Battery – Electric Vehicle related companies and Battery tech companies.
  • Agriculture – Food and agriculture companies.
  • Other – If none of the above describes you, choose this category.

FAQs

The Venture Madness Conference & Expo by Invest Southwest, connects investors with Arizona’s most promising technology ventures. The 2026 conference will be held on April 9, 2026 – one of the flagship events for Arizona’s Tech Week. The conference boasts more than 300 attendees including accredited venture capital and angel investors, seasoned entrepreneurs and business leaders.

A Venture Madness representative will contact each company to notify them if they have been selected.

As a tech startup, it is free to apply for a presenting spot on our program. If your company is selected to present at the conference, you will be responsible for your travel and accommodations to participate in the live event.

The application window is now closed.

Companies that present at the conference will not only meet other founders and seasoned entrepreneurs who’ve walked in your shoes (which is invaluable in a startup’s journey), you’ll meet mentors and industry influencers who can help mentor your team and accelerate your growth. You’ll also have the opportunity to network and spend quality time connecting with some of our region’s most active angel and venture capital investors, get mentorship from successful entrepreneurs and past contestants, and connect with the other competing companies.

You’ll also network with and learn from a 30+ member selection panel that includes expert investors, investment bankers and seasoned service professionals, in addition to the other entrepreneurial minds and guest speakers who attend the event. Your startup will get national and international exposure through the Venture Madness website leading up to, and throughout the competition, as we promote the event and competing companies online through search and social media, as well as PR exposure through the local and national media. All participating companies will be mentioned in the conference notebook and the press releases that are distributed to local press and nationally throughout the competition, on Venture Madness’s, ACA’s and some partner social media channels, as well as to more than 300 attendees at the live event. You’ll also receive ongoing promotions and PR following the event via the website, social media and PR.

Venture Madness will review initial applications, and based on weighted scores, the top finalists will be invited to participate in the Venture Madness Conference. Read the How It Works section for more information.

Applications are reviewed and evaluated by an expert selection panel and evaluation criteria is based on your solution uniqueness, competitive differentiation, market traction, potential market opportunity, business model, team strength and presentation quality. Please read our competition Terms and Conditions and Rules and Guidelines for more details on evaluation timelines.

Once you have successfully submitted your application, you should receive a confirmation email from the application, Dealum. Please be sure to add emails from Dealum to your address book to ensure the receipt of future communications regarding your application and participation status.  Please note that you cannot amend your application once submitted, however, you can save your partial application and revise it before it is submitted​ at any time up to the deadline.

A Venture Madness representative will be in touch prior to the conference if your company is selected to present. At that point, you’ll receive all necessary instructions on your participation and preparation for the event. Then the rest is up to you!

If you have any technical difficulty submitting your application, please contact Dealum through its help center online.  If your response is not resolved through Dealum, please contact Venture Madness at contactus@venturemadness.com as soon as possible.  Due to tight timelines, we ask that you follow up quickly with any issues or questions.
Please note that Venture Madness receives a high volume of calls and emails within 3 weeks of the application deadline, and we’ll do our best to respond to your request in the order it was received.  Due to the high volume, we strongly suggest you start and submit your application process as early as possible during the application window.

Venture Madness’s primary focus is the health and safety of our attendees and partners. We closely monitor conditions, including following the recommendations from the CDC and the State of Arizona Governor’s office and health agencies. We will err on the side of caution and ensure the safety of all attendees.

ALWAYS BE THE IN THE KNOW.
SIGN UP HERE FOR THE LATEST NEWS & SPECIAL OFFERS