2027 · UW–Madison's largest student-run pitch competition

The 12th Annual Transcend Innovation Competition

Your stage. Two days, real judges, and a room that wants to see what you've built. Any UW–Madison student can compete — any major, any stage, from napkin sketch to revenue.

Become a member →See past winners ↓

DexDisplay team receiving an award on stage in front of their slide — **DexDisplay, recognized on stage**

Two BeachEase founders holding their Transcend check — **BeachEase, 2026 first place**

AJ Ketarkus pitching VitalSyncLabs at the podium — **VitalSyncLabs pitches**

A student handing materials to a table of judges — **Face to face with the judges**

How it works

Two days. One stage.

Format from the 2026 competition — 2027 details confirmed when applications open

DAY 1

Qualifying pitches

Every team pitches: 10 minutes total, hard stop — recommended 7-minute pitch + 3-minute Q&A. No live demos on Day 1 (images and pre-recorded video are fine). Midday, the public Poster Session opens — opt in for a table, run live demos, and talk to judges as they circulate. Finalist decisions go out the same night.

DAY 2

Finals

The top 16 advance. The format opens up: 10-minute pitch plus a full 10-minute Q&A, live demos allowed, all pitches on the main stage in front of a public audience. Pitching wraps at 4:00 PM, followed by networking and the awards ceremony from 4:00–6:00.

One rule worth knowing now: every team must have a representative present at networking/awards to receive an award.

What Judges Look For