Investment Details
- Investment Amount
$25,000.00
Description
Female founders are invited to apply for our Fast Pitch competition through May 31, 2026. There is a $50 fee to apply plus a Sparkxyz processing fee of $9.
>> THIS APPLICATION IS FOR TECH/TECH-ENABLED COMPANIES
Founders should self-select their track for either Tech/Tech-enabled or Consumer/CPG/Other. Please review the category descriptions below to ensure you are applying for the right track -- note we cannot move applications between tracks, so you would have to resubmit if you select the wrong track.
If you are unsure of your category, please contact us.
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Tech/Tech-enabled: This category is for a B2B or B2C company that relies on significant development of technology to deliver the product or service.
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Consumer product or service/CPG/Other non-tech: This category includes any physical products that are sold to consumers (e.g., food and beverage, apparel) as well as consumer focused media/content, e-commerce sites, or services provided to consumers. Consumer products or services that rely heavily on technology (such as Nest or Oura Ring) should apply in the Tech category. If you decide you should instead apply for the Consumer track, click here.
>> IMPORTANT TIPS FOR THIS APPLICATION
You will be prompted to set up a Venture Profile for your company. Note you can change the visibility of your profile to Private. If you leave it as Public, it will be visible to any other competition that you apply to within the Spark Collective, or to anyone to whom you provide the link. You may also use the other sharing/job posting features if you choose.
Required questions in the venture profile appear in red text - you may skip or select NA for the others. After you complete the profile questions, you will be asked to complete a few additional questions from WFN, as well as complete our financial summary template.
You may save and edit/complete your application through the May 31st deadline.
Eligibility
- Business must be based in the United States
- Founder/Co-Founder or CEO must be a woman or the business must be majority-owned by a woman
- We cannot accept applications from non-profits, Life Science or cannabis/CBD companies
- Finalists must be able to participate in-person at the annual Fast Pitch Event on October 21, 2026 *
- Companies must have raised no more than $750K in outside funding, including personal cash funds**
- Pre-revenue plans are welcome, but we need to see some form of validation / proof of concept from customers, whether it is revenue, LOI's, user surveys, etc.
* Live event will take place at UCLA in Los Angeles, CA. Travel expenses are the responsibility of the applicant.
** Research grants or other non-recourse, non-dilutive grants, and PPP loans do not count towards the $750K maximum.
Process
Round 1 Judging:
All submitted applications will be reviewed and scored by our judges.
The top 20-25 companies in each track will be selected as semi-finalists and will be asked to provide additional information and submit a 2-minute pitch video.
Round 2 Judging:
Judges vote to select 5 finalists from each track from the pool of semi-finalists. This group of 10 finalists will receive the benefits outlined below and advance to compete at the October 21, 2026 Fast Pitch event in Los Angeles, CA for cash grants and professional services. The final voting round and award presentations take place at this event following live pitches from each of the finalists.
What an Applicant can Obtain
All applicants will receive a discounted ticket to the October 2026 Fast Pitch event.
The 10 Fast Pitch finalists will receive the following benefits:
- Friendly feedback virtual pitch event to assess your coaching needs
- One-on-one pitch coaching to hone your skills and prepare for the Fast Pitch Event
- Financial mentor providing pro bono consulting services to get your financials in order
- Participation in the September VIP Private Pitch Event to practice your pitch in front of an audience and network with a curated group of investors, board members, WFN sponsors, and business professionals
- Opportunity to compete for cash and services at the October Fast Pitch event:
- $25,000 cash grant for the 1st place winners in each track (total of $50k in cash grants awarded)
- $5,000 cash grant for Junior Venture Capitalists’ winner selected by our youth program participants
- $100k+ of services will be distributed among all finalists based on your needs
- Access to WFN's network of professionals for support and advice
In addition, because we are using the Spark platform, you will have the ability to share your relevant information with other Spark members / potential investors, as well as the ability to access Spark Collective Perks & Exclusive Perks as a WFN portfolio company, including discounts on a variety of products and services.
