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Sponsorship

Featured partner placement

Sponsor Swarthmore College once and your brand appears on the Swarthmore College page and across every one of its programs and student-startup pages — not just this page.

Pitch CompetitionDirect fundingNo equityVerified

SwatTank

Swarthmore College · Swarthmore, PA

See every program at Swarthmore CollegeFind your best fit

Quick fit check

  • Offers direct funding
  • No equity required
  • Currently active
  • Verified by research

Key numbers

Funding range

$250 – $3,000

Cash Prize

Equity

None

Application

Annual

Campus Wide

Last activity

2026-04-16

High confidence

Application and Timing

Annual spring cycle. Applications open fall. Bootcamps in February and March. Finals in April (April 16, 2027 for next cycle). Founder matching available year-round via "Find Your Founder" form.

Participants

Swarthmore undergraduate teams (3-5 students). Multi-disciplinary teams encouraged. Must apply with preliminary idea.

Funding and Equity

  • First Place: $3,000
  • Second Place: $1,000
  • Third Place: $250
  • Audience Choice: $500
  • Total pool: $4,750
  • No equity taken.

Recent Activity

2026 finals held April 2026 with 5 finalist teams. 2025 winners documented (CHIBEES, Injury Report, AcaMania). Competition has been running annually since at least 2015. Active Instagram presence (@swatcil).

Known startups and winners

Competition winners and notable student ventures from our research.

See every startup

CHIBEES

$3,000

prize won

Swarthmore College

1st placeCompetition winner

2025 SwatTank first place ($3,000); gamified menstrual health app.

Goldfish

$1,000

prize won

Swarthmore College

2nd placeCompetition winner

2026 SwatTank second place ($1,000); social productivity platform described as Strava for studying.

NudgeBudge

$3,000

prize won

Swarthmore College

1st placeCompetition winner

2024 SwatTank first place ($3,000); habit-forming mobile app for college students.

PathWise

$750

prize won

Swarthmore College

3rd placeCompetition winner

2026 SwatTank third place ($750); AI-native academic planning platform.

Senaqi

1st place

placement

Swarthmore College

Competition winner

MedTech venture for maternity care starting with hysteroscope improvements. 2026 Swarthmore SwatTank first-place winner.

Shelf

$3,000

prize won

Swarthmore College

1st placeCompetition winner

2018 SwatTank first place ($3,000); online clothing marketplace.

SQUAD

$3,000

prize won

Swarthmore College

1st placeCompetition winner

2023 SwatTank first place ($3,000); AI-powered emergency vehicle response system.

Historical winners (research notes)
  • 2026: Senaqi (MedTech), Goldfish (social productivity), PathWise (AI planning), Patina (memory platform), Breadcrumbs (social media)
  • 2025: CHIBEES (menstrual health), Injury Report (athletic training), AcaMania (student success)
  • 2024: NudgeBudge (habit app), RUSH (accessibility), Chants (activism)
  • 2023: SQUAD (AI emergency response), Comma (ebooks), Suiter.io (productivity tools)
  • 2022: Forge (fitness), techTutor (digital literacy), Frequency (music sharing)
  • 2018: Shelf (clothing marketplace)
  • Numerous other ventures documented 2015-2021

Verification Gaps

  • Prize structure may have varied in earlier years
  • Venture continuation/incorporation status unknown
  • Application numbers and selection rate unknown

SwatTank

SwatTank is Swarthmore's annual idea-to-pitch competition, run by the Center for Innovation and Leadership. Teams of 3-5 students develop products or ventures over a semester and pitch to judges. Includes two mandatory bootcamps, alumni mentorship, and founder matching.

Additional research notesShow

Evidence

Official SwatTank page with prize structure and 2026 winners. Past SwatTank participants page with detailed team records from 2015-2025.