Sponsorship

Featured partner placement

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

Pitch CompetitionDirect fundingNo equityVerified

UVA Entrepreneurship Cup

Also known as: UVA E-Cup

University of Virginia · Charlottesville, VA

Quick fit check

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

Key numbers

Funding range

$5,000 – $100,000

Equity

None

Application

Annual

Campus Wide

Last activity

2026-04-24

High confidence

The UVA Entrepreneurship Cup (E-Cup) is the university's premier student entrepreneurship competition series, offering over $200,000 in total prizes annually. Spanning the entire academic year, the E-Cup is co-hosted by the Foundry and the Batten Institute.

The competition features three stages:

  • Concept Competition (Fall): Four tracks (B2B, B2C, Health, Social Enterprise) in undergraduate and graduate divisions. All participants receive $15K+ in startup tools; 20 finalist teams receive $100K+ in-kind prizes including expert mentorship, workspace, and professional services.
  • Grand Prix (Fall/Spring): A year-long points-based competition with themed events including Pitch Practice, Social Impact Startups, and Go To Market Strategies.
  • Launch Competition (Spring): For ventures with a working MVP and customer validation. More than $100,000 in cash prizes awarded. The final event takes place at the Tom Tom Festival at the CODE Building in Charlottesville.

Open to all UVA and UVA Wise undergraduate and graduate students.