Dempsey Startup Competition
University of Washington
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University of Washington
Dempsey Startup Competition
The Dempsey Startup Competition, run by the Buerk Center, is a multi-stage new-venture competition. Teams need at least one student enrolled in a degree program at an accredited college in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia, or Alaska. The page says non-business students may enter. It reports 29 years of the competition, more than $2.90 million awarded to 250-plus student companies, and more than 7,900 student participants.
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Source Summary
The Dempsey Startup Competition, run by the Buerk Center, is a multi-stage new-venture competition. Teams need at least one student enrolled in a degree program at an accredited college in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia, or Alaska. The page says non-business students may enter. It reports 29 years of the competition, more than $2.90 million awarded to 250-plus student companies, and more than 7,900 student participants.
Claims Supported
2026 awards on the official page include the $25,000 BECU grand prize, the $15,000 WRF Capital second-place prize, and the $10,000 iSpot.tv third-place prize, plus category prizes of $7,500, $5,000, and $2,500. These are prizes, not equity investments. The $25,000 figure is the largest 2026 prize listed, not the full purse. A Foster handout says the competition awards more than $90,000 annually.
Evidence Limits
Point-in-time notes from official pages observed on 2026-10-08. Deadlines, prize amounts, and eligibility can change. This record is not a school-verified or director-verified listing.