Dublin Pitch Offers $25,000 for Ohio Startups
Dublin Pitch offers Ohio entrepreneurs more than $25,000 in cash and prizes, with video submissions due October 1.
COhatch and the City of Dublin will hold the fourth annual Dublin Pitch competition on October 15 at COhatch Dublin, offering more than $25,000 in cash and prizes. Ohio entrepreneurs can submit a three-minute video pitch by October 1 for a chance to present live before judges, investors and the public. Three finalists will be selected to pitch at 6:30 p.m., with five to seven minutes to present and answer questions. The event is designed to connect founders with capital, visibility and business relationships.
How Founders Can Apply
Businesses and entrepreneurs across Ohio may submit ideas through the Dublin Pitch application page. Entries will be judged on viability, scalability and concept impact.
The four-judge panel includes prior Dublin Pitch winners and investor and entrepreneur Rich Wartel. The selected finalists will make their live pitches at COhatch Dublin on October 15.
Past Winners Join Judges
Prior winners on this year’s judging panel have collectively raised more than $30 million since the competition began in 2023. They include Teri Sirset, MS, and DASI Simulations, which has secured FDA clearances, commercial agreements with heart centers and more than $12 million in funding.
Aaron Crookes and Apricity Robotics will also serve as judges. Apricity has raised more than $10 million and received a $1 million NSF Phase II award since winning Dublin Pitch. Geoff Bruder and Cleveland-based Sonic Fire Tech are also among the prior winners represented, with Sonic Fire Tech reporting $15 million in seed financing.
Ryan Fogelman, co-founder of COhatch, said:
“The Dublin Pitch event started as a small—but mighty—way to put support behind entrepreneurs that are working within our COhatch communities. When you look at what our first three winners have accomplished—more than $30 million raised, FDA clearances, major research funding and national innovation recognition—it shows what can happen when Ohio entrepreneurs receive the right resources and build relationships at the right time. These companies are not simply building products. They are strengthening the healthcare, safety and innovation infrastructure our society will depend on in the future.”
Public Event and Sponsor Opportunities
The event is open to the public, with tickets available through EventBrite. COhatch and the City of Dublin are also seeking sponsors, investors, business leaders and community members interested in meeting founders and supporting Ohio entrepreneurship.
A key event sponsor is the Ohio Access Fund, an initiative intended to bring the O.H.I.O. Fund’s investment opportunities to smaller investors.
Jeremiah Gracia, director of economic development for the City of Dublin, said:
“Dublin's economic strength is rooted in our willingness to invest in innovation, connectivity and collaboration. The Dublin Pitch brings those priorities together by giving emerging companies access to the people, resources and visibility they need to grow. Supporting these entrepreneurs strengthens Dublin's business ecosystem while helping create technologies, new companies and more jobs that benefit communities throughout Ohio.”
Riverview Village Tours
The 2026 Dublin Pitch will be held alongside tours of Riverview Village, a developing innovation district that will include COhatch’s planned new headquarters. The public-private development is intended to connect entrepreneurs and small businesses with flexible workspace, advanced connectivity, economic incentives and collaborative programming in Historic Dublin.
