1st place
First place
$5,000
Cash prize, plus feedback from the judging panel.
// Est. 2017 · Returning 2027
Penn Aerospace Pitch Competition
Propose an aerospace startup that solves a problem related to air or space. Undergraduate and graduate students compete in teams of any size for prize money and feedback from industry leaders.
Teams
Any size
Undergraduate and graduate students
The problem
Air or space
Any startup idea that solves one
To enter
1–2 pages
An executive summary of your idea
Prizes
$8,500
Split across the top three teams
// About
A stage for aerospace founders
The Penn Aerospace Pitch Competition invites teams of undergraduate and graduate students to propose aerospace-related startup ideas for a chance to earn prize money and feedback from industry leaders.
The competition was first hosted at the University of Pennsylvania in 2017 by the Penn Aerospace Club. Proposals must solve a problem related to air or space, and are judged on the problem, the impact of the solution, market potential, technical feasibility and the team behind it.
For 2027 the competition returns with the backing of the Aerospace Venture Foundation, a new nonprofit supporting student founders in aerospace.
Our mission
To give student founders a launch pad: a stage, a network and the funding to turn ideas for air and space into companies.
// The competition
From idea to launch
Everything you need to know about the 2027 competition: how to enter, what's at stake, and how teams are judged.
How to enter
- 01
Join the mailing list
Add your name and email below. We'll send registration details as soon as they're ready.
Open now - 02
Form a team
Put together your team. Teams can be any size, from one person up.
Date TBA - 03
Submit
Send in your executive summary, pitch deck and application form. Instructions go out to the mailing list.
Date TBA - 04
Pitch at the finals
Finalist teams come to Penn to pitch live to a panel of investors and industry judges.
Spring 2027
Prizes
2nd place
Second place
$2,500
Cash prize, plus feedback from the judging panel.
3rd place
Third place
$1,000
Cash prize, plus feedback from the judging panel.
Amounts shown are from the previous competition. 2027 prizes will be announced with the sponsor lineup.
Judging criteria
01
The problem
How clearly the team articulates the problem to be solved.
02
Impact
What changes if the solution works.
03
Market potential
Who the customers are and how large the market can grow.
04
Technical feasibility
Whether the engineering and science hold up.
05
Entrepreneurship
The team's ability to build and lead the venture.
Judges
To be announcedInvestorsVenture investors active in aerospace and deep tech.
To be announcedIndustry leadersFounders and executives from aerospace companies.
To be announcedFacultyEngineering and entrepreneurship faculty.
// From the archive
Past winners
On February 25, 2017, five finalist teams from across the country came to Penn to pitch their solutions to a problem related to air or space.
2017
First place · $5,000
ProtoFluidics
A platform for microfluidics research in space, presented by a team of Penn engineering and Wharton students.
2027
First place · TBA
Your team?
Registration for the 2027 competition opens soon. Join the launch list to hear first.
// Sponsorship
Back the next generation of aerospace founders
Sponsors fund the prize money and meet student teams building companies in air and space. Every sponsorship goes through the Aerospace Venture Foundation.
Recognition
Logo on site and stage
Your company featured on this website, at the finals and in updates to the mailing list.
Recruiting
Résumé access
Résumés from competitors who opt in to share them with sponsor companies.
Involvement
Judge or mentor
Reserved seats at the finals and the chance to judge or mentor a team.
2027 sponsors
Your logo here
Your logo here
Your logo here
Your logo here
Tell us you're interested and we'll send the sponsorship packet.
// Questions
Frequently asked
Can't find your answer? Join the launch list and ask us in your reply to any update.
Who can compete?
Undergraduate and graduate students, in teams of any size. In 2017, finalists came from universities across the country.
What counts as an aerospace idea?
Any startup that solves a problem related to air or space: aircraft, drones, satellites, launch, space research, or the businesses that support them.
What do we submit?
An executive summary of one to two pages, a pitch deck and an application form. Submission instructions go out to the mailing list before the deadline.
Can I compete on my own?
Yes. A team can be one person.
Who sees my résumé?
Only sponsor companies, and only if you opt in. You choose when you register to compete.
// Mailing list
Get on the launch list
Deadlines, finalist announcements and event invitations. Open to competitors, sponsors, attendees and anyone who loves aerospace.