The Startupfest Demo Floor

The right place and right time.

Engineered serendipity.

On the Startupfest Demo Floor, we want to put your brand in front of the two groups you need most: the people who buy your product and the people who fund your future.

For the first time ever, we're expanding our famed Startupfest Village to include a full scale Demo Floor. You'll find startups, accelerators, and startup support services, ready and eager to interact with the thousands of visitors coming through the doors. In addition to the seasoned founders, investors, and corporate innovation leaders from the Startupfest audience, we're introducing a new, dedicated Demo Floor pass, designed specifically for small-and-medium sized business operators, aspiring entrepreneurs, student talent, and early adopters.

APPLY NOW

Show. Don’t tell.

This is not your typical trade show. The first rule of the Demo Floor is no boring demos!

In typical Startupfest fashion, we’re building a high engagement area. We want to SEE how your product works. Show people the future. Host interactive activities, live stress test, invite people to break your product; we’ll add the moments as highlights to our Demo Floor agenda.

Who you can expect to meet:

From the Startupfest Audience:

Seasoned founders, VCs, angel investors, and corporate innovation leaders.

With 25% of the audience being comprised of investors, this is the place to be if you're looking to be seen. The Startupfest audience wants to be inspired and delighted, not 'sold to'. Getting the scoop on the ‘next big thing’ to invest in or partner with means they don’t want to hear a polished consumer pitch, they want to see what’s under the hood.

From the Wider Ecosystem:

Traditional business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, student talent, and potential early adopters.

We're not just chasing volume; we're opening our doors to a curated group of relevant, peripheral members of the startup and innovation ecosystem. In the rapidly changing world of AI, machine learning, and automation tech, the average business owner needs to shape up to keep up. This audience will be seeking big-business alternatives to their operational problems. They need solutions and want to be inspired by the highly agile, disruptive, and elusive world of startups.

Do you fit the bill?

You’re a fit for the Demo Floor if your goals are:

Investor leads
Strategic partnerships
Hiring
User and customer acquisition
Brand awareness
Real-world feedback / beta testing

Here's who we're looking for:

The Seers; Offering a peek into the future

You may not have a polished product, or be ready to deploy, but you’re ready to turn some heads and lock down some pretty serious partnerships and investments to move things along.
-> Deep Tech, HealthTech, R&D

The Problem Solver; Showcasing solutions

You’re ready for customers and have the answer to industry pain points.
-> B2B, SaaS

The Next Big Thing; A Rocket ready to launch

You’re reeeeally onto something and you’ve got a lucky penny in your pocket. You’re highly “investable” and just need a little boost to get to the moon.
-> Investment ready Seed-to-Series A companies

The Showstopper; Bringing the ‘wow’ factor

You’ve got a physical product or something very tactile and experiential to share. You want to get your brand out there and win hearts- maybe gather a little feedback while you’re at it.
-> Hardware, Gadgets, "Visual" Tech, D2C, Experiential, AR/VR, Robotics, Consumer AI

The Consumer Greats; Ditching the just ‘goods’

You’ve got something that can be bought or sold for mass consumption. You’re looking for customers or product validation by ‘regular’ people.
-> B2C/D2C

The Changemakers; Building what matters

You’re driven by more than growth—you’re here to create meaningful impact at scale. Whether you’re tackling climate, equity, health, or global challenges, you’ve built something that can change lives.
-> ClimateTech, Social Impact, Sustainability, Health Equity, EdTech, Mission-driven startups

Get on the Floor.

Selected startups get:

A 1 meter wide demo table for one full day
Dedicated power
1 standard printed table sign
Listing in the Demo Floor Directory
Featured promotion across Startupfest channels

Next Steps:

Apply: Fill out the form below.
Review: Our team reviews applications on an ongoing basis.
Onboard: If selected, we’ll walk you through the details and next steps.