• Ecosystem Initiatives

Where founders come to build what's next.

VC-led initiatives designed to move companies forward—from fundraising buildathons and pitch competitions to corporate challenges, market-access programs, and global founder experiences.

Less theory. More building, pitching, connecting, and executing.

Explore Current Initiatives →Apply for Funding →
Capital Raise Series
•
LvlUp Ventures Pitch
•
AI Buildathon
•
UAE Startup Championship
•
Corporate Innovation Challenge
•
Founder Buildathons
•
Regional Championships
•
Capital Raise Series
•
LvlUp Ventures Pitch
•
AI Buildathon
•
UAE Startup Championship
•
Corporate Innovation Challenge
•
Founder Buildathons
•
Regional Championships
•
• Happening Now

Opportunities worth showing up for.

LvlUp Ventures Pitch
LvlUp Ventures × Uber for Business

The Breakthrough Startup Competition

Two minutes to pitch, then live Q&A with investors. Selected founders from the US and UK go head to head, the winner takes the title, and the strongest companies get investor follow-up.

October 20, 2026
·
US + UK
OPPORTUNITY
→
Investor follow-up for the strongest companies
Explore →
Corporate Innovation
Presented with Semrush

AI Search & Discoverability Hackathon

Your next customer may never see a search results page. Spend the day making your company show up on Google and inside AI answers, building live with the team in Dubai or dialing in from anywhere in the world.

November 5, 2026
·
Dubai + virtual
BUILD
→
Show up on Google and inside AI answers
Explore →
Power of The Pitch Week
Hosted by LvlUp Ventures

Power of the Pitch Week

Five days, one industry track each day, and a live room of investors. Founders pitch, take real questions, and compete for the top spot in their track, with winners recognized across the LvlUp network.

November 16, 2026
·
Virtual, global
OPPORTUNITY
→
Compete for the top spot in your track
Explore →
• Explore

Find your next opportunity.

AllCapital Raise SeriesLvlUp Ventures PitchBuildathonsCorporate InnovationRegionalPitch WeekLvlUp Events
LvlUp Ventures Pitch
LvlUp Ventures × Uber for Business

The Breakthrough Startup Competition

Two minutes to pitch, then live Q&A with investors. Selected founders from the US and UK go head to head, the winner takes the title, and the strongest companies get investor follow-up.

October 20, 2026
·
US + UK
OPPORTUNITY
→
Investor follow-up for the strongest companies
Explore →
LvlUp Capital Raise Series
Presented with FreshBooks

Capital Raise Series: Structuring Your Round & Financials

A one-hour working session led by VCs. You walk out with your raise size, burn and runway, use of funds, and a forecast you can defend in a partner meeting.

October 22, 2026
·
US & global
LEAVE WITH
→
A raise plan you can defend in a partner meeting
Explore →
Founder Buildathons
Presented with Campaigner

Company Building Series: Email as Your Growth Engine

Build the email system that brings in customers and keeps investors warm: go-to-market campaigns, investor updates people actually open, and a newsletter that compounds.

October 26, 2026
·
US
BUILD
→
An email system for customers and investors
Explore →
Founder Buildathons
Presented with Zoom

Company Building Series: Building the AI-Native Company

How early-stage teams use AI, automation, and new workflows to ship more with the team they already have, and hold off on hiring until revenue calls for it.

October 30, 2026
·
Global
BUILD
→
AI workflows that ship more with the team you have
Explore →
Corporate Innovation
Presented with Semrush

AI Search & Discoverability Hackathon

Your next customer may never see a search results page. Spend the day making your company show up on Google and inside AI answers, building live with the team in Dubai or dialing in from anywhere in the world.

November 5, 2026
·
Dubai + virtual
BUILD
→
Show up on Google and inside AI answers
Explore →
Power of The Pitch Week
Hosted by LvlUp Ventures

Power of the Pitch Week

Five days, one industry track each day, and a live room of investors. Founders pitch, take real questions, and compete for the top spot in their track, with winners recognized across the LvlUp network.

November 16, 2026
·
Virtual, global
OPPORTUNITY
→
Compete for the top spot in your track
Explore →
Nothing in this category right now. New initiatives are added regularly.
• Initiative Families

Six franchises. One platform.

01

LvlUp Capital Raise Series

Build your raise, not just your fundraising knowledge.

Structuring your round · Fundraising financials · Data rooms · Investor outreach · Storytelling · Term sheets · Due diligence

02

LvlUp Ventures Pitch

A global stage for companies worth discovering.

Partner competitions · Industry competitions · Regional championships · University competitions · Breakthrough Startup Awards · Demo Days

03

Founder Buildathons

One session. One business problem. Something built by the end.

Financial infrastructure · AI · Cloud · CRM · Sales and marketing systems · Hiring · Product · Operations

04

Corporate Innovation

Programs built alongside the companies startups want to reach.

Innovation challenges · Hackathons · Startup sourcing · Proof-of-concept challenges · Market access programs

05

Regional Initiatives

City and country ecosystems, one LvlUp platform.

UAE Startup Championship · New York · Miami · Los Angeles · Paris · Saudi Arabia · Qatar

06

Power of The Pitch Week

A week of pitching, feedback and investor access.

Live pitch sessions · Investor feedback · Pitch coaching · Founder showcases · Demo Day

Plus LvlUp Events: portfolio, investor, networking and Demo Day events, listed alongside the initiatives.

• Built Differently

Don't just attend. Leave further ahead.

LvlUp Ecosystem Initiatives are built around outcomes. Depending on the initiative, founders may leave with a new operating system, a completed fundraising asset, investor feedback, corporate relationships, market access, or the opportunity to pitch for investment.

Build

Financial models
Data rooms
GTM systems
AI products

Access

Investors
Operators
Corporate partners
Markets

Pitch

LvlUp investment team
External VCs
Corporate leaders
Industry judges

Move forward

Fundraise
Launch
Expand
Scale
• How It Works

Three steps. Real outcomes.

Discover

Find an initiative relevant to what your company is building or where you are headed.

01

Participate

Build, pitch, compete, connect, or execute alongside LvlUp and our ecosystem.

02

Leave with more

Take away something tangible that keeps moving the company forward.

03
• Capital + Ecosystem

Sometimes the next opportunity is capital.

LvlUp Ventures invests across the company lifecycle. Select initiatives may include direct opportunities for participating companies to be considered by LvlUp's investment team, pitch investors, or enter follow-up investment conversations.

Explore Funding Opportunities →

Participation in an initiative, or use of any partner product or service, does not affect a company’s likelihood of receiving investment from LvlUp Ventures. Investment decisions are made independently.

• Built With Leading Companies

Built alongside companies shaping how startups operate.

FreshBooks
Google
Notion
Xero
Mercury
Semrush
Build an Initiative With LvlUp →
• Global

One ecosystem. Increasingly global.

North America
New York
Capital Raise Series
Los Angeles
LvlUp Ventures Demo Day
Europe
Paris
Founder Buildathon
Middle East
Dubai
UAE Startup Championship
Global
Virtual
LvlUp Ventures Pitch × Partner
• Past Initiatives

Built across the LvlUp ecosystem.

Recaps from past initiatives are coming soon.
• Build With Us

Bring your next startup initiative to life.

LvlUp works with leading companies to build programs that connect startups with products, markets, expertise, and strategic opportunities—from global hackathons and founder buildathons to innovation challenges and pitch competitions.

Partner With LvlUp →

What will you build next?

Explore current opportunities across the LvlUp Ventures ecosystem.

Explore Initiatives →Apply for Funding →