San Antonio tech advocacy group accepting applications for pitch competition

Bexar County and Tech Bloc, a San Antonio tech industry advocacy non-profit, announced Aug. 15 a call for applications to TechFuel, a $100,000 startup pitch competition for early-stage tech ventures in San Antonio and across Texas. The deadline to apply is Sept. 25, according to a news release.

The release said after applications are received, Tech Bloc will select 25 semifinalists to pitch to a panel of judges in one of five brackets. One winner from each of the five brackets will then advance to compete as a finalist in the grand finale startup pitch event 6-9 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

The TechFuel competition will be a featured event during San Antonio Startup Week, an annual weeklong celebration of San Antonio’s startup ecosystem, Oct. 16-22, the release said.

A SASW 2022 afterparty and TechFuel Winners Circle Celebration will also be held in the TechFuel event space following the competition, the release said, adding the afterparty event will be free and open to all attendees and potential investors.

Tech Bloc and county officials said TechFuel, partially supported through Bexar County’s innovation fund, helps to foster local job recruitment, talent development competitions, business expansion and technical workforce training for targeted technology-based industries.

“The county has worked closely with TechBloc since 2016 to develop the highly successful TechFuel pitch competition to help invigorate our San Antonio startup scene,” Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said in a statement, adding more than 70 startups applied during last year’s competition and the county awarded prizes to five local, early-stage tech companies.

Wolff said the county continues to be impressed by TechFuel’s impact in drawing statewide attention to San Antonio’s startup community and increasing local and regional participation in the startup ecosystem.

“This is an important part of the mission of the county’s innovation fund, and we are excited to bring TechFuel back in 2022,” Wolff said.