The Heartland Challenge will pause in 2026 as we take time to evaluate and refresh the competition for future years. Since its launch in 2020, the event has grown into a national platform for student founders and a showcase of Northwest Arkansas’ entrepreneurial energy. The competition will return in 2027 with a renewed approach and enhanced experience for all participants. Thank you for your continued support — a new chapter is ahead.
The Heartland Challenge is designed to mimic the real-world process of raising capital for a high-growth venture.
The competition allows students to gain valuable experience and networking opportunities while developing and building new ventures and technologies or those developed by others.
The spirit of the competition is to allow only ventures conceived and developed during the graduate school experience to participate. Although the Heartland Challenge is a graduate student competition, exceptional undergraduate teams will be considered
Competition directors and faculty advisors are responsible for ensuring and attesting that their teams meet these requirements. The teams are also responsible for ensuring their own eligibility.
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