The NGEN × Honors Fund
$150K Pitch Competition
A SaaS-only competition built to identify and fund high-potential startups founded by university-affiliated teams. One winner receives a $150,000 SAFE investment to scale their software.
Powered by NGEN & Honors Fund
More than a check.
SAFE investment for the winning SaaS startup — wired into your company to scale the product.
Founder Community
Join a cohort of ambitious university founders building alongside you throughout the competition.
National Recognition
Visibility as a finalist in a competition spotlighting top SaaS talent across U.S., Canadian, and European universities.
Key dates.
Clean, founder-friendly.
Who can apply.
Capital with conviction. Investing in the Best University Founders.
Honors Fund has supported university founders since 2016, helping students scale into leaders of 1,000+ person software companies. Launched in 2022 under CEAS — a single-family office that has deployed over $450M into software across North America and the UK — Honors Fund provides the capital and flexibility of a top-tier VC.
The goal: graduate every Honors Fund company into the CEAS parent portfolio, with the capacity to invest from early stage through IPO.
The center of gravity for student innovation.
NGEN is a 501(c)(3) intercollegiate entrepreneurship organization connecting students across Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, NYU, Princeton, UPenn, Yale, and other top universities.
Through conferences, founder treks, pitch competitions, and additional programming, NGEN creates high-impact opportunities that foster meaningful peer relationships and empower the next generation of founders.
Questions, answered.
Student/faculty-founded — At least one founder is a student, recent grad (< 12 months), post-doc, or faculty member with plans to pursue the company full-time.
The winner receives a $150,000 SAFE investment with a default $2M post-money valuation. The valuation can be increased based on prior rounds or significant traction. Pro rata rights are included so Honors Fund can participate in future rounds. Standard SAFE structure.
Priority Application Deadline is May 31, 2026, and the Regular Application Deadline is June 30, 2026. The virtual Pitch Competition Final is held on July 31, 2026. Applying by the priority deadline is strongly recommended.
Up to 10 teams are selected for the virtual final based on the strength of the team, product, market opportunity, traction, and the clarity of the SaaS thesis. Finalists' decks are shared across the Honors Fund global investor network — so even non-winners get capital exposure.
Yes. The company must be incorporated to receive funding. Honors Fund typically invests in Delaware C Corporations, and funding is contingent upon legal diligence. There are no restrictions on current stage of development beyond incorporation.
No. The competition is open to students at universities across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
This is a SaaS-only competition. Your startup must be software-based with an in-house technical team or a clear plan to establish one. Hardware, services, or non-software businesses are not eligible.
Build the next great SaaS company.
Applications are open. Submit yours before the priority deadline to maximize your shot at the $150K SAFE.