CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Dec. 8, 2025) – Applications are now live for the Agriculture and Food regional qualifier of Startup World Cup, which returns to the AgTech Innovation Summit stage for the second year on March 10.
The pitch competition will give 10 entrepreneurs the opportunity to showcase their ideas at the AgTech Summit, one of the region’s largest and most recognized agtech conferences.
The winner will receive the chance to compete compete for a chance to win a $1 million investment at the Startup World Cup finale in October 2026.
The application platform will be open until Sunday, Feb. 8. Startups selected to participate in the regional event will be notified no later than Feb. 13.
The Champaign Agriculture and Food Regional is a partnership between Serra Ventures, the University of Illinois Research Park, Pegasus Tech Ventures and Startup World Cup.
For more information and to apply, visit the Agricultural and Food Regional website.
About the AgTech Summit
The AgTech Innovation Summit, now headed into its 11th year, is one of the longest running events of its kind in the region. Convened on campus at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, it brings together leaders in agriculture technology, entrepreneurship, investment, and academia to address pressing agricultural challenges and explore emerging solutions. This interactive conference will take place March 10, 2026, featuring dynamic panel discussions, keynote presentations, and valuable networking opportunities. Participants will gain insights into current agricultural technology trends while exploring future innovations that will shape the sector.
To register for the AgTech Innovation Summit visit the Research Park website.
About the Startup World Cup
The Startup World Cup is a global series of startup competitions and conferences, powered by Pegasus Tech Ventures. With over 100 regional events across 60+ countries, the competition culminates in a Grand Finale in Silicon Valley on October 17, 2025, where the top startups from each region will compete for a $1 million investment prize.
For a complete list of regional events, visit: Startup World Cup.
About Pegasus Tech Ventures
Pegasus Tech Ventures is a leading global venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley, with over $2 billion in assets under management. Pegasus supports emerging technology companies worldwide by providing both intellectual and financial capital. They also offer a unique Venture Capital-as-a-Service (VCaaS) model for large corporations looking to partner with cutting-edge startups. Learn more at Pegasus Tech Ventures.
###