Startup Wildcats is hosting its third “Startup Night” on Tuesday, April 15, from 5-7 p.m. at the Environment and Natural Resources 2 building. Students can pitch an entrepreneurial idea for a chance to win up to $5,000 through the new Student Milestone Funding Program.
Startup Wildcats helps University of Arizona students by “providing immersive experiences that empower every Wildcat to unlock entrepreneurial possibilities and inspire the courage to venture,” said Julie Bularzik, the venture development education coordinator for Startup Wildcats.
The Student Milestone Funding Program, run by Startup Wildcats, is new to the UA this semester. It’s part of a larger project called the ZinnStarter program set up by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Ray Zinn to help students get started with ventures. The UA received $50,000 through the program for 2025.
That money is distributed to students in smaller chunks based on the costs required to complete their project. The funding can be used for anything related to their business, from building materials to plane tickets to present in front of investors.
Bularzik said the program is unique because there are few strings attached.
At Startup Nights, students give elevator pitches to an audience as well as the student investment committee, comprised of business-minded students employed by Startup Wildcats. The committee decides who will receive funding and how much.
Outside of Startup Nights, students can also fill out an application to be reviewed by the student investment committee.
This Tuesday, while the student investment committee reviews pitches, attendees will also hear from guest speakers, including Kelly King with Startup Wildcats, Lewis Humphreys and Paul Tumarkin with Tech Launch Arizona and Tucson-based designer Quinlan Wilhite. They will talk about discovering new ideas, protecting intellectual property, resilience and social media marketing.
Students who receive funding are required to make a social media account related to their project, attend another Startup Night, provide a plan for how the funding will be spent and submit a follow up report three months out documenting what they did.
This semester was a pilot for the program but “in the fall, we’re really going to be launching a lot of exciting things,” Bularzik said. “We’re getting really good feedback, so I think ultimately [success] has just been being able to serve the students in the way that they’ve been asking to be served”.
Tuesday’s Startup Night is the last of the semester, and April 25 is the last day to apply for funding before the 2025 Fall semester. Startup Wildcat staff are also available to work with students over the summer.
To learn more about Startup Wildcats and the Student Milestone Funding Program, visit https://techlaunch.arizona.edu/students/startup-wildcats.
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
