For Tyler Hurd, the most valuable part of the Startup World Cup pitch competition wasn’t the money or the trip to San Francisco. It was a massive WhatsApp group chat that connected him with business founders from around the world.
“The most valuable thing I gleaned from the whole experience was meeting the other contestants, the other founders and hearing their pitches,” says Hurd, founder of Milwaukee-based Sum Hydration, winner of the 2025 Startup World Cup regional competition held in Sheboygan.
It allowed him to advance to the world finals held in San Francisco, where in addition to making connections he attended educational workshops and pitched Sum’s personalized health beverage system.
“We are always fundraising, and it seemed like a really good opportunity for exposure,” says Hurd, who was told about the Sheboygan competition by a mentor.
The value of mentorship and networking is not lost on Ray York, a member of the Sheboygan Innovation Council, which helped bring the Startup World Cup to Sheboygan. York, a Sheboygan County business counselor and owner, says a member of the Sheboygan Innovation Council saw a pitch contest that was part of the Startup World Cup in Chicago and asked “Why can’t we do that here?”
Last September, Accelerate Sheboygan County with the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation answered that question with a regional competition. Sheboygan is one of the smallest hosting communities in the Startup World Cup, which includes 100 qualifying contests around the world. It offers a $1 million grand prize. (Founders can enter to pitch through Sept. 25: Sheboygan, 2026 | Startup World Cup).
York says it took some teamwork to ensure the first World Cup event met goals, but the experience of the organizations and people involved resulted in 11 people pitching and more than 160 in attendance. He expects they will surpass 250 attending this year’s contest, which will be held Oct. 19 at the Weill Center for the Performing Arts in Sheboygan.
“The entrepreneurial network is really strong in the state,” York says, adding that people are connected and cooperative statewide.
“They’re just super passionate about entrepreneurship; they love to help people; they want to give back; and they just enjoy that atmosphere that entrepreneurship creates,” he says.
The success of the first event also built on the experience of Accelerate Sheboygan County, the Weill Center where it was held, and organizations such as New North, Inc. Sheboygan has hosted a local pitch contest since 2019 that is part of the New Launch Alliance Pitch Contest and has created Pitches and Pizza — an entryway for entrepreneurs looking to learn how to pitch their businesses.
Those learning opportunities are invaluable, according to the participants.
“I think it’s a wonderful experience. I always tell founders, get up on stage, get out of your comfort zone,” Hurd says. “When I first started, I thought the goal — like most early founders — was to win pitch contests and money. But that’s really not the goal. The goal is to do it and hone your skills.”
Tyler Heilberger, founder of family travel and booking platform Go With Rosie, says “I find pitch events to be an amazing opportunity to get insight from others.” He says the feedback has helped Go With Rosie anticipate what features might be useful to customers and get input from industry professionals.
Heilberger’s startup, which was the people’s choice winner in the 2025 Sheboygan Startup World Cup contest, is the type York says they want to draw because it’s scalable, innovative and growth oriented.
Earning the people’s choice award provided publicity that Heilberger says opened doors in the hospitality industry. He says it created awareness around the product as well as giving the business credibility before it had sales to demonstrate the model’s success.
“I think it’s a great opportunity,” Heilberger says. “Whether you win or not, it’s a ton of professional development.”
2026 Sheboygan Startup World Cup
Date: Monday, Oct. 19
Time: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Weill Center for the Performing Arts, Sheboygan
Details: The event is free to attend, but attendees should register at accelsc.com. A $2,000 Judge’s Choice Prize and $1,000 People’s Choice Prize will be selected through audience voting. The Sheboygan regional winner will also earn the opportunity to pitch at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco.
