Application Period Now Open For Student Startup Madness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SYRACUSE, N.Y., September 14, 2016 – Online applications are now being accepted for Student Startup Madness, a fun and exciting nationwide tournament offering college student startups the opportunity to “live the entrepreneurial dream” – compete against fellow student entrepreneurs and grab the attention of potential investors and leaders in the startup community at the South By Southwest Interactive festival in March 2017.

Student Startup Madness (SSM) is open to all college student digital media startups from any college/university in the United States. To apply, go to https://studentstartupmadness.com/apply-now/. Applications will be accepted through Midnight (EST), Friday, December 2, 2016.

Teams are encouraged to apply for “Early Admission” by Midnight (EST) Friday, October 14, 2016, when 20 of the 64 SSM tournament teams will be selected. The benefits of early admission include less competition for the 20 “early admission” spots and more time for student teams to plan ahead and prepare their pitch materials, if they are selected for the semi-finals. Early application will also afford the SSM Selection Committee more opportunity to consider applications versus those that are submitted close to the December final application deadline.

Competition format
Each round of the nationwide tournament will build momentum, awareness and social media buzz, drawing attention to colleges and universities as sources for innovation, entrepreneurship and talent while showcasing university entrepreneurship and encouraging college students to start businesses.

From all online applications, 64 teams will be chosen by the SSM Selection Committee for the first round of competition, which will take place online in the Gust.com platform.
From the 64 first-round competitors, half (32 teams) will advance to the semi-final regionals round. From the regionals will emerge the “Entrepreneurial Eight,” the top eight student teams that will be invited to pitch to a celebrity panel of well-known entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and investors at the Student Startup Madness national finals at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, in March 2017.

About Student Startup Madness
The Student Startup Madness concept was developed by Sean Branagan, director of the Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, in conjunction with SXSW.

Student Startup Madness, along with its sponsors and host universities, believes in American entrepreneurship and on-campus startups—and wants to help young student entrepreneurs succeed and become a part of the SXSW experience.

For more on Student Startup Madness, visit the website (https://studentstartupmadness.com) and follow SSM on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StudentStartupMadness.