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Subah Zaeem
Ceremonial checks are displayed onstage during the Draper Pitch Competition—formerly UT Dallas’ Big Idea Competition—on April 14. [Photo via UT Dallas]
UT Dallas Draper Pitch Competition Awards Record $330K to Student, Alumni Startups
by Sandra Engelland | Apr 28, 2026
Nine student and alumni teams made the finals in three tracks: undergraduate, graduate student, and alumni. Winning ideas ranged from AI sales coaching to radiation mapping and noninvasive brain drug delivery as the university’s entrepreneurship push continues to scale.
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Trending
North Texas is a big place, with plenty to do, see, hear, and watch. We scour the internet every week to find events and activities for you. As always, things may change at any time, so be sure to check the official website or registration page for the latest details....
Dallas–Fort Worth has become one of the fastest-growing business ecosystems in the United States. Major corporations continue relocating headquarters to North Texas, venture-backed startups are scaling, and entrepreneurs from across the country are increasingly choosing Dallas as the place to build....
Dallas-based Digital Ascension Group, a wealth management firm specializing in digital assets, has appointed three senior executives to its leadership team, aiming to reinforce the platform’s next growth phase in investment management, product strategy, operations, and compliance....
“If you can hang around long enough, you’ll win at the end of the day.”
Sulman Ahmed
Founder, Chairman & CEO
DECA Dental Group
… on perseverance and entrepreneurship in a keynote address at the UT Dallas Draper Pitch Competition....
Global WealthTech Accelerator The Founders Arena—in collaboration with First Rate, Inc., SEI, the city of Arlington and the Arlington Economic Development Corporation—announced its sixth cohort of startups seeking to transform financial services....
Trending
North Texas is a big place, with plenty to do, see, hear, and watch. We scour the internet every week to find events and activities for you. As always, things may change at any time, so be sure to check the official website or registration page for the latest details....
Dallas–Fort Worth has become one of the fastest-growing business ecosystems in the United States. Major corporations continue relocating headquarters to North Texas, venture-backed startups are scaling, and entrepreneurs from across the country are increasingly choosing Dallas as the place to build....
Dallas-based Digital Ascension Group, a wealth management firm specializing in digital assets, has appointed three senior executives to its leadership team, aiming to reinforce the platform’s next growth phase in investment management, product strategy, operations, and compliance....
“If you can hang around long enough, you’ll win at the end of the day.”
Sulman Ahmed
Founder, Chairman & CEO
DECA Dental Group
… on perseverance and entrepreneurship in a keynote address at the UT Dallas Draper Pitch Competition....
Global WealthTech Accelerator The Founders Arena—in collaboration with First Rate, Inc., SEI, the city of Arlington and the Arlington Economic Development Corporation—announced its sixth cohort of startups seeking to transform financial services....
