The First National Championship Pitch Competition League for Collegiate Entrepreneurs
The NCEA Forbes Cup organizes collegiate entrepreneurship into a season — a bracket-based tournament that gives every student founder a clear path from application to the national championship stage at Forbes on Fifth.
The First National Championship League
What Champions Win
Founders who keep advancing compete for exposure, capital, and titles that last.
Forbes Feature
The National Champion is featured by Forbes — national exposure to investors, customers, and industry leaders.
Seed Capital
Funding to turn a winning pitch into an operating company.
Non-Dilutive Cash Prizes
Champions compete for non-dilutive cash prizes throughout the season — meaningful upside without giving up equity.
The Title
Bracket Champion. Division Champion. Forbes 4. National Champion. Titles that follow a founder for life.
Ben, Your AI Entrepreneur Agent
Every founder prepares with Ben — pitch practice, venture refinement, and coaching from application through championship.
- Guided pitch development from idea to presentation
- Real-time feedback on your business model and positioning
- Score tracking across key readiness dimensions
- Access to non-dilutive cash prize opportunities across the season
- Available 24/7 — start preparing the moment you sign up
Meet Ben
Your AI pitch coach & business advisor
The Future Belongs to Builders
Student demand is surging, and now there is finally a real national season built for collegiate founders.
AI Is the Equalizer
Any student, any background, any major — AI means the playing field has never been more level.
5,000+ Universities
Across the U.S., thousands of campuses need a scalable, standardized way to run entrepreneurship competitions.
A Championship Was Missing
The NCEA Forbes Cup creates the first true national championship league for collegiate entrepreneurship.
From Bracket Reveal to the NCEA Forbes Cup Finals
The published national pathway is the same for every founder in the field.
The Bracket Reveal
The Selection Committee announces the field of 96 — eight seeded ventures in each of the twelve brackets — live. Every applicant, selected or not, receives a scored feedback report on their venture.
Bracket Qualifiers
Ventures compete head-to-head inside their bracket before domain-expert judges. Eight become four.
Bracket Championships
Four become one. Twelve Bracket Champions are crowned — the first titles of the season, and automatic bids to the Founders 16.
The Founders 16
The twelve Bracket Champions are joined by four at-large selections — the best non-champion in each division, chosen by the Selection Committee.
NCEA Forbes Cup Finals
at Forbes on Fifth, Day 2
Day 1: the field narrows to the Forbes 4. Day 2: the Semifinals, then the National Championship — seed capital, the Forbes feature, and the national title, decided live.
Universities Join the League Too
The NCEA Forbes Cup isn't just a founder competition — it's a league. Every selection, Bracket Championship, at-large bid, and national title earns points for the founder's school in the national standings. Member universities get free student applications, an internal competition platform to run their own qualifiers, and a shot at Program of the Year.
Free Student Applications
Member universities get free student applications into the national season.
Internal Competition Platform
Run internal qualifiers and founder preparation on the same platform as the national season.
National Standings
Track how your school performs across selections, championships, and title runs.
Program of the Year
Every campus competes for program-level recognition alongside founder success.
Be Part of the Movement
Join the first national championship league for collegiate entrepreneurship — as a university building the next generation or as a founder competing for the title.