Tickets

A premier 3-day startup competition bringing together innovators, builders, and leaders to pitch, build, and launch.

Roots Weekend

Countdown 184 Days 06 Hours 42 Mins 48 Sec
Live in
Columbia, MO
Location
Equipment Share
Date
April 2027
Participants
30+
Watch Tickets

Launch parties & after party

Exclusive events for registered MOSW 2026 attendees. RSVP on Luma to save your spot.

  • Student Only Mixer

    April 16 • 3:30-5:00PM

  • Launch Party

    April 16 • 5:00 PM-8:00 PM

  • After Party

    April 19 • 4:30-8:00 PM

Download app

Apr16

Student only mixer

Exclusive events for registered MOSW 2026 attendees. RSVP on Luma to save your spot.

RSVP

Where ideas become startups

  • $600K Investment

    Potential investment from Redbud VC and partners

  • 50+ Experts

    On-call mentors across tech, business, law, and design

  • 10+ Years

    Of building startups and alumni success stories

How it works

Schedule Tickets

  1. Pitch

    Friday evening

    60 seconds. No slides. No demos. Just you and your idea. Stand up and pitch your startup concept to the room.

  2. Vote

    Friday evening

  3. Teams

    Friday evening

  4. Build

    Saturday-Sunday

  5. Winner

    Sunday afternoon

  6. Afterparty

    Sunday evening

Past events

A founder pitching with a microphone at a past Roots event
2026 Winner Zapier

Expert network

Grab your prize

1st Place

  • $10,000 cash prize
  • Share of $100k voted investment pool
  • $15k MVP development
  • $15k Branding Package
  • Potential $500k investment
  • 6 months of support - Redbud VC
  • Legal formation package
  • Press Release

2nd Place

  • $3,000 cash prize
  • Share of $100k voted investment pool

3rd Place

  • $1,000 cash prize
  • Share of $100k voted investment pool

Backed by the best

Roots weekend is made possible by these incredible sponsors.

Frequently asked questions

View all
Who is startup weekend for?

Students, developers, designers, operators and anyone who wants to turn an idea into a startup over one weekend.

Do I have to have an idea to participate?

No. Many people join a team after the Friday pitches and help build someone else’s idea.

What is included with my ticket?

Entry to all three days, including the Friday pitches, the weekend build with on-call mentors, and the Sunday afterparty.

What are the Friday pitches?

Anyone can pitch an idea in 60 seconds, with no slides or demos. The room then votes on which ideas form teams.

Can I apply with my existing business?

Roots Weekend is built around new ideas started at the event. If you have an existing business, contact us and we will talk it through.

Is Roots Weekend only for tech companies?

No. Any startup idea is welcome, whether it is software, a physical product or a local business.