Forge to Field Pitch AI Competition – Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship

$1,000,000 in cloud credits powered by AWS
$750,000 in investments

*Note: AWS Activate Credits: Prize winners will receive AWS Activate credits from a total pool of up to $1 million, with distribution amounts determined by AWS at its sole discretion. Credits are subject to AWS Activate Terms & Conditions, are non-transferable, and winners must meet program eligibility requirements including lifetime credit limits. Startups already enrolled in AWS Activate remain eligible to win, with previously received credits deducted from any award.

The total prize pool will be allocated among the winners of the competition. Prize allocations will be decided and disbursed directly by the prize sponsors.

The prize sponsors have committed to Carnegie Mellon University to award and disburse the prizes directly to the winners (subject to the terms of the prize set by the prize sponsor for the relevant prize). Carnegie Mellon University is not responsible for deciding or disbursing the prizes to the winners.

Other prizes may include:

Access to premier Physical AI workspace at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Innovation Center, subject to availability and standard CMU terms
Direct mentorship and advisory access to leading roboticists, AI researchers and applied-AI operators from Pittsburgh’s ecosystem
Founder and team access to Pittsburgh’s sports culture, including season passes to Pittsburgh Steelers games for founders or key employees, subject to availability and team policies
Warm introductions to league partners, healthcare systems, investors, and compute platforms operating in Pittsburgh
Invitations to ecosystem events connecting sports, technology, and innovation leaders

Limitation

Participation in the Pitch Competition does not imply endorsement by Carnegie Mellon University, the National Football League or any of the prize sponsors, including the Pittsburgh Steelers. All prizes are non-transferable and provided at the discretion of prize sponsors.

Who Should Apply

ELIGIBILITY

Entities that meet all of the following criteria are eligible and encouraged to apply: (i) the entity is incorporated or organized in a jurisdiction located within the United States of America, and (ii) the entity is building at the intersection of leading-edge technology and sports, and (iii) the entity has raised/received pre-seed, seed or Series A stage funding, but has not raised/received Series B or later stage funding.

We’re looking for those building in AI, robotics, physical AI, computer vision, digital twins, and more to tackle:

Athlete performance, training, and athlete safety
Game and athlete analytics
Fan engagement platforms
Venue technology, broadcast
Health & Wellness

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA PREFERENCE

While the Pitch Competition is open to eligible entities across the U.S., since the goal of the Pitch Competition is to accelerate real company formation, job creation and Physical AI deployment in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, entities that have or commit to establishing a substantial and sustained operating presence in Western Pennsylvania will be given a preference in the selection of competition finalists. A “substantial and sustained operating presence” in Western Pennsylvania may include, but is not limited to:

Establishing a headquarters or primary office in Western Pennsylvania
Opening a significant satellite office in Western Pennsylvania
Locating engineering, R&D, manufacturing, or deployment operations in Western Pennsylvania
Hiring a meaningful number of employees based in Western Pennsylvania

FINALIST REQUIREMENTS

The prize sponsors may require the conduct of due diligence before, during or after the Pitch Competition and/or prior to awarding the prize(s) to validate the applicant entity’s representations and/or information provided in the Pitch Competition application or throughout the Pitch Competition, including conducting a background check on the entity and/or its founders.

Finalists are required to present in person at the Pitch Competition event, held at the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Innovation Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 22, 2026.

PITCH COMPETITION RULES

The Pitch Competition is subject to the Pitch Competition rules, which can be found here: full set of rules and AWS Cloud Computing Rules. The Pitch Competition rules are subject to change.