Empowering bold ideas in education through mentorship, funding, and community.
EdTech Catalyst is Michigan Virtual’s umbrella initiative to support Michigan-based education innovation. Whether you’re just starting out with an idea or scaling a tested solution, we provide learning experiences, funding opportunities, and connections to help you grow.
Live Zoom sessions that walk through the pitch process and key concepts. We highly recommend attending one before applying to the Bootcamp or Pitch Contest.
Free virtual workshops designed to shape your EdTech idea into a compelling pitch. SCHECH credits are available for Michigan educators who attend.
Finalists compete for cash, legal, and marketing support to grow their idea. Open to Bootcamp participants and early-stage innovators.
Advanced 10-week startup program for select finalists. Includes mentorship, seed funding, and business development support.
Meet the innovators who’ve gone through the Catalyst journey—see their ideas, growth, and impact in education.
Subscribe for updates on pitch events, EdTech opportunities, and insights from our AI Lab and beyond.
Pitch 101 is a live Zoom session designed to help new innovators and entrepreneurs prepare for the EdTech Innovation Bootcamp and Pitch Contest. Each session begins with a brief overview of both programs before diving into key pitch concepts like crafting a strong value proposition, understanding market size and potential, analyzing the competitive landscape, and preparing a compelling elevator pitch video for your application. If you’re planning to apply to either the bootcamp or the pitch contest, we strongly encourage you to attend one of these sessions. They are identical, so you only need to attend the one that best fits your schedule. These sessions are sponsored by the MEA Center for Leadership and Learning.
8:00 - 9:00 PM
4:00 - 5:00 PM
We recommend using our pre-pitch supports for guidance, reviewing the official rules, and watching past pitch finals for inspiration.
Do you have a business idea that will improve teaching or learning through the use of technology? Then join us for our 2025 EdTech Innovation Bootcamp. We’ll help you explore the idea, develop a business model, and identify your next steps for making your idea a reality!
There is no cost to attend and Michigan Educators can earn 20 SCECH credits for completing the full Bootcamp. Space is limited.
Getting started with the basics – Pitch Deck and Business Model Canvas, Customer Discovery and Product Development
Value Proposition, Knowing Your Competition, Legal 101 for Startups
Market Potential, Message and Customer Insights, All Things Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Whether you’re refining your idea, crafting your elevator pitch, or tackling the submission requirements, we’ve pulled together guides, tips, and resources to help you put your best foot forward.
$10,000
+ Startup legal and marketing consultations
$6,000
+ Startup legal and marketing consultations
$4,000
+ Startup legal and marketing consultations
Read the 2024 press release.
Read the 2023 press release.
Read the 2022 press release.
We are proud to power the Conquer EdTech Accelerator, a premier 10-week intensive program designed to support early-stage education technology startups. Selected teams receive up to $20,000 in milestone-based funding from Red Cedar Ventures and hands-on guidance to help grow their companies. Read the press release to explore the vision behind the accelerator and how it’s designed to fuel innovation in the EdTech space.
The pitch contest and Bootcamp are open to any adult (18+) resident of Michigan with clear ties to our state’s education ecosystem. These may include but are not limited to:
Teams are eligible so long as one member is a resident of Michigan with a clear tie to Michigan’s education ecosystem. No one may submit to the pitch contest as part of multiple teams, and no one may submit more than one idea.
For the pitch contest specifically, ideas and concepts pitched must be pre-startup, start-up, or early stage of development. Entities must be unformed or less than two years old. Entities must have less than $20,000 in prior outside investment.
Employees of organizing partners may submit a pitch and participate in the bootcamp but will not be eligible for prizes.
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