The summit spans June 18–19, 2026, with the competition taking place on Juneteenth (June 19), the second day of the event.

Founders who have completed HBCUFI’s programming since Fall 2022 are eligible to apply. Designing for Social Good Workshop attendees are also eligible to apply.

Startups that pitched at previous Better Futures competitions are ineligible to participate again.

The 2026 Better Futures competition will provide a platform for 10 top-performing HBCUFI founders to showcase their companies to investors, corporations, and HBCU enthusiasts.

The founders will be flown out to Washington, D.C., to engage with HBCUFI partners and mingle with the local investor community.

Of the semi-finalists, 5 finalists will have the opportunity to present and compete in a national pitch competition where $25,000 in non-dilutive prizes will be distributed across the top three-placing startups.

After becoming a semi-finalist, founders will attend office hours hosted by HBCUFI, its corporate advisors, and investor advisory board members to further refine their pitches ahead of the competition.

During this process, semi-finalists will engage in a social media-fueled voting campaign, that will contribute, but not fully determine, the finalists competing the day of.

Founders who have an up-to-date pitch deck and presentation are encouraged to apply. Applicants will be expected to submit a 3-5 minute pitch video presenting their deck. It is ideal for interested applicants to have a clear idea of how they would utilize prize funding, with that explained in their pitch.

The event will take place at Hook Hall, located at 3400 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010.