Sarsam Family Venture Challenge
About the Sarsam Family Venture Challenge
The Sarsam Family Venture Challenge is a key offering within ASU’s Startup Funding Network, a suite of startup funding tracks that are defined and led by the University’s colleges and schools. The ASU Funding Network is designed to activate the New American University’s design aspiration of valuing entrepreneurship and providing entrepreneurial experiences to all ASU affiliates.
The Sarsam Family Venture Challenge, powered by the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, enables practicing entrepreneurs to win their share of $30,000.00 of seed grant funding that is available annually, along with professional Venture Mentorship and additional startup support offerings.
The Sarsam Family Venture Challenge is open to all ASU-affiliated entrepreneurs who aim to prove or disprove that there is valid demand for a prototyped solution (product or service) beyond an initial beneficiary or customer.
Organized by Entrepreneurship + Innovation @ the Fulton Schools, this bi-annual competition aims to strategically develop early-stage ventures that may be well suited to compete for and win other ASU, local, national, and global entrepreneurship competitions. The Sarsam Family Venture Challenge also helps all supported ventures to develop repeatable and scalable business models, regardless of follow-on funding or support opportunities.
Tony Sarsam
About Tony Sarsam
Tony Sarsam and his family are ASU alumni who care about Entrepreneurship + Innovation in all of its forms. The entire Sarsam Family have rallied to support Sun Devil change-makers who are launching new ventures at ASU and beyond.
How it Works
The Sarsam Family Venture Challenge features several highly competitive phases. First, competitors must apply to the ASU Venture Devils program. Venture Devils applications are accepted and processed five times per year, coinciding with the Fall A+B, Spring A+B, and Summer C session start dates.
Next, once your startup joins the ASU Venture Devils family, you will be assigned a dedicated Venture Mentor and invited to participate in our bi-annual Pitch Playoff and Demo Day events.
During the Pitch Playoffs each Fall and Spring, several volunteer evaluator panels will determine which ASU-affiliated startups are worthy of an array of available seed grants, including the Sarsam Family Venture Challenge grant opportunity. Collectively, the available funding tracks range between $1,000 and $100,000 in value.
Finally, during the Demo Day events each December and April, a Sarsam Family Venture Challenge judging panel will determine which ASU-affiliated startups are worthy of their share of $30,000.00 in seed grant funding that is available annually via the Sarsam Family Venture Challenge funding track.
Venture Eligibility
All Arizona State University-affiliated ventures may participate. Individual founders or teams are eligible. Multidisciplinary teams are preferred. Participants are encouraged to incorporate members and/or mentors from different departments or colleges within the university. Founding teams may also have members who are not affiliated with the university (e.g., friends, family, work colleagues, etc. who are not ASU affiliates).
Apply to Venture Devils to be considered for the next Sarsam Family Venture Challenge