Santa Cruz Launchpad 2026
About Santa Cruz Launchpad
Santa Cruz Launchpad is an annual event that combines a student startup competition with a community career fair, all under one roof! This year’s event takes place at the The Grove at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060) on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
The first half of the day spotlights emerging startups in a live startup competition, with cash prizes. The second half shifts into a job fair featuring 25+ local companies and 300+ opportunities, including part-time roles, full-time positions, and internships.
THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND. ADVANCED REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. This year’s event is proudly hosted by Santa Cruz Works, Cabrillo College, UCSC Center for Innovation and Development (CIED), Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD), Santa Cruz County Office of Education (SCCOE), UC Santa Cruz Innovation & Business Engagement Hub, UCSC Career Success, and UCSC QB3.
2026 Schedule
12-4pm: Student business plan pitches (open to the public)
4-4:45pm: EmployerTable Setup
5-7pm: Job Fair + Networking (open to the public)
Student Startup Competition
From 1-4pm, students will compete in a startup competition for cash prizes. The pitch competition portion of the event typically includes 12 student teams who each have five minutes each to deliver their pitches to a judge panel. Check out 2025 winners here. This year’s competition is open to both college and high school students in Santa Cruz County. If you are a student at UC Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College or a high school student in Santa Cruz County or Pajaro Valley Unified School District and would like to compete, click the button below.
Applications are due Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 5pm [Application link coming soon].
If you are a college student who is interested in competing, please fill out this form: https://bit.ly/sc26startup
If you are a high school student who is interested in competing, please fill this form bit.ly/sclhs26 to be notified about free workshops.
Pitch Prize Categories for 2026
Pitch application is HERE.
Top Santa Cruz Launchpad competition winners are eligible to participate in the Santa Cruz Accelerates program and OneValley Perks Package valued at $1M.
Mentors Wanted: As a mentor you would help students with their startup and to refine their pitches. If you are interested in being a mentor to a student team, please reach out to Kati katigreaney[at]gmail.com with the subject: Mentor for 2026 Launchpad teams.
Job Fair
From 5-7pm, job seekers will have the opportunity to interact with 20+ local companies offering 200+ jobs and internships ranging from engineering to marketing, healthcare, project management, sales, customer support, tech, and more.
This event allows students, job seekers, and professionals of all experience levels and backgrounds the opportunity to show off their resumes, find career opportunities, and make new connections. There is no charge for job seekers to attend the job fair. The job fair is open to the public (you do not need to be a student or pitch contest participant to participate). But all attendees must register in advance!
Previous employers included Joby Aviation, Capstan Medica, Paystand, Santa Cruz Bicycles, Cruz Foam, Digital NEST, Bay Federal Credit Union, Mynt, Central California Alliance for Health, Unnatural Products, Santa Cruz Seaside Company, California Highway Patrol, BMO, PVUSD, and more.
A list of participating employers will be shared at the beginning of May.
Interested in volunteering?
Learn more and signup at bit.ly/sclaunchpadvolunteer by May 6 or sooner!
Interested in Hiring at Santa Cruz Launchpad 2026?
If your company is interested in hiring, please click the button below and sign up to table by 4pm April 29, 2026.