The Found(her)s Stage 2026–2027 Official Rules

1. Sponsor / Administrator

The Found(her)s Stage (the “Competition”) is presented and administered by Girl Tech HQ (“Girl Tech HQ”). Girl Tech HQ is responsible for operating the Competition, verifying eligibility and awarding the prize.

The Competition is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by any social media platform.

2. Competition Description

The Found(her)s Stage 2026–2027 is a skill-based, judged founder competition for women building companies. It is not a sweepstakes, lottery or random drawing. Selection is based on the published judging criteria and is not random.

Participation is free. No purchase is necessary to apply or win. No Girl Tech HQ membership, Summit ticket, VIP upgrade, advisory engagement or other purchase is required to enter or win, and purchasing anything from Girl Tech HQ does not improve an applicant’s chances of selection.

3. Eligibility

The Competition is open to founders located in the United States only. To apply, an applicant must:

• Be at least 18 years old at the time of application.
• Identify as a woman.
• Be a legal resident of one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia.
• Be a founder or co-founder of the company submitted.
• Have meaningful decision-making authority within the company.
• Be legally permitted to participate in the United States.
• Submit a company — for-profit or nonprofit — that is currently operating, being actively developed or undergoing meaningful customer or market validation.

International founders are not eligible for this inaugural Competition, and international applications will not be accepted.

Eligible companies may be idea-stage companies with demonstrated validation, pre-revenue, revenue-generating, bootstrapped or venture-backed, and may be service, product, technology, consumer, B2B or B2C businesses. There is no minimum revenue requirement, no minimum funding requirement and no requirement that a company be incorporated. Idea-stage applicants must show meaningful validation — such as customer discovery, validated research, a waitlist, prototype, MVP, beta users, pilot, letters of intent, preorders, partnership conversations or other credible evidence of demand — rather than an idea alone.

Nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply and are evaluated under the same published judging criteria as for-profit companies.

Companies must operate legally under applicable federal, state and local law. Companies primarily engaged in the following are not eligible: illegal products or services; multi-level marketing or pyramid-style business models; hate or discriminatory activities; adult sexual services or explicit adult entertainment; illegal gambling; illegal drugs; weapons manufacturing or trafficking; fraudulent or deceptive business practices. Companies in lawful, regulated industries are not excluded solely because they are regulated.

Girl Tech HQ reserves the right to determine, reasonably and in good faith, whether an applicant or company is eligible under these Official Rules, and may request information reasonably necessary to verify eligibility.

4. Entry Period

Applications open in October 2026 and must be submitted by November 8, 2026 at 11:59 PM Mountain Time. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Girl Tech HQ’s application system is the official timekeeper.

5. How to Enter

Complete and submit the online application on The Found(her)s Stage website before the deadline. There is no fee to apply. Incomplete applications cannot be submitted.

6. Application Requirements

Applications must include founder information, company information, evidence of demand or validation, founder responses and the required participation confirmations. A pitch deck (PDF) and a 60–90 second founder video link are optional; professional production is not required.

Applicants must certify that they meet the eligibility requirements, that their information is accurate to the best of their knowledge, that they have read and agree to these Official Rules, and that information presented during a public pitch may become public.

7. Judging Criteria

Applications and pitches are evaluated against the following weighted criteria (total 100%):

• Problem — 20%: How clearly and meaningfully does the company address a real problem?
• Solution — 20%: How compelling, useful and differentiated is the proposed solution?
• Market + Opportunity — 15%: Is there a credible customer and meaningful opportunity?
• Traction + Validation — 15%: What evidence demonstrates demand, progress or customer interest?
• Founder — 15%: Does the founder demonstrate relevant insight, experience, commitment and founder-market fit?
• Vision + Execution — 15%: Does the founder demonstrate a credible understanding of where the company can go and how she intends to get there?

For pre-revenue companies, traction is interpreted broadly and may include validation other than revenue. No applicant will be disadvantaged solely because she is bootstrapped or pre-revenue.

Applications and pitches are evaluated by a panel selected by Girl Tech HQ. Girl Tech HQ may appoint founders, operators, executives, subject-matter experts, investors, advisors or other qualified reviewers. The judging panel will be announced through official Girl Tech HQ channels.

If scores are tied, Girl Tech HQ will apply the following tie-breakers in order: (1) Combined Problem + Solution score; (2) Traction + Validation score; (3) Founder score; (4) Additional review by the judging panel.

8. Semifinalist Selection

Girl Tech HQ will select semifinalists based on the judging criteria and notify them by email by November 16, 2026. Semifinalists must confirm participation by the deadline stated in their selection email. If a semifinalist declines, withdraws or fails to confirm, Girl Tech HQ may select an alternate. Applicant names and companies will not be publicly announced until selection and participation are confirmed.

9. Semifinal Round

The semifinal round takes place virtually December 1–6, 2026, during the Girl Tech HQ Women in Tech Summit. Semifinalists must be able to participate virtually during this window. Exact pitch times will be assigned or coordinated after semifinalists are selected.

10. Finalist Selection

Finalists will be selected based on the judging criteria and announced following completion of the semifinal round. Finalists must confirm participation by the deadline provided in their selection communication.

11. Championship

The championship will take place in connection with the Girl Tech HQ conference in Denver, Colorado in March 2027. Finalists are encouraged to participate in person. An approved virtual participation option is available for finalists who cannot travel to Denver.

A finalist’s choice to participate virtually rather than in person will not reduce her judging score or eligibility to win.

Unless Girl Tech HQ later announces otherwise in writing, travel, lodging, meals and other expenses associated with attending the championship in person are the responsibility of the finalist.

Girl Tech HQ may make reasonable schedule changes and will communicate material changes to affected participants.

12. Prize

One winner will receive the following guaranteed prize package, with a current stated value of $6,000:

• A $1,000 cash award/grant to the winner.
• Three months of private business advisory with Jess Anderson, with a stated value of $5,000.

Additional prizes may be added to the prize package as program partners are confirmed. Any additional prizes will be announced through official Girl Tech HQ channels and incorporated into the final prize package. Only the confirmed cash award and advisory are guaranteed.

13. Prize Conditions

Girl Tech HQ does not receive equity in the winning company solely as a result of participation in or winning The Found(her)s Stage. No equity is required in exchange for the award.

The advisory engagement will be scheduled by mutual agreement and customized to the winner’s company and priorities. Potential topics may include business strategy, growth, positioning, visibility, AI enablement, customer acquisition, offers, partnerships and operational strategy.

The advisory prize has no guaranteed cash-equivalent redemption value and may not be sold or transferred without written approval from Girl Tech HQ. Advisory does not guarantee revenue, funding, investment, partnerships, press coverage or any specific business result.

Prize award is subject to eligibility verification. Once a winner has been verified and announced, the confirmed prize will be awarded as described in these Official Rules.

14. Taxes

The winner is responsible for any federal, state or local taxes associated with receiving the prize. Girl Tech HQ may require information or documentation reasonably necessary for tax reporting before issuing the cash award. Girl Tech HQ makes no representation about the tax treatment of any prize; applicants should consult their own tax advisor.

15. Intellectual Property

Your company stays yours. Applicants retain ownership of their company, business concept, intellectual property, pitch deck and materials submitted. Submitting an application does not transfer ownership of an applicant’s company or intellectual property to Girl Tech HQ.

Applicants grant Girl Tech HQ a limited, non-exclusive license to review, store and internally share application materials with authorized staff, contractors and judges solely for purposes of administering and evaluating the Competition.

Semifinalists and finalists understand that information they present during a public pitch may become publicly available. Girl Tech HQ cannot guarantee confidentiality for information voluntarily disclosed during a public pitch, livestream, recording or public competition event. Applicants should not disclose trade secrets, confidential technical information or other proprietary information during public portions of the Competition that they do not wish to make public.

16. Confidentiality

Applications may be accessed by authorized Girl Tech HQ personnel, competition administrators, authorized judges and reviewers, and service providers necessary to operate the application and Competition. Application information is not made public simply because someone applies. Girl Tech HQ will ask judges and reviewers to keep application materials confidential and to use them only for evaluating the Competition.

17. Publicity + Recording

All applicants consent to Girl Tech HQ using submitted information as necessary to administer the Competition. Applying does not grant Girl Tech HQ rights to use an applicant’s name or likeness for promotion.

Semifinalists, finalists and the winner may be required to grant reasonable permission for Girl Tech HQ to use their name, company name, approved headshot, biographical information, company description, pitch participation, event photographs and video, and selection status for promotion, reporting and documentation of The Found(her)s Stage and Girl Tech HQ programming. Girl Tech HQ does not claim ownership of participant likenesses or companies.

Semifinal and championship sessions may be photographed, livestreamed or recorded. Selected participants will receive notice of applicable recording requirements before participating. Participation in a public pitch may require consent to the recording and reasonable promotional use of that pitch.

18. Participant Conduct

Participants are expected to act honestly and respectfully toward other participants, judges, staff, volunteers and attendees, and to follow the code of conduct of any event where they participate.

19. Disqualification

Girl Tech HQ may disqualify an applicant or participant for:

• Materially false information
• Fraud
• Plagiarism
• Misrepresentation of company ownership
• Violation of eligibility requirements
• Harassment or threatening conduct
• Attempting to manipulate judging
• Violation of these Official Rules
• Illegal conduct materially related to the application or competition
• Failure to meet required participation deadlines after selection

Disqualification decisions will be based on these grounds and made in good faith. Girl Tech HQ will not disqualify an applicant on the basis of any characteristic protected by law.

20. Withdrawal / Alternates

Applicants may withdraw before selection by contacting Girl Tech HQ. Selected semifinalists and finalists should notify Girl Tech HQ promptly if they are unable to continue. Girl Tech HQ may select an alternate when necessary, based on the judging results.

21. Conflicts of Interest

Judges and reviewers are required to disclose material conflicts of interest, such as a financial interest in, employment with, or close personal relationship with an applicant or applicant company. Girl Tech HQ may reassign an application to another reviewer when a conflict exists.

22. Program Changes

Girl Tech HQ reserves the right to modify, postpone, suspend or cancel the Competition if circumstances outside its reasonable control materially affect the integrity, safety or operation of the program. If a material change occurs, Girl Tech HQ will make reasonable efforts to notify affected applicants or participants. This provision does not permit Girl Tech HQ to withdraw a confirmed prize from a verified winner.

23. Limitation of Liability / Release

By participating, each participant agrees to release Girl Tech HQ and its officers, employees, contractors and judges from claims arising from participation in the Competition or acceptance and use of a prize, except to the extent caused by their gross negligence, willful misconduct or violation of law, or where such a release is prohibited by law.

Girl Tech HQ is not responsible for lost, late or incomplete applications caused by technical failures outside its reasonable control. To the extent permitted by law, Girl Tech HQ’s total liability arising from the Competition will not exceed the value of the prize. Nothing in these Official Rules limits any right that cannot be limited under applicable law.

24. Privacy

Application information is collected and used to administer the Competition as described in The Found(her)s Stage Privacy Notice, which supplements the Girl Tech HQ Privacy Policy. Marketing communications are sent only to applicants who opt in.

25. Governing Law

These Official Rules are governed by the laws of the State of Colorado, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute arising from the Competition will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Colorado, except where applicable law requires otherwise. Judges’ decisions are final subject to these Official Rules and any necessary eligibility verification.

26. Contact

Questions about the Competition, withdrawals or privacy requests can be sent to hello@girltechhq.com.