Tech Startup Founders: Here’s How You Can Be a Part of the 2nd Annual CodeLaunch Event in Houston, TX
CodeLaunch, produced by Improving and presented by Cyrannus, is making its way back to Houston for the second time on March 2nd after a spectacular debut last Spring, and the application portal is open NOW until December 16th at Midnight!
CodeLaunch helps early-stage startups succeed using our unique spin on the seed accelerator model. It’s a combination of a seed accelerator competition, a tech tradeshow, a startup conference, and a rousing networking event. The touring competition has given more than $1.4M in services to its finalists and overall winners since it started a decade ago.
“CodeLaunch is a startup and rock-n-roll show like nothing you’ve ever seen before!” – CodeLaunch President and Founder Jason W. Taylor
CodeLaunch has helped launch noteworthy startups since its inception in North Texas in 2013. Companies like CharaChorder, ProsRent, StyleRow, KidStrong, Autix, and more were launched and accelerated through the competition.
“CodeLaunch created an energetic environment in Houston! In 2023 it will be twice as big! I believe CodeLaunch is a catalyst for growth in Houston.” – Joey Sanchez, Cup of Joey Founder and The Ion Houston Senior Director of Ecosystems
CodeLaunch HOU 2023 will be held at 713 Music Hall. The six professional hackathon teams will be provided by these leading Houston software consulting brands: Improving, Softeq, Honeycomb Software, BJSS, Contollo, and Blue People.
SoftEQ is back for its second year after working with Codiac last March.
CodeLaunch HOU 2022 Success Stories
Startup RESQ TRX won CodeLaunch HOU 2022 last March. TRX is a platform dedicated to trucking logistics recovery launched its product and is now raising $5M through crowdfunding.
After Clutch won Judges’ Choice, it closed a pre-seed round worth 1.2M with partners from San Francisco-based Precursor Ventures, as well as investments from Capital Factory and HearstLab.
Another finalist founder, Ben Ghazi, says CodeLaunch was extremely powerful for his startup, Codiac.
“Codelaunch was great. We gained customers, investors, and a lot of local notoriety. It was the best event we had all last year!” – Ben Ghazi, Codiac Founder
Cyrannus 150K Investment Challenge
All startup founders who advance to the semifinal round of CodeLaunch will be in the running for the Cyrannus $100K investment challenge, as well as the $50K challenge for Impact Startups!
Cyrannus Founder Lee Mosbacker wants to reward CodeLaunch participants with the opportunity to get real cash into their business. A Cyrannus spokesperson says there could be two separate winners, but if one winner scored the highest for both challenges, they can receive $150K in investments in total.
“Not only will they get the cash, but also be introduced to a network that will help them refine their idea and get ready for their first big fundraiser.” – Lee Mosbacker, Cyrannus Founder
You can learn more about the 150K challenge here.
Catch us at the Houston Tech Rodeo
CodeLaunch will continue to partner with Houston Tech Rodeo after a wonderful relationship last year. Houston Tech Rodeo is a series of events organized by Houston Exponential.
The Rodeo corrals the greatest minds in the global and local tech community. This helps the mission of Houston Exponential, which is to develop a collection of resources in order to connect Houston Stakeholders with the global tech and innovation community to further the city’s economic growth.
“Houston Exponential could not be more excited about our partnership with CodeLaunch Houston. They are a fantastic ally in Houston’s efforts to serve its growing startup community and CodeLaunch is an incredible fit for the capstone of the 2022 Tech Rodeo. Finishing off Tech Rodeo with CodeLaunch’s exciting atmosphere will be a highly anticipated event for the Houston innovation ecosystem after an engaging week of programming.” – Houston Exponential CEO Natara Branch
Houston Tech Rodeo 2023 will feature CodeLaunch on March 2nd as part of our partnership.
Important Applicant Information
CodeLaunch is a free amenity for startups. It costs nothing to apply, and it does not take equity. All you need is a pitch deck, code-ready mockups, and passion. It’s important to note that CodeLaunch competitions are open to founders from any geography or market, not just the host market.
If you are selected as a finalist, your mockups should be what you hope to build in your 2-day professional hackathon. This is one way that our competition stands out from the crowd. Each finalist is drafted by a professional development team that accelerates product development and builds out as much of the MVP as possible. During the pitch competition and showcase event on March 2nd, each startup product is demonstrated live for the first time in front of an audience, who then interactively votes to determine winners.
“In the year after the first Houston CodeLaunch, we have seen explosive growth in the community and investment. This year we are coming back with bigger plans, more community partners, and a lot of momentum. The impact of this event will be significantly bigger than last year, and I am excited to see the next steps in the journey of Houston becoming THE top innovation and startup city in the country.” – Devlin Liles, Improving CCO and Houston President
Ready to apply? Go to our application portal now through December 16th at midnight! You can also learn more about CodeLaunch HOU 2023 here.
Brands who want to support and align with our Conscious Capitalism-inspired mission at CodeLaunch can find out more by emailing jason@codelaunch.com.
