September 20, 2026 · West Forsyth High School

Build a startup.
In one day.
Win $1000+.

An all-day startup competition for high school students. Get a challenge, build a venture with your team, and pitch it to judges.

LocationWest Forsyth High School · Cumming, GA

DateSeptember 20, 2026 · 8:30 AM

WhoAnyone interested in startups · solo or teams of 1–4

EntryFree registration

ExperienceNo idea or coding experience required

Only one person needs to register the team.

1 Day

Build and pitch

1–4

Students per team

$1,000+

Total prize pool

Community and Industry Support

Why InnovateATL

Big Ideas Made
Achievable.

You do not need a finished idea, business experience, or technical skills. InnovateATL gives you a challenge and a clear way to think like a founder with your team.

Learn by building a startup concept in one day
Practice turning research into confident decisions
Work solo or bring a team of up to four students
Pitch your venture and compete for a $1,000+ prize pool

What Your Team Builds

Customer Research

Learn what customers need

Market Analysis

Size up the opportunity

Revenue Models

Show how the venture works

Go-to-Market Strategy

Plan how to reach customers

Competitive Advantage

Explain what sets you apart

Financials

Make the numbers understandable

Pitching

Bring the customer, strategy, and numbers together in a clear story

September 20th, 2026

Event Schedule

Scroll horizontally to explore the full day

Event lane

Arrival & kickoff

Check-In 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Opening & Prompt 9:00 AM – 9:15 AM

Work sessions

Work Session 1 9:15 AM – 11:45 AM

Lunch 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM Report due 12:30 PM

Work Session 2 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM

Special & judging

ERROR ‼️ 12:30 PM – 12:45 PM To Be Announced

Preliminary Judging 1:45 PM – 3:15 PM 5 min presentation · 1 min Q&A

Finalist announcement

Finalists Announced3:30 PM

Finals & awards

Mini-Competitions & Finalist Prep Time 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Finalist Presentations 4:35 PM – 5:40 PM 5 min presentation · 3 min Q&A

Awards 5:40 PM – 6:00 PM

Scroll the schedule horizontally to view the full day.

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Check-In

9:00 AM – 9:15 AM

Opening & Prompt

9:15 AM – 11:45 AM

Work Session 1

11:45 AM – 12:30 PM

Lunch

Report Submission Deadline: 12:30 PM

12:30 PM – 12:45 PM

ERROR ‼️

To Be Announced

12:45 PM – 1:45 PM

Work Session 2

1:45 PM – 3:15 PM

Preliminary Judging

5-minute presentation · 1-minute Q&A

3:30 PM

Finalists Announced

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Mini-Competitions & Finalist Prep Time

4:35 PM – 5:40 PM

Finalist Presentations

5-minute presentation · 3-minute Q&A

5:40 PM – 6:00 PM

Awards

Check-In & Prompt Reveal

Teams arrive, get settled, and receive the official competition prompt for the first time. Your clock starts now.

Build & Validate Your Venture

The bulk of your day. Research, validate, build your business model, financials, and presentation. Coaches circulate to assist.

Judging Rounds

All teams present to a panel of judges. Evaluated on customer discovery, market opportunity, business model, and pitch quality.

🏆

Finalist Presentations & Awards

Top teams pitch on the main stage. Winners announced. Cash prizes awarded. Celebrate what you built in 10 hours.

Prizes

$1,000 total prize pool

Meet the Team

FAQ

Questions Answered

Who can participate? +

InnovateATL is open to high school students in grades 9–12.

Do I need a business idea? +

No. You do not need an idea before the event. InnovateATL is designed to help teams build a startup from the ground up.

Do I need coding experience? +

No. Coding experience is not required. Teams can focus on customer research, business strategy, product concepts, marketing, financials, and pitching.

Can I participate by myself? +

Yes. You can register as an individual or participate with a team of up to four students.

What if I do not have a team? +

You can register solo and indicate that you are open to team matching.

Does everyone on my team need to register? +

Only the team leader needs to create the team registration. Team members can be added through the registration flow and team portal.

Why do I need to create an account? +

Your account lets you access your team portal, submit reports, manage teammates and registration information, and view event-related information.

How much does it cost? +

InnovateATL is free for eligible high school students.

Where is the event? +

InnovateATL will take place at West Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia.

What will teams build? +

Teams will develop a startup concept involving the customer problem, target market, business model, go-to-market strategy, competitive advantage, financials, and pitch.

Free for Grades 9–12

Ready to build a startup
in one day?

Get the challenge, build with your team, pitch your venture, and compete to win $1000+.