14th Annual MOSW
Jabbok Schlacks Pitching EquipmentShare at Columbia Startup Weekend in 2014
Fourteen years ago, a small group of entrepreneurs gathered in Columbia, Missouri, for the first Columbia Startup Weekend.
Today, Missouri Startup Weekend has since become the premier startup-building event in the Midwest. MOSW is the best place for those with ideas to connect with talent, mentorship, and early investment capital. Alumni have gone on to build some of the most recognizable companies to emerge from Missouri, including Zapier, Noonlight, Focus, OpsCompanion, and EquipmentShare.
From Startup Weekend Pitch to NYSE: EquipmentShare, which got its start at Missouri Startup Weekend, recently completed its IPO, valuing the company at over $7 billion. Co-Founder Willy Schlacks put it best: “You don’t have to leave the state to build something massive.” — Willy Schlacks, President & Co-Founder, EquipmentShare |
This year, MOSW is back, bigger and better than ever, with 150+ entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators meeting at EquipmentShare's headquarters for 54 hours of building, pitching, and launching! Hosted by us at Redbud VC ofc 🙂
Grab your tickets and learn more about the weekend below ⤵️
What’s New in 2026?
MOSW 2026 is introducing a few big changes that make this year's event the most exciting yet:
Investor-Led Judging
For the first time, the winner won't be chosen by a traditional judge panel. A group of investors will each put personal capital into a shared investment pool of $100,000. After Sunday's final pitches, each investor allocates their portion to the team they believe in most. The team that receives the largest total allocation wins.
The Expert Network ➡️ learn more
MOSW is launching a curated Expert Network, giving teams on-demand access to experienced founders, operators, investors, engineers, attorneys, and designers throughout the entire weekend.
Statewide Collaboration with Codefi ➡️ learn more
This year, Codefi's Ozarks Startup Weekend in Springfield is officially partnering with MOSW. Codefi joins as a lead sponsor and will provide all MOSW teams access to its AI-native Traction Studio tools.
New Sponsors & Tools ➡️ learn more
Lovable and ElevenLabs are sponsoring MOSW for the first time, giving all teams full product access throughout the weekend. Returning champion Zapier is back with both capital and product credits. With access to these tools, teams can build and launch faster than ever.
The Prizes
The 2026 winner takes home a $45,000 prize pack and the potential for up to $600,000 in total investment:
Cash Prize (non-dilutive) | $10,000 |
MVP Development Services (Aviron Software) | $15,000 |
Branding & Design Package (Digital Bullpen) | $15,000 |
Legal Entity Formation (Transitions Law Group) | $10,000 |
Investor Judge Pool | $100,000+ |
Potential Investment from Redbud VC | Up to $500,000 |
Post-Launch Support | 6 months included |
Why Should You Join?
There is no other event in Missouri or the broader Midwest that packs this much opportunity into a single weekend. Here's why you should be there:
Build a Startup in 54 Hours: from idea to MVP to pitch, with customers, mentors, and teammates by your side.
Access to the Expert Network: Engineers, lawyers, designers, and investors are on call all weekend.
Compete for $600k+ in Prizes: pitch directly to investors with real capital ready to deploy.
Large Accessible Network: 150+ founders, operators, and investors from across Missouri and the Midwest.
Tap into Cutting-Edge Tools: Lovable, ElevenLabs, Zapier, feather.ai, and Codefi’s Traction Studio, free for all participants.
Post-Launch Support: get up to 6 months of post-launch support and the chance to join Redbud VC’s portfolio.
So What Are You Waiting for?
Learn More about MOSW here | Tickets here
Until next time,
Redbud VC
This newsletter is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. The authors and publishers are not licensed financial advisors.