The 2026 North Texas Connected Innovation Pitch Competition invites high-growth startups from around the world to solve real municipal challenges — with the winning solutions moving toward pilots with real cities, not just checks.
Rather than founders pitching investors, cities present real municipal challenges and founders respond with solutions. The strongest solutions move toward a pilot with a real city.
This year's challenges focus on public works, transportation & logistics, and environmental solutions — reflecting ongoing collaboration across North Texas to build ecosystems through smart city solutions that elevate operations, resident services, and economic opportunity.
Monitoring for streets, crosswalks, signage, and code compliance — with agentic AI dashboards that coordinate staff, equipment, and work orders. Emergency response prioritization through damage identification of trees, power lines, and buildings.
Startups: Apply for Public Works→A universal fleet and asset management system with a unified dashboard. Computer vision or agentic AI to improve city service route efficiencies and predictive response across departments.
Startups: Apply for Transportation & Logistics→Solutions that help the City monitor environmental conditions, improve water conservation, optimize waste and recycling services, enhance field inspections and code compliance, identify issues earlier, engage residents, and support more efficient operations and resource allocation.
Startups: Apply for Environmental Solutions→Full agenda coming soon.
Prize packages are designed to accelerate real deployment and open doors across North Texas' innovation ecosystem.
The competition is open to startups globally in two tracks: Early Stage (pre-seed to seed, typically post-MVP) and Growth Stage (post-seed with demonstrated traction, pilots, or revenue). Teams must be ready to deploy a solution in partnership with a city within 6–12 months.
Early Stage companies are generally pre-seed/seed, building their first product and seeking a credible pilot to validate with a city customer. Growth Stage companies have already raised beyond seed, have active pilots or revenue, and are positioned to scale a solution across multiple municipalities. Judging criteria are calibrated accordingly.
No. You should apply for the one problem statement where your solution is strongest and most relevant. If your platform crosses multiple domains, choose the statement that best matches your primary use case and tell us how it could extend to the others.
A strong fit directly addresses one of the three published challenges—public works & predictive maintenance, transportation & logistics, or environmental solutions—using a real technology, not just a concept. Judges look for clarity of the use case, deployment readiness, and alignment with the operational needs of Frisco and McKinney.
Applications are submitted via the linked application form. Expect to provide company background, a short solution overview, team details, stage of development, traction or pilot history, and a short video or deck if requested. All requirements are listed on the application page.
After the August 31 deadline, a review panel of city leaders, investors, and domain experts evaluates submissions for fit, feasibility, and impact. Finalists will be notified around September 15 and invited to prepare a live pitch for the October 21 events in Frisco and McKinney.
No. The competition is open to startups around the world. Winners will be expected to engage with Frisco and McKinney stakeholders, so willingness to build a presence in the region is a plus but not a prerequisite for application.
Yes. Attendees are welcome to register for the October 21 pitch events via the Luma registration link. There is a separate registration path for attendees, partners, and community members.
"Innovation is most powerful when it solves real community challenges. Through North Texas Connected, we're opening the door for entrepreneurs to become partners in shaping the future of our region — where great ideas don't just get discussed, they get deployed."
North Texas Connected is a collaborative regional initiative that accelerates the adoption of innovation by connecting cities, entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, and research institutions around shared community challenges.
Founded through a partnership between the Frisco Economic Development Corporation, McKinney Economic Development Corporation, and the North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA), the initiative creates pathways for startups to validate technologies, launch pilot projects, build strategic partnerships, and establish a presence in one of America's fastest-growing regions.
Apply to pitch, or join us in the room on October 21.