City of Austin inviting innovators to compete in 7th Annual [Re]Verse Pitch Competition

The 7th Annual [Re]Verse Pitch Competition, a program aimed at reducing waste in Austin through innovation and design, kicks off on Monday, Feb. 28. 

The competition event will take place online at the Opening Pitch Event. Five local businesses and non-profits will ‘pitch’ their businesses' surplus and byproduct materials in hopes of finding solutions and alternative uses for them to keep them out of local landfills. 

After selecting a material, competitors will create a new product or service based on the chosen material over the course of several weeks.

Online workshops will be hosted by competition organizers and mentors will be provided throughout the competition. 

Up to four competitors (or teams of competitors) will be selected to become [Re]Verse Pitch Innovation Fellows in May. The Fellows will receive cash and in-kind prizes valued up to $16,500 each, participate in a three-part accelerator program and more. 

[Re]Verse Pitch helps Austin's business community reduce waste and keep valuable resources out of the landfill by connecting local businesses with entrepreneurs and innovators.  

The materials for this year's competition include:

  • Decorator fabric samples and fleece cuttings supplied by Austin Creative Reuse
  • Small plastic boxes supplied by Austin Community College Bioscience Incubator and EQO 
  • ½ pint milk cartons supplied by KIPP Texas Public Schools 
  • Bulletproof vests supplied by Travis County

Competitors may select one or more of the listed materials and are highly encouraged to attend the Opening Pitch Event to participate. 

The Opening Pitch Event will be hosted online Monday, Feb. 28, 6-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Register here.

For more information about the [Re]Verse Pitch Competition and how to participate, visit reversepitch.org.  

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