SXSW Announces 45 Finalists for 18th Annual Pitch Competition
SXSW Festivals offer a unique opportunity to explore the worlds of Film & TV, Music, and Comedy with parties, awards, screenings, showcases, and special events.
RMN Stars Festivals Desk
New Delhi | January 19, 2026
AUSTIN, Texas — South by Southwest (SXSW) has officially revealed the 45 finalists for its 18th annual SXSW Pitch competition, scheduled to take place March 13–14, 2026, at the JW Marriott Austin. Selected from a pool of 600 applications, these startups represent the most “innovative and pivotal” companies across nine distinct categories, including Healthcare, Sustainability, and Intelligent Systems.
A Platform for Global Innovation
The 2026 competition will showcase a diverse array of technologies, such as breath-enabled disease diagnostics, AI-empowered security, and pollution remediation. The finalists are divided into the following categories:
- Enterprise and Future of Work
- Entertainment, Media, Sports & Creator Content
- Healthcare, AssistiveTech & BioTech
- Innovative World Tech
- Intelligent Systems, Robotics, & Multisensory Technology
- Smart Cities, Transportation, Manufacturing & Logistics
- Smart Data, Security, and FinTech
- Student Startups
- Sustainability, AgTech & Food
The event will be co-emceed by Gary Tan of Y Combinator and Josephine Chen of Sequoia Capital. Finalists will present their innovations to a live audience and a panel of expert judges, including representatives from Softbank, HearstLab, and Fiat Ventures.
Proven Track Record of Success
The SXSW Pitch event has a significant history of accelerating startup growth. Since the program’s inception in 2009, past finalists have raised more than $22 billion in funding. Furthermore, 22% of these finalists have been acquired by industry giants such as Google, Apple, Meta, and Live Nation. Notable alumni of the program include Siri, Klout, and ICON.
Event Schedule
The competition will be split across two days, with 25 companies pitching on Friday, March 13, and the remaining 20 companies on Saturday, March 14. The event will culminate in an Award Ceremony on March 14 at 6:30 pm CT, where a winner for each category will be named, along with an overall “Best In Show” winner.
SXSW Festivals offer a unique opportunity to explore the worlds of Film & TV, Music, and Comedy with parties, awards, screenings, showcases, and special events.
