Ever wondered what it takes to be an entrepreneur? The professional and personal challenges, the high and lows, the failures and the success? Startup Weekend is a global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures. It is the largest community of passionate entrepreneurs with over 400 past events in 100 countries around the world in 2011.

The non-profit organization is headquartered in Seattle, Washington but Startup Weekend organizers and facilitators can be found in over 200 cities around the world. From Mongolia to South Africa to London to Brazil, people around the globe are coming together for weekend long workshops to pitch ideas, form teams, and start companies.

All Startup Weekend events follow the same basic model: anyone is welcome to pitch their startup idea and receive feedback from their peers. Teams organically form around the top ideas (as determined by popular vote) and then it’s a 54 hour frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing, and market validation. The weekends culminate with presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders with another opportunity for critical feedback.

Whether entrepreneurs found companies, find a cofounder, meet someone new, or learn a skill far outside their usual 9-to-5, everyone is guaranteed to leave the event better prepared to navigate the chaotic but fun world of startups.

Past Events
Blog

Startup Weekend Redmond: Wrapup!

by scottnonnenberg

Hey everyone! Hope you had a great time – we certainly did as we put it on. Exhausting, of course, but oh-so-rewarding to see teams go from that Friday night pitch to a solid prototype and business plan by Sunday evening. We all feel so proud of you, having been part of your journey. Like [...]

Startup Weekend Redmond: The Teams!

by scottnonnenberg

Last night’s chaos of voting left us with 17 teams ready to vie for attendees with the skills they need! Two more got their teams staffed either without pitching at all, or by hustling to get folks on their team even though they didn’t get the votes to progress. Without further ado, here they are: [...]

New Sponsor: Microsoft BizSpark

by scottnonnenberg

Thanks to Microsoft BizSpark for their help in making Startup Weekend Redmond happen. They’re providing the venue on Microsoft Campus, and a Windows 7 Phone to the team with the best Windows Phone app at the end of the weekend! Much appreciation for all that and everything else you do for startups! Check out their [...]

New Sponsor: EveryMove

by scottnonnenberg

Big thanks to the EveryMove folks for sponsoring Startup Weekend Redmond! Lunch on Saturday is on them! EveryMove is a Seattle startup looking to inspire you towards better health. Sign up now and be notified when they launch their first product, centered around rewards for healthy behavior.

New Sponsor: ThinkSpace

by scottnonnenberg

ThinkSpace is a community for entrepreneurs, tech startups, non-profits in Redmond, WA. They provide office and coworking space, virtual office & receptionist and a home away from home. They’ve stepped in to host our TechPrep event the Thursday night before Startup Weekend Redmond. Thanks guys!

New Sponsor: Gist

by scottnonnenberg

You can thank Gist for breakfast on Sunday morning – they’ve stepped in to sponsor your fuel for the final day of the event! But Gist is good for more than meals! They’re also a great option for managing your interaction with folks across all of your social networks, including email. Get all your contacts [...]

New sponsor: LaunchRock!

by scottnonnenberg

We’re excited to announce the sponsorship of LaunchRock! Raise a LaunchRock fist as you drink the beer they’re providing for Friday night! LaunchRock is a great option for launching that early experiment – will people sign up to provide their email address to your new company?

New Sponsor: HTC!

by scottnonnenberg

Big thanks to HTC for providing five loaner Windows 7 Phones for Startup Weekend Redmond! That many more teams will be able to make their mobile applications a reality!

New Sponsor: Visual Studio Industry Partner Program

by scottnonnenberg

We’re happy to announce support from Microsoft’s Visual Studio Industry Partner Program! Their mission is to help support companies participating in the Visual Studio Ecosystem by building tools that integrate with Visual Studio. You might consider writing a tool like that as you drink the beer on Saturday night – beer they paid for!

Enter site

Startup Weekend

Redmond Startup Weekend

Was a HUGE success

Hey everyone! Hope you had a great time – we certainly did as we put it on. Exhausting, of course, but oh-so-rewarding to see teams go from that Friday night pitch to a solid prototype and business plan by Sunday evening.

For the moment we do not have a date setup for a new event. If you would like to organize a new event, read our Organizers Guide and get in touch with us!

If you want to see what other events happen in your area, go to our Events Page for a full list of upcoming Startup Weekends.

What's Next?

Stay posted for upcoming events and Startup Weekend news.