AWS & CMU Powering the Future of Sports: Draft Week Showcase

This April, America’s most promising prospects will gather in Pittsburgh to undergo a rigorous and highly competitive selection process. Chosen from hundreds, they will step into the spotlight to demonstrate their preparation, defend their potential, and compete for the opportunity to progress to the next level. The event will mark a defining moment, enabling participants to accelerate careers and gain recognition on a national stage.

The NFL Draft is coming to Pittsburgh. And so is the Draft Week Showcase.

AI prospects go pro

Hosted by Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship and AI Horizons, and in partnership with AWS, Powering the Future of Sports: Draft Week Showcase will bring together selected startups working at the intersection of AI, robotics, physical AI, and sports-adjacent applications including performance, training, safety, logistics, media, and fan engagement. The high-stakes pitch competition will include founder presentations of their innovations to industry leaders, including Mark Cuban, Ed Stack and leaders from AWS, the NFL and the Steelers. Successful startups will win big, but with a packed agenda and expert speakers, the Showcase isn’t solely focused on competition. It’ll grant attendees and founders greater recognition, wider access, and closer connections to a community building the next generation of AI technology.

“We are bringing together world-class technologists, industry leaders, and serious capital to spotlight the most promising companies at the intersection of AI, robotics, and sport in Pittsburgh, the beating heart of AI and robotics research and commercialization,” said Meredith Meyer Grelli, managing director and interim executive director, Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship, Carnegie Mellon University.

Winning big

In addition to an investment prize, winning teams will receive an AWS Pittsburgh Landing Kit, designed to accelerate experimentation, deployment, and market engagement. The Kit will include US $1million in AWS Compute Credits to enable rapid prototyping, model training, simulation, and deployment. Winners will also receive investment and access to the new Carnegie Mellon Robotics Innovation Center.

The Showcase is about far more than final picks. Bringing together league leadership, global brands, investors, and CMU’s top technologists, it will be an opportunity to explore what’s next in AI innovation. The day will include fireside conversations on the future of AI in sport, panels exploring the rise of physical AI, and candid discussion between technology experts, journalists, AWS execs, and others. Founders and attendees alike will also get exclusive, hands-on access to CMU’s world-renowned robotics and cutting-edge technology.

Think your startup has what it takes? Applications for Powering the Future of Sports: Draft Week Showcase are now open. Find out more and sign up today for the chance to pitch your innovation to industry leaders.

Engineering competition

Infusing new talent into a league drives competition, and by equipping participants with tools and resources, the Showcase aims to foster innovation in the AI industry, while streamlining progress for the nation’s most creative inventors, dynamic developers, and visionary thinkers. This commitment reflects the broader mission of AWS, to power and support startup innovation at every stage, from early experimentation to worldwide scale.

Looking to go global, or simply searching for support to take your ideas to the next level? Startups can unlock up to US $100,000 in AWS Activate Credits through AWS Activate, a dedicated program supporting founders seeking to build, grow, and scale. Since its inception in 2013, AWS Activate has provided more than US $8 billion in credits to startups around the globe. AWS Activate also provides access to the AWS Startup Loft, exclusive offers, resources, go-to-market support, the latest cloud technologies, and more. Join AWS Activate today and discover how you can build faster, reduce costs, and better collaborate with the global startup community.