Salem-area founders have until Monday, Sept. 14, to apply for Pitch Willamette 2026, a live startup competition that awarded $30,000 to a single winner in 2025.

Ten seed-stage companies will be chosen to pitch in front of investors from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at Cellar 54, 285 Liberty St. NE in downtown Salem. The venue opened Jan. 24 beneath The Forge, according to the Statesman Journal.

Applicants need a working product or clear evidence of customer demand, a defined capital raise and plans to scale beyond the region, according to the Salem Business Journal.

Eligible sectors include technology, advanced manufacturing, consumer products, food and beverage, and health.

After the Monday deadline, virtual semifinals begin Wednesday, Sept. 16. Finalists are expected to be announced the week of Sept. 20.

"Pitch Willamette gives our region's most promising founders a real shot at the kind of investor exposure that's usually reserved for bigger markets," Mike White, Venture Catalyst at Launch Mid-Valley, said in the Salem Business Journal report.

Launch Mid-Valley is the Regional Innovation Hub led by SEDCOR, the Strategic Economic Development Corporation serving Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties. The hub received a $270,000 grant as part of a $2.6 million statewide investment by Business Oregon and the Oregon Innovation Council to strengthen regional innovation hubs.

In 2024, 20 startups applied and seven were selected to pitch. Two of them, Revino and Stiira, each received a $20,000 investment. In 2025, eight startups competed and Dayo, a Portland-based digital wellness app that pays users to limit social media use, won a $30,000 investment from the Mid-Valley Angel Fund. Life2Launch took the People's Choice Award and a $1,000 prize that year.

This year's competition materials do not list a guaranteed investment amount. Founders can find application details through Launch Mid-Valley or SEDCOR.