Since its initiation in 2017, the legal tech pitch competition, at the ABA TECHSHOW, has helped many startups reach new levels of success. The competition is held at the American Bar Association’s (ABA) annual TECHSHOW event, and has quickly become one of the highlights of its calendar. This year, the competition is making a much-anticipated return for the 8th time, and the call for legal tech startups to apply for a spot at the TECHSHOW 2024 has officially begun.
The selected 15 startup finalists will be given the opportunity to participate in a live pitch competition which serves as the opening event of the TECHSHOW 2024, slated to occur between February 14-17, at Chicago. In addition to this, the finalists will be featured as exhibitors in a special Startup Alley at the conference exhibit hall. Applications to compete are open now, and must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, November 10, 2023.
The selection of the finalists is a two-step process. Initially, a panel of judges choose 25 finalists from all the entries. On December 4, 2023, detailed descriptions of these finalists will be posted online, following which readers will be asked to vote for their favorites. The top 15 startups, based on public voting, will have the privilege to present at Startup Alley, with winners to be announced January 8, 2024.
Startups must meet several criteria in order to apply. These are: the product or service should be targeted at legal professionals and not consumers; they shouldn’t have previously exhibited at a national legal technology conference; they must have achieved demonstrable traction, either through users or via financing; and they should not have been previous winners selected for presentation between 2017-2022. In addition to these, startups will also need to bring innovative solutions to the table, addressing a currently unmet need or offering it in a way that is new to the market.
If selected, the 15 finalists will participate in a LIVE pitch competition during the opening event of TECHSHOW. Each startup will have 2.5 minutes to pitch their idea before an audience of TECHSHOW attendees, and the crowd will vote to select the most innovative company. All finalists will also be offered discounted exhibition space in a special Startup Alley section of the exhibit hall. The space within the Startup Alley will be uniform and pre-installed, with startups restricted from bringing their own booths. The cost of participation for each startup is $1,500, excluding travel and hotel expenses to Chicago.
Being a part of the ABA TECHSHOW is a significant opportunity for startups as they gain access to a wide audience of legal professionals, academics, consultants, and others. In addition to this, the audience at TECHSHOW includes legal journalists, bloggers, industry analysts, and investors. The winner of the opening night pitch competition will receive a range of benefits including free space at the 2025 TECHSHOW, a free 12-month listing on the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center’s Buyer’s Guide, $5,000 credit for advertising in ABA Law Practice Division media, and a company profile on the LawSites blog. Further, each finalist will be provided a free one-year premium listing in the LawNext Legal Technology Directory.
The panel of judges for this year, responsible for shortlisting the final 25 contestants includes, Sofia Lingos and Cynthia Thomas, co-chairs for the TECHSHOW 2024; Julie Bays and Steve Embry, vice co-chairs; and Bob Ambrogi, the Startup Alley organizer.
Startups interested in taking part in this high-profile legal tech pitch competition are encouraged to submit their entries soon as the application process can be completed easily at no cost.