TitletownTech to host ‘startup draft day’ ahead of 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay

As football players and tens of thousands of fans descend on Green Bay for the 2025 NFL Draft, another type of competition will be held ahead of the event.

Entrepreneurs and business startup leaders will take part in the first ever “TitletownTech Startup Draft.” The winner of the national pitch competition will get $1 million from TitletownTech, a venture capital firm that’s a partnership between the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft.

The draft will be held in Green Bay on April 24.

“While future football stars from around the country will look to Green Bay to hear Commissioner (Roger) Goodell call their name, another set of future stars — startup founders — will also have the opportunity to hear their name called from right where we stand in the shadow of Lambeau Field here at TitletownTech,” TitletownTech managing partner Craig Dickman said during a press conference Thursday.

Dickman said to qualify, startups must have less than $10 million in capital and be based in the United States or Canada. The website for the competition also said competitors should fall into Titletown’s “areas of interest,” which include “Manufacturing & Construction; Supply Chain & Logistics; Sports, Media & Entertainment; Agriculture, Water & Energy; and Digital Health.”

Dickman said he believes “thousands” of startups will compete for the money.

“We cannot wait to start reviewing all the startups that we think will find this an extraordinary way to showcase innovation that’s taking place from around the country,” Dickman said.

“It’s certainly our hope that in this process we’ll find some more companies that want to come to Green Bay, but if they want to stay where they are, what we always say is we want you to be where you’re going to have the greatest chance of success,” Dickman added.

The NFL Draft will take place from April 24-26 inside and around Lambeau Field and the Titletown District. Meanwhile, applications for the startup draft start Thursday.

The deadline for the startup competition is on March 16. Finalists will travel to Green Bay on April 3 and 4 to compete in the “Startup Combine,” a nod to the “NFL Scouting Combine,” where scouts evaluate players ahead of the draft.

“We’ll have an opportunity to connect them into the marketplace, and we’ll have an opportunity to really evaluate them, much like the NFL is evaluating current players,” Dickman said.

A statement said the combine will also help with “increased visibility, mentorship, and the opportunity to build strategic relationships that extend far beyond the competition.”

The “Startup Draft Day” competition will be held hours ahead of the first round of the NFL Draft. The event will be live streamed and will be available to the public.

Dickman said he’s unsure how many people will move onto the final round of the event on April 24, but he said a winner will be selected that day.

The Packers-Microsoft venture capital firm was formed in 2019. Dickman said the firm has nearly $100 million in assets and has invested in more than 30 companies, including RAIC Labs, Fork Farms, GenLogs, Oculogica and Realta Fusion.

“The NFL Draft is a chance for top athletes to take the next step in their careers,” Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said Thursday. “This is an opportunity for founders to take the next step in building their companies.”

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith said the competition is more than just about getting an “infusion of cash.” He said startups will also get technical assistance with their idea.

Smith added that the winner will also get $350,000 in Azure credits. Azure is Microsoft’s cloud computing platform.

Startups who are interested in applying for the event can learn more on TitletownTech’s website.

After being held in New York City for 50 years, the draft has gone on the road in recent years, being hosted in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Chicago, Nashville and Arlington. Now, Green Bay — the smallest market in the NFL — will get its shot at hosting.

The 2024 NFL Draft broke the attendance record, as more than 775,000 fans were in downtown Detroit for the three-day event. More than 50 million viewers watched the 2024 draft on TV as well, according to the Associated Press. 

Murphy has said the draft will bring an estimated $94 million in economic impact to the state. Thursday, he estimated 250,000 people will descend on Titletown USA for the event.

“It’ll be the largest event held in Green Bay,” Murphy said.

Gov. Tony Evers is proposing money for the event in his budget proposal, which he released Tuesday night. Evers is proposing up to $1 million “to reimburse the city of Green Bay for public safety costs related to the 2025 NFL Draft,” according to the budget brief.

The draft will bring with it a slate of football-themed events, exhibits, musical performances and autograph sessions.