WILMINGTON – Applications are open for the Emerging Enterprise Center’s Shark Tank-style 13th Annual Swim with the Sharks Pitch Competition.
New Castle County entrepreneurs will have the chance to compete for a $10,000 Grand Prize grant and additional cash and prizes to help them launch and grow their business. The application is open until August 4.
The event aims not only to award funding to a deserving startup but also to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit that fosters economic growth, provide essential pitch training and feedback, and showcase innovative startups in Delaware.
As one of Delaware’s original pitch competitions, Swim with the Sharks has showcased the ingenuity of over 100 Delaware entrepreneurs, investing over $110,000 in cash and thousands more in additional prizes to local startups since 2012. The competition has contributed to the success of founders such as Mac Macleod of Carvertise, Karin Roseman of Deer Valley Danes, and Amira Idris of TheraV, among many others.
Last year, Ashlee Cooper won the competition with her start-up Droneversity, an education based business that teaches drones technology.
Past winner Jayvon Fairman-Davis, founder of Chess Express Kids, stated, “What the $10,000 means is I can hire four more instructors to teach at twelve different schools, and that will affect more than 240 kids in our area.”
Important Dates
Application open: June 2, 2025
Deadline for submissions: August 4, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST
Eligible submissions invited to present virtual semi-final pitches: August 18-September 5, 2025 *Dates subject to change.
Winner announced live: October 1, 2025
Eligibility
The Swim with the Sharks Pitch Competition is open to for-profit businesses within New Castle County that have been in business for fewer than five years. Entrants must have a valid business license at the time of submission, headquarters and presence in New Castle County, and available to pitch in person at the finals on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. at Penn Cinema in Wilmington, Delaware.
How to Apply
Applications can be submitted here: https://eecincubator.com/sharks-application
