Hatch This 2024

Back after a pandemic break, for the fourth year, HatchThis brings a game-changing mash-up of an accelerator, a hackathon, and a weekend-long party for the Asheville entrepreneurial community. Aspiring founders arrive on Friday evening with an idea, work throughout the weekend with their team and world-class mentors, and leave Sunday evening with a fleshed out business plan! HatchThis offers a unique combination of world-class business acumen and startup intensity – all designed to help participants compete for $20,000 in prizes, including a $5,000 cash seed funding package.

HOW IT WORKS

Participants should come ready to pitch a business idea, or to join a team to support them in developing their idea. Here’s how it works… Aspiring entrepreneurial participants pitch their business ideas, and all the event participants choose their favorites. The winning participants then form their teams from the remaining event participants. Once teams form, the real work begins: in small groups they build a prototype, get real user feedback, get coaching from mentors, pitch their deck in front of real investors, and compete for the prize package.

HatchThis is powered by Hatch AVL Foundation, Venture Asheville, and AVL Digital Nomads. The event will be hosted at the Hatch Innovation building at 45 S. French Broad Ave. The closing pitch event on Sunday evening will take place at The Mule/Devil’s Foot Beverage.

Tickets to participate are only $49 for general admission and $29 for student admission. This includes the entire weekend of business building, mentorship, festivities, food, and swag! The general public is invited to attend the Final Pitch event on Sunday, September 29th, for $15.

Whether you’re an engineer, designer, creator, entrepreneur, investor, or future co-founder – HatchThis welcomes you into our innovation learning lab! Join us September 27th through the 29th to expand your network, immerse yourself in the startup culture, and jump start Asheville’s best ideas.

“My brain had never been stretched like that before. I’m just so glad to have been part of it,” said J Hackett, 2019 winner and Founder of Black Wall Street and Grind AVL. “I showed up on Friday with a far-fetched idea that seemed like a long shot. During the weekend, I realized that it was really a plausible thing and people would take it seriously. Between Friday morning and Sunday evening, my whole world turned upside down.”

“HatchThis is where ideas become businesses. In just a weekend, it turns dreamers into doers, giving them the skills and confidence to start up. It’s a one-of-a-kind event in Asheville that really captures what being an entrepreneur is all about. We’re thrilled to bring it back to our community.” Maui Vang, Entrepreneur and Vice Chair of Hatch Board.