Startup Row
Startup Row is where early-stage companies go to show off what they’re doing with Python at PyCon US.
At PyCon US, we reserve a special place for startup companies. Startup Row companies receive complimentary conference passes, booth space on Thursday evening for the Opening Reception (May 16, 2024) as well as on Friday and Saturday of the main conference (May 17 - 18, 2024), access to the Job Fair (May 19, 2024), and all the best of what PyCon US has to offer. PyCon US 2024 is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and we hope to see you there!
Does your startup qualify? Here are the criteria:
- You use Python somewhere in your tech or business stack (open source, proprietary, data science, machine learning, orchestration, marketing automation… it all counts)
- Your startup is 2.5 years old, or less, at time of applying (if you had a major pivot or delayed product launch, measure from there)
- You have 25 or fewer full-time employees, including founders, at the time of applying
- You or your company will fund travel and accommodation to PyCon US in Pittsburgh, PA
- You have not previously presented on Startup Row at PyCon US (if you applied before but didn’t make it, you’re encouraged to apply again!)
- You are able to attend and staff your booth on the following days:
- Thursday, May 16, 2024: Opening Reception
- Friday, May 17 & Saturday, May 18, 2024: Main conference expo hall days
- Please note that if your company is selected to be featured on Startup Row, a $400 USD refundable deposit is required to secure your booth space and Job Fair table (if opting-in to attend the Job Fair). If all events are attended and staffed by your company, the $400 deposit will be refunded after the event.
- Participation in the Job Fair on Sunday, May 19, 2024 is optional. However, if you opt-in for a Job Fair table and do not attend, the $400 deposit will not be returned.
So, what’s in it for you and your startup?
- Two conference passes (you’re welcome to stay for the post-conference sprints too)
- Booth space on Startup Row in the Expo Hall on the evening of Thursday, May 16, 2024 for the Opening Reception and on the main exhibit days Friday, May 17 & Saturday, May 18, 2024
- Optional access to the PyCon US Job Fair on Sunday, May 19, 2024
- Eternal glory
Your startup could become Startup Row alumni, just like: Blameless (SR‘18), FOSSA (SR‘17), Anvil (SR‘16), Plotly (SR‘13) and dozens of others.
But don’t take our words for it. Here is what some have to say about their participation in Startup Row:
"PyCon Startup Row was our coming-out party to the Python community. We got to introduce ourselves to thousands of enthusiastic and well-connected Pythonistas, and met important customers that made a major change to our business.” – Anvil, (SR‘16)
“Due to the magnitude of PyCon, we made a big bet to send our whole company to the conference and the investment paid off! The interest and openness from every person that came over to our booth to say hi was incredible and it’s been challenging to find something like that again. We met many companies, some of them now our biggest and most engaged customers.” – Blameless (SR‘18)
“Startup Row was our first time to pitch the company to the community. We got some tough love and learned a lot from it. Going through Startup Row made us stronger.” – PlusPlus, (SR‘18)
“Startup Row was a great opportunity for us to run our very first conference booth, to meet incredible people and to have engaging, productive and inspiring conversations about our product. The audience was super relevant and friendly, and our overall experience at Pycon was fantastic. Highly recommended to anyone and happy to provide more details.” – Iterative AI, (SR‘19)
“As a first-timer, and a non-coder (but use python for data science), it was just an amazing experience. Everyone was extremely friendly & sincere, and it was special to be a part of Startup Row. Connected us with some great potential talent as well as amazing folks & friends to learn from. Plus everyone was great with feedback, which is always helpful!” – Graffiti, (SR‘19)
“As a developer focused startup that’s built on Python, we had a great time being part of Startup Row. It gave us an opportunity to meet with hundreds of potential users and get feedback on our product." – Bite AI, (SR‘19)
PyCon US 2024 Startup Row applications are closed!
Good luck! We look forward to reviewing your application.