Applications For Booth Space on Startup Row Are Now Open
To all the startup founders out there, PyCon US organizers have some awesome news for you! The application window for Startup Row at PyCon US is now open.
You’ve got until March 15th to apply, but don’t delay. (And if you want to skip all this reading and go straight to the application, here’s a link for ya.)
That’s right! Your startup could get the best of what PyCon US has to offer:
- Coveted Expo Hall booth space
- Exclusive placement on the PyCon US website
- Access to the PyCon Jobs Fair (since, after all, there’s no better place to meet and recruit Python professionals)
- A unique in-person platform to access a fantastically diverse crowd of thousands of engineers, data wranglers, academic researchers, students, and enthusiasts who come to PyCon US.
Corporate sponsors pay thousands of dollars for this level of access, but to support the entrepreneurial community PyCon US organizers are excited to give the PyCon experience to up-and-coming startup companies for free. (Submitting a Startup Row application is completely free. To discourage no-shows at the conference itself, we do require a fully-refundable $400 deposit from companies who are selected for and accept a spot on Startup Row. If you show up, you’ll get your deposit back after the conference.)
Does My Startup Qualify?
The goal of Startup Row is to give seed and early-stage companies access to the Python community. Here are the qualification criteria:
- Somewhat obviously: Python is used somewhere in your tech or business stack, the more of it the better!
- Your startup is roughly 2.5 years or less at the time of applying. (If you had a major pivot or took awhile to get a product in the market, measure from there.)
- You have 25 or fewer folks on the team, including founders, employees, and contractors.
- You or your company will fund travel and accommodation to PyCon US 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (There’s a helpful page on the PyCon US website with venue and hotel information.)
- You haven’t already presented on Startup Row or sponsored a previous PyCon US. (If you applied before but weren’t accepted, please do apply again!)
There is a little bit of wiggle room. If your startup is more of a fuzzy rather than an exact match for these criteria, still consider applying.
How Do I Apply?
Assuming you’ve already created a user account on the PyCon US website, applying for Startup Row is easy.
- Make sure you’re logged in.
- Go to the Startup Row application page and submit your application by March 15th. (Note: It might be helpful to draft your answers in a separate document.)
- Wait to hear back! Our goal is to notify folks about their application decision toward the end of March.
Again, the application deadline is March 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM Eastern. Applications submitted after that deadline may not be considered.
Can I learn more about Startup Row?
You bet! Check out the Startup Row page for more details and testimonials from prior Startup Row participants. (There’s a link to the application there, too!)
Who do I contact with questions about Startup Row?
First off, if you have questions about PyCon US in general, you can send an email to the PyCon US organizing team at pycon-reg@python.org. We’re always happy to help.
For specific Startup Row-related questions, reach out to co-chair Jason D. Rowley via email at jdr [at] omg [dot] lol, or find some time in his calendar at calendly [dot] com [slash] jdr.
Wait, What’s The Deadline Again?
Again, the application deadline is March 15, 2024 at 11:59PM Eastern.
Good luck! We look forward to reviewing your application!
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