Six student-led startups were each awarded $50,000 in funding at The Ohio State University’s 2026 President’s Buckeye Accelerator (PBA) finale, led by the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship.
The pitch event featured 12 teams presenting their ventures to a panel of judges representing a cross-section of entrepreneurs and business professionals. Teams delivered timed pitches followed by a timed question-and-answer session, and judges selected six ventures to receive funding. The ventures will advance as the President’s Buckeye Accelerator Cohort 5 companies.
The finalists were chosen from more than 50 student ventures that took part in Boost Camp, the Keenan Center’s semester-long, pre-accelerator program, earlier this spring. A preliminary pitch competition narrowed the group to the 12 teams that competed in the pitch finale.
“What impresses me most is our students’ instinct to tackle real problems. They’re not just imagining what the future could look like — they’re building it,” said Cheryl Turnbull, senior director of the Keenan Center. “Through the President’s Buckeye Accelerator and the resources of the Keenan Center, these founders gain the skills and confidence to transform challenges into viable businesses and solutions that can create meaningful impact.”
Source: Six student ventures earn $50,000 each in 2026 President’s Buckeye Accelerator
