The 9th edition of the INOTEX Pitch National Startup Competition will be held alongside the 15th International Innovation and Technology Exhibition (INOTEX), with the aim of identifying high-potential startups, creating investment opportunities, and strengthening interactions among key players in Iran’s innovation ecosystem.

Dr. Sajjad Rajabi, Secretary of the 15th International INOTEX Exhibition, stated that INOTEX, as the largest gathering of innovation and technology stakeholders in the country, provides a platform to showcase startup capabilities and facilitate investment opportunities for early-stage companies. He noted that INOTEX Pitch has been one of the exhibition’s most prominent and well-attended events over the past eight editions, playing a significant role in connecting startups with investors.

He added that one of INOTEX’s key strategic approaches in recent years has been decentralization and greater attention to provincial innovation capacities. Accordingly, the 9th edition of INOTEX Pitch will be held in six provinces: Ilam, Sistan and Baluchestan, Kerman, Golestan, Tehran, and East Azerbaijan, providing startups from across the country with greater visibility and participation opportunities.

According to Dr. Rajabi, INOTEX Pitch is a multi-stage competition in which startups, after registration and initial evaluation, enter a professional preparation process for pitching to judges and investors. The competition focuses on pitch quality, business models, scalability, and team capability, while provincial stages also include training sessions to enhance effective investor presentations.

The provincial stages of the competition will be held according to the following schedule:

• Ilam: January 1, 2026
• Sistan and Baluchestan: January 8, 2026
• Kerman: January 15, 2026
• Golestan: January 29, 2026
• Tehran: February 18, 2026
• East Azerbaijan: April 16, 2026

He further stated that following the provincial rounds, selected teams will advance to the national final, which will take place on the fourth day of INOTEX 2026 at Pardis Technology Park. In addition, the top 10 teams will enter the Startup Battle segment, where competitions will be held in a head-to-head, knockout format, with judges announcing immediate final decisions.

At the conclusion of the competition, the first-place team will receive a prize of IRR 1 billion, the second-place team IRR 500 million, and the winner of the Startup Battle will also receive a prize of IRR 500 million.