TERMS AND CONDITIONS
For the BryceTech Start-Up Space Competition

Please read these terms and conditions before entering The BryceTech Start-Up Space Pitch Competition (the “pitch competition”). You agree that, by submitting an entry, you will be bound by these terms and conditions, and you acknowledge that you satisfy all eligibility requirements.

Eligibility: Employees of BryceTech and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) (“Organizers”) and/or the immediate family and household members of employees, are not eligible. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited by law.

The pitch competition is open only to participants who are 18 years of age or older and represent start-up companies, series A or earlier (as defined by Organizers’ sole opinion) who are wholly owned US companies with a US-based workforce.

Participation in and applying for the pitch competition constitutes Participant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Terms and Conditions and the decisions of the Organizers, which are final and binding. Prizes are contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.

Application Entry Period: The pitch competition application entry begins at 1:00 a.m. ET on March 16, 2026 and ends at 11:59pm ET on April 19, 2026 (the “Entry Period”).

Application Entry: During the application entry period go to this link and follow the instructions to submit your application. Submission will result in one (1) entry. Limit one (1) entry per company. Not all entries will be selected to participate.

By applying, participants must agree: (a) the submission is original, (b) the submission does not infringe the intellectual property rights, including, any patent, copyright, trademark or other proprietary rights of any third party, (c) the submission does not violate any local, state, national or foreign laws.

Finalist Selection: The Organizers will review all applicants. Submissions to the questions within the application will be reviewed up to the 200 word limit for that question – any additional information beyond the limit will not be reviewed. Upon completion of a review, the Organizers will select up to five (5) finalists to participate in the pitch competition at their sole discretion. Finalists will be notified at the email address provided prior to ASCEND26. The Organizers are not responsible for incorrect email addresses submitted.

The five (5) finalists will pitch their company’s ideas and or products in person on May 20th at the ASCEND26 conference in Washington, DC in a closed room in front of a panel of judges and representatives of the Organizer. Those judges will select one winner based on their sole discretion. The five (5) finalists will also have the opportunity to present on their concept or company to an open ASCEND26 audience at a panel within BryceTech Investment and Innovation Track within ASCEND26, on Wednesday May 20th. No virtual presentations are allowed.

Prize: Five (5) finalists companies will receive:

• A 5-minute pitch session slot in person in front of our panel of judges at ASCEND26 in Washington, DC
• (1x) registration for AIAA ASCEND26 to participate in the competition in person
• Opportunity to present their concept to the broader ASCEND26 audience in a panel session within the BryceTech Investment and Innovation Track on Wednesday May 20th

Finalist: Of the five (5) finalists, one (1) company will be selected to receive:

• A Start-up Space advisory package from BryceTech including:
  • Market analysis, sizing, and competitive assessment targeted at the start-ups market segment
  • Two advising sessions from BryceTech CEO and Harvard Business School Entrepreneur in Residence, Carissa Christensen
  • One data visualization, graphic, or infographic from BryceTech’s in-house space graphic artist
• From AIAA, you will receive a prize package designed to accelerate your growth and visibility within the global aerospace community:
  • CM Accelerate Corporate Membership (1 year) – One-year startup corporate membership at the tier appropriate to your company’s size and funding stage, unlocking access to AIAA’s network of 33,000+ aerospace professionals, policy advocacy resources, workforce benefits, and startup-specific programming including CTO Summit access and Tech Spotlight webinar inclusion.
  • ASCEND27 Conference Registrations – Four (4) complimentary full conference registrations to ASCEND27, AIAA’s premier forum at the intersection of commercial space, innovation, and industry leadership.
  • ASCEND27 Exhibit Space – One (1) 10x10 raw booth space at ASCEND27 in a mutually agreed upon location, subject to floor plan availability.
• Publicity from BryceTech and AIAA celebrating their win!

Specifics of all elements of the Prize are in Organizers sole discretion and subject to change without notice.

All finalists are responsible for any taxes and fees associated with receipt or use of a Prize.

This prize is awarded to the winning company only and is non-transferable with no cash value, no other substitution may be made.

Membership tier for AIAA will be confirmed based on eligibility criteria at the time of award. For questions regarding prize fulfillment, contact Vickie Singer at vickies@aiaa.org or 443.629.9013.

All prize benefits must be activated within 90 days of notification.

Any other costs and expenses associated with Prize acceptance and use not listed herein as part of the Prize, including, without limitation, lodging, flights, ground transportation, meals, beverages, luggage fees, and gratuities, are the sole responsibility of the finalists.

Organizers make no warranties, and hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, concerning any prize furnished in connection with the Pitch competition Application. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, SUCH PRIZES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND ORGANIZERS. HEREBY DISCLAIM ALL SUCH WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND/OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

The Organizers reserve the right to disqualify any participant who: violates these Terms & Conditions; submits false or misleading information; engages in misconduct or disruptive behavior; and/or attempts to interfere with the fairness or integrity of the Pitch Competition. The Organizer’s decisions regarding eligibility, judging, and disqualification are final.

By submitting an application to the Pitch Competition, participants grant the Organizer and its authorized representative’s permission to store, reproduce, review, and analyze submitted materials for purposes of administering, evaluating, and promoting the Competition. Submissions may be accessed and reviewed by the Organizer, judges, advisors, and other individuals or service providers involved in the administration of the Competition. Participants acknowledge that submissions may be processed, analyzed, or evaluated using internal systems and third-party tools used by the Organizer to facilitate application review, evaluation, and competition administration.

In addition, by participating in the Pitch Competition, participants agree to adhering to the guidelines, policies, and terms and conditions of the AIAA ASCEND26 conference including their privacy, photography and video notice, and all other policies.

Disclaimer: Organizers do not make and specifically disclaims any representations and warranties, express or implied, regarding any content, product, service, career or job opportunity, or property in connection with the event(s), including any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or noninfringement and any implied warranties arising from course of dealing or course of performance.