eMerge Americas Global Startup Accelerator + Showcase, pay USD 650, chase USD 300K+
Startups selected for the eMerge Americas Global Startup Accelerator + Showcase pay USD 650 each, and the finale advertises "$300K+". Applications close on 22 November 2026.
What the USD 650 covers, per the program page: two team members, one-on-one mentoring, a multi-week virtual training series on fundraising, go-to-market and growth, Founders' Day pitch sessions, an Expo booth at the conference and alumni access. The page says the group will include "100 global startups". It lists criteria for Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A companies in national security, AI and deep tech, health, and finance. Equity is not mentioned.
The page gives no breakdown of the "$300K+". It says the finale is "to compete for investment funding and in-kind legal services". Refresh Miami reported the 2026 finale on 24 April 2026:
- First place: USD 125,000 investment from eMerge Americas and B.I.G. Capital, plus USD 80,000 of pro bono legal services from Holland & Knight LLP.
- Second place: USD 60,000 in legal services. Third place: USD 40,000 in legal services.
- By our arithmetic, that is USD 305,000 in total. Only USD 125,000 of it is investment, and USD 180,000 is legal services. Five finalists pitched, out of 100 startups that qualified, per Refresh Miami.
The prize varies by year. Refresh Miami reported on 30 April 2024 that the winner, EVQLV, won USD 520,000 from Medina Ventures, BIP Ventures and Florida Funders, and did not say what instrument that was.
Who pays: the startups pay USD 650. By our arithmetic, 100 places would bring in USD 65,000, if every place is filled and none is waived; waivers are not mentioned. The prizes come from the investor and the law firm named above in 2026. The page names no prize partners and does not say whether the partner logos it shows fund anything.
The track record, by eMerge Americas's own count: 12 years, 1,200 startups, 60+ countries and a "3 B+" funds-raised figure shown without a currency. A Babson College report from 5 May 2026 puts the 2026 showcase at "80-plus" businesses, against Refresh Miami's 100.
Not published: the equity or instrument terms of any investment, how startups are selected and when, the dates of the 2027 event, and any terms document for the accelerator. The page links only a privacy policy.