Craig School of Business

Sunstone CSU Startup Launch 2027

Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Banner

The Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Competition is the premier university startup competition in California designed exclusively for emerging startups in the California State University (CSU) campuses. The competition was founded at California State University, Long Beach – Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and has been funded through a generous grant by the Sunstone Community Fund, providing a total of $200,000 per year in prize money.

In 2027, Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Competition will be hosted by California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) on May 6-7, 2027:

  • May 6, 2027 – Pre-Competition Activities (For participating CSU faculty, students, staff, and special guests only)
  • May 7, 2027 – Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Competition and Showcase (Everyone is invited!)

The competition supports early-stage ventures across diverse industries, emphasizing innovation, scalability, and societal impact. Teams present their ventures in a structured format, evaluated by a panel of judges comprising entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and business leaders.

University Eligibility

The Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Competition is designed exclusively for participants from the 22 CSU campuses.

  • CSU Bakersfield
  • CSU Channel Islands
  • CSU Chico
  • CSU Dominguez Hills
  • Cal State East Bay
  • Fresno State
  • CSU Fullerton
  • Cal Poly Humboldt
  • CSU Long Beach
  • Cal State Los Angeles
  • CSU Monterey Bay
  • CSU Northridge
  • Cal Poly Pomona
  • Sacramento State
  • CSU San Bernadino
  • San Diego State
  • San Francisco State
  • San Jose State
  • Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
  • CSU San Marcos
  • Somona State
  • Stanislaus State

Participating CSU campuses select and invite up to two (2) teams based upon their own, university-level criteria. Team selection is the choice of the leadership of each participating CSU campus. Selection criteria are defined by each participating CSU campus’ entrepreneurship program, and are not dictated by the event organizers, Sunstone Community Fund, or other sponsors. For more information about how to qualify and represent your university, please contact your university’s entrepreneurship program coordinator.

Team Eligibility

At least one founder must be:

  • a current undergraduate or graduate student of their respective campus, or
  • have a graduation date of May 2026 or later

Although non-CSU students may be on the team, leadership and decision-making must be composed of students and/or alumni from the participating campus. The pitch must be delivered by the team’s current CSU student or recent alumni, as defined above. Only startups with revenue of less than $15,000 to date from product/service sales are eligible to compete.

About Sunstone Management

Sunstone Management, with its subsidiary Sunstone Venture Capital Fund, is a diversified private capital management and investment firm offering comprehensive wealth management solutions worldwide. Focusing on investments in U.S. based small businesses and lower middle markets, its offerings are carefully structured to meet targeted investor goals ranging from short term senior debt products to longer term, equity, growth capital, and venture capital investment strategies. Sunstone is also extremely active as an investor in technology startups as a founding member of the Long Beach Accelerator. The Sunstone Community Fund has been the key sponsor for CSU Startup Launch since the beginning.

Additional details coming soon — stay tuned!