This year's Student Startup Madness national tournament started with a field of 64 teams in early December of 2016, then reduced to 32 teams in the regional semi-final round. At SXSW, the SSM Entrepreneurial Eight will pitch to a celebrity panel of well-known entrepreneurs and investors for a chance to win prizes and the National Student Startup Madness trophy.

SSM is open to student startups from any college in North America and holds its first two rounds of competition online, with the regional semi-final round supported and promoted by major host universities.