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Attention Legal Tech Startups: Applications Now Open for the 9th Annual Startup Alley and Pitch Competition at ABA TECHSHOW 2025

Ever
since

Startup
Alley
first
launched
 in
2017,
the
pitch
competition
has
helped
catapult
the
success
of
a
long
list
of
legal
technology
startups
and
become
a
seminal
event
of
the
American
Bar
Association’s
annual TECHSHOW.

I
am
thrilled
to
say
that
the
competition
is
returning
for
its
ninth
year,
and
applications
officially
open
today
for
legal
tech
startups
to
enter
to
compete
for
a
spot
at TECHSHOW
2025
,
which
takes
place
in
Chicago,
April
2-5,
2025.

Out
of
all
the
entries
received,
15
startups
will
be
selected
to
participate
in
a
live
pitch
competition
that
will
be
the
opening
event
of
this
year’s
TECHSHOW
on
the
evening
of
April
2,
2025.
In
addition
to
the
pitch
competition,
the
15
finalists
will
be
highlighted
as
exhibitors
in
a
special
Startup
Alley
section
of
the
conference
exhibit
hall.





Application
form
for
2025
ABA
TECHSHOW
Startup
Alley
.


Again
this
year,
I
will
be
coordinating
the
competition,
in
collaboration
with
the
TECHSHOW
planning
board.
Read
on
for
full
details.


How
Will
the
Startups
Be
Selected? 

The
application
period
for
the
competition
starts
today.
Startups
interested
in
participating
must


complete
this
application
form
Applications
must
be
received
by
11:59
p.m.
Pacific
Time
on
Friday,
Dec.
13,
2024
.

From
all
applications
received,
a
panel
of
five
judges
will
select
25
finalists.

On
Jan.
6,
2025,
descriptions
of
each
of
the
25
finalists
will
be
posted
on
the
ABA
TECHSHOW
blog,
on
this
blog,
and
on
Above
the
Law,
and
readers
will
be
invited
to
vote
for
their
favorites.
The
15
startups
that
receive
the
most
votes
will
be
selected
for
Startup
Alley.
Winners
will
be
announced
on
Feb.
11,
2025.


What
Are
the
Criteria
for
Applying?

The
competition
is
limited
to
startups
that
meet
the
following
criteria:

  • Your
    company
    has
    been
    in
    business
    fewer
    than
    five
    years.
  • Your
    product
    or
    service
    is
    targeted
    to
    lawyers
    or
    legal
    professionals,
    not
    to
    consumers.
  • Your
    company
    has
    achieved
    some
    demonstrable
    traction,
    either
    in
    users,
    revenue
    or
    financing.
  • You
    were
    not
    one
    of
    the
    Startup
    Alley
    finalists
    selected
    to
    present
    at
    Startup
    Alley
    in
    2017-2024.
    (Semifinalists
    who
    were
    not
    among
    the
    final
    15
    remain
    eligible
    to
    reapply.)

Most
importantly,
your
company
should
be
innovative,
meaning
that
it
addresses
a
need
not
met
by
other
products
or
services
currently
on
the
market
or
that
it
does
so
in
a
way
not
currently
done
by
others.


What
Happens
If
My
Company
Is
Selected?

The
15
winning
finalists
will
face
off
in
a
LIVE
pitch
competition
that
is
TECHSHOW’s
signature
opening
night
event.
Each
startup
will
have
2.5
minutes
to
present
its
pitch
in
front
of
an
audience
of
TECHSHOW
attendees.
At
the
conclusion
of
the
pitches,
attendees
will
vote
to
select
the
most
innovative
company
as
the
winner.

In
addition,
all
15
startups
will
be
provided
space
at
a
discounted
cost
to
exhibit
their
product
or
service
in
a
special
Startup
Alley
located
within
TECHSHOW’s
exhibit
hall.

  • Each
    startup
    will
    be
    provided
    space
    in
    a
    uniform,
    pre-installed
    booth.
    You
    will
    not
    need
    (or
    be
    allowed)
    to
    bring
    a
    booth
    of
    your
    own.
  • Each
    startup
    will
    be
    responsible
    for
    the
    booth
    fee
    of
    $1,500.
    This
    is
    a
    significant
    reduction
    off
    the
    standard
    booth
    cost.
    You
    are
    welcome
    to
    seek
    sponsors
    to
    underwrite
    all
    or
    part
    of
    this
    cost.
  • Each
    startup
    is
    responsible
    for
    its
    own
    travel
    and
    hotel
    expenses
    to
    Chicago.


What
Do
Startups
Get
Out
of
This? 

ABA
TECHSHOW
is
one
of
the
world’s
pre-eminent
legal
technology
conferences.
All
of
the
participants
gain
exposure
to
a
large
and
diverse
audience
of
legal
professionals,
including
practitioners,
academics,
consultants
and
others.
In
addition,
TECHSHOW’s
audience
includes
legal
journalists,
bloggers,
industry
analysts
and
investors.

The
winner
of
the
opening
night
pitch
competition
will
receive:

  • Free
    10×10
    booth
    space
    at
    the
    2026
    TECHSHOW.
  • Free
    12-month
    listing
    on
    the
    ABA
    Legal
    Technology
    Resource
    Center’s
    Buyer’s
    Guide.
  • $5,000
    credit
    to
    use
    towards
    advertising
    in
    ABA
    Law
    Practice
    Division
    media.
  • A
    profile
    of
    the
    company
    on
    my
    LawSites
    blog.

Additionally,
each
of
the
15
finalists
will
receive
a
free
one-year
premium
listing
in
the LawNext
Legal
Technology
Directory
.


Who
Are
the
Judges?

The
judges
this
year
who
will
select
the
final
25
contestants
are:

  • Julie
    Bays,
    TECHSHOW
    2025
    co-chair.
  • Steve
    Embry,
    TECHSHOW
    2025
    co-chair.
  • Heidi
    Barcus,
    TECHSHOW
    2025
    co-vice-chair.
  • Patrick
    Wright,
    TECHSHOW
    2025
    co-vice-chair.
  • Bob
    Ambrogi,
    Startup
    Alley
    organizer.


Apply
Now!

There
is
no
cost
to
apply
and
the
application
form
is
relatively
painless
to
complete.
We
look
forward
to
reading
your
submissions.

Questions?
Send
them
my
way:
ambrogi-at-gmail.com.