Tomorrow at noon, eight teams from mid-size tech companies will face off in a championship of party games at Fair Market to raise money for 10 community non-profits.
Registration for contestants closed last month, but tickets are still available to spectators for a suggested donation of $10.
It’s a familiar format by now, but the Startup Games’ fundraising goals have grown with the event’s popularity since its founding in 2012. This weekend’s event is the second annual Level Up edition, a second tier of competition designed for companies with more than 250 employees.
“Due to the success of Startup Games and the increase in demand from companies to participate, we decided last year to “level the playing field” and create two separate events for different weight classes,” said Sara Levy, executive director of Startup Games. “Many of this year’s competitors once played in the Startup Games … Level Up gives them an opportunity to keep having fun via the culture that was instilled early on.”
Combined with January’s Startup Games, the events will have raised $100,000 for charities this year by the end of tomorrow’s competition.
With higher goals and bigger turnouts, the small organization behind the Games has set its sights on expansion. Earlier this year, The Notley Fund — also led by Levy — took over operations with the goal of expanding the program across the United States, starting with a Startup Games in the Denver and Boulder area this Fall.
Notley is a philanthropic investment fund of Dan and Lisa Graham.
Here’s who’s competing, and the charities they’ve chosen to support with their winnings:
Accruent
Charity: Habitat for Humanity
Bigcommerce
Charity: Stupid Cancer
BuildASign
Charity: Lung Cancer Alliance
Drillinginfo
Charity: The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
HomeAway
Charity: Mobile Loaves & Fishes: Community First
Main Street Hub
Charity: Austin Pets Alive
RetailMeNot
Charity: Boys & Girls Club of Austin
Spiceworks
Charity: Championship Hearts Foundation
Spredfast
Charity: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas
The Honest Company
Charity: Ronald McDonald House CTX
Images courtesy of Startup Games, featured charities and competing companies.
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