CNB Startup Studio

City National Bank and eMerge Americas are seeking innovative startups.

According to numbers released by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Minority Business Development Agency, minority-owned businesses are less likely to secure funding. Furthermore, for minority-led businesses that do secure funding, interest rates average much higher. City National Bank would like to help bridge this gap.

If you are a minority founder and based in Florida this is the opportunity for you to connect with industry leaders, propel your startup to the next level and a chance to win up to $25,000!

City National Bank and eMerge Americas will select ~20 early stage startups based in Florida and with diverse founders to participate in a thoughtfully curated CNB Startup Studio program:

The program will consist of 5 webinars (online learning series), hosted once per week, beginning the week of January 12, 2022 and ending the week of February 9th, 2022. At the end of the webinars each week, 4 startups will give 3-minute pitches. By the end of the 5-week webinar series all participating startups would have had an opportunity to make their pitch!

The top 5-7 startups will be chosen to participate in a closing event during the week of February 16th, 2022. Ultimately, there will be three startups chosen: 1st place will receive a $25,000 grant, 2nd place will receive a $15,000 grant and third place will receive a $10,000 grant - all provided by City National Bank.

Criteria for selection:
- Must be a minority/BIPOC founder
- Must have HQ in Florida
- Must have a minimum viable product (MVP) produced and proof of concept established
- Must have at least 2 full-time employees
- Less than 5 years since founding
- Must be a tech-enabled company
- Must provide products and/or services that are innovative