Alpha Wingman to Host 'PitchAv' Startup Pitch Contest at NBAA-BACE 2026
Why It MattersPairing early-stage founders with mentorship, investor introductions and business services at a major trade show signals growing institutional interest in seeding new business aviation ventures.
What happened
Alpha Wingman will host "PitchAv," a startup pitch competition for business aviation entrepreneurs, at the 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 2-5 p.m. on the new NBAA-BACE Horizon Stage on the exhibit floor. NBAA-BACE 2026 runs Oct. 20-22, and applications to participate in PitchAv must be submitted by Sept. 25.
The event is held in partnership with NBAA and will invite entrepreneurs with startup concepts to present their ideas to a panel of five industry judges, who will assess viability and select the most promising new venture. Prizes include professional mentorship, introductions to investor groups, and business services covering marketing, bookkeeping, legal counsel, strategy, and graphic design.
Alpha Wingman President Andy Nixon said, "We want to connect innovators and entrepreneurs interested in business aviation with the expertise, insight and experience to help their ideas succeed." He added that the event also aims to introduce a new way for attendees to engage with the NBAA-BACE exhibit floor by placing startup presenters alongside established exhibitors. NBAA, founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, represents 10,000 company and professional members.
Industry impact & what to watch
Placing a pitch competition on the exhibit floor itself, rather than in a side session, shows organizers treating early-stage startups as part of the main trade-show experience rather than a peripheral program. That reflects how large industry conventions increasingly use their exhibit space to signal where new capital and ideas are entering a sector, alongside established manufacturers and service providers.
The prize structure, mentorship, investor introductions, and practical business services, points to a segment where startups often lack access to capital networks and operational support more than they lack technical ideas. Judging by a panel of five industry figures also means the selection criteria will reflect incumbent priorities about what counts as a viable business aviation concept.
The Sept. 25 application deadline is the next concrete checkpoint, followed by the Oct. 21 event itself, which will show how many entrants come forward and which concepts the judges favor.
