The Crossroads Mission
building indiana’s innovation ecosystem
A Path to Success for Startups
Bright futures start at Crossroads. Since 2017, Indiana’s most promising startups have used Crossroads as a launching pad for success. The Crossroads Pitch Competition doesn’t just showcase Indiana’s best and brightest entrepreneurs. It nurtures early-stage startups at a critical stage in their growth, by connecting them to an ecosystem of fellow founders, experienced advisors, and angel investors. Innovation meets opportunity at Crossroads.
Winners take home an amazing prize package of investment, services, and mentoring. But you don’t have to win to benefit from being part of Crossroads. Our past competitors are a who’s who of Hoosier founders. We’re proud to say we knew them when! And every year we can’t wait to meet the next generation of rising stars.
We are committed to diversity in our contestants and judges. Crossroads is for all innovators!
The flagship Crossroads Pitch Competition now takes place twice a year, in spring and fall, with two tracks for seed and pre-seed startups. Crossroads Collegiate shines a spotlight on Hoosier collegiate and university founders. The Crossroads Idea Competition nurtures sparks of genius into new ventures. And through the Crossroads Platform, other organizations and communities across Indiana leverage The Mill’s pitch competition expertise to build their entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Crossroads is a production of The Mill, the heart of the southern Indiana’s startup ecosystem. Crossroads attracts competitors from across the entire state of Indiana—and we’re intentional about that. Friends and partners across Indiana refer startups to Crossroads, and we hope you will, too.
The Impact of Crossroads
Event History
2017
pre-qual launch
The Mill hosts a regional pre-qualification event for a statewide competition in Indianapolis called inX3.
2018
regional expansion
The pre-qual for inX3 attracts 12 regional startups; The Mill opens the doors on its new facility in November.
2019
rebrand to Crossroads
The Mill expands its event into a statewide pitch competition, now known as Crossroads.
2020
virtual event fuels growth
2021
Crossroads Platform launches
The Mill offers new service to help regions and cities create and execute their own pitch competitions. PASE Fort Wayne, powered by Crossroads, launches.
2021
Crossroads Collegiate launches
The Mill creates a state-wide collegiate competition to showcase rising star entrepreneurial talent from Indiana’s colleges and universities.
2021
Crossroads Idea Competition rebrands
The Mill rebrands Spark Competition as Crossroads Idea Competition.
2022
Crossroads expands to twice a year
The Mill adds a second competition in spring to increase opportunity to Hoosier founders.
2022
Pre-seed and seed tracks debut
The Mill creates two tracks of competition, with two winners.
2022
Flywheel Fund provides prizes.
Winning startups now receive Flywheel Fund investment and mentoring support.
Host Your Own Pitch Competition!
With our Crossroads Platform, you can run a pitch competition without the headache and hassle of starting from scratch. Our dedicated and proven staff will handle the details, while the flexibility of the platform allows you to design a competition that aligns with your goals. Fuel and support your entrepreneurial ecosystem!
Spotlight Sponsor Fall 2023

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Please help us support entrepreneurship and innovation in Indiana. Join the Crossroads family of startup champions!