Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

Not All Entrepreneurs Are Cut Out to be 'TechStars' On tonight's season finale of Bloomberg TV's reality series 'Techstars,' the show reveals the outcome for the program's entrepreneurs.

By Carol Tice Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Every business owner responds to pressure differently, don't they? Some crumble, while others seem to rise to the occasion.

On tonight's season finale of Bloomberg TV's reality show Techstars, the show reveals the outcome for the show's entrepreneurs, who've spent three months honing their business models under the tutelage of the show's celebrity venture capitalist-mentors.

In last week's episode, drama set in for some of the six startups the show has been following most closely. A few entrepreneurs imploded under the weight of all the advice and pressure to get their company into fundable shape in such a short time. Watching Homefields wander far from its original sports-home-video business model -- which seemed to have limited market potential but at least played to the team's strengths and personal passions -- VC Mark Suster remarked, "They came into TechStars and moved backward."

Meanwhile, one of the more promising teams, Immersive Labs, was rocked by scandal when one of the founders admitted he borrowed a couple thousand dollars from the company's funding to pay personal bills during a family cash crunch. The team had gotten a rep for arrogance even before this went down, and now the team members needed to try to rebuild the trust and keep the company moving forward.

Each TechStars session ends with a marathon Pitch Day before an audience of hundreds of well-heeled possible funders. It's sort of like an entrepreneurial Olympics -- all that sweat and coding boiled down into a presentation of just a few minutes that could determine the whole team's future. Tonight, we'll find out who scored with the VCs.

There's no word yet on whether Bloomberg will do another season of TechStars. But the bar has been raised for all future TechStars participants -- in September, the incubator raised $24 million in new funding. That will give every future TechStars program participant a $100,000 check upon acceptance into the program. Bet application rates will skyrocket from that alone, much less from the TV exposure.

Corrections & Amplifications: An earlier version of this post misidentified the company on TechStars whose co-founder borrowed company funds for personal use. It was Immersive, not OnSwipe.

Carol Tice

Owner of Make a Living Writing

Longtime Seattle business writer Carol Tice has written for Entrepreneur, Forbes, Delta Sky and many more. She writes the award-winning Make a Living Writing blog. Her new ebook for Oberlo is Crowdfunding for Entrepreneurs.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Business News

These 3 Side Hustles Make the Most Money While Working Fewer Hours, According to a New Survey

The survey also found that having a side hustle doubled as a path to becoming more employable.

Business News

This New Restaurant Is Banking on One Dish — Because It's the Only Entrée on the Menu

The new hotspot is gaining buzz on social media for its innovative yet super simple concept.

Side Hustle

I Made $14,000 in 1 Week With a Spontaneous Halloween Costume Side Hustle — Here's How

Sabba Keynejad was in art school when he started to refine his entrepreneurial skills.

Leadership

4 Bold Leadership Moves Every Successful CEO Uses to Navigate Change

Ready to turn fear into fuel and lead with confidence? In this article, I share how leaving my corporate job without a plan led me to build a thriving business. Learn four bold strategies to embrace uncertainty and turn challenges into opportunities for growth today.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.