Private Equity Pitch Competition
Step inside the world of private equity and put your skills to the test. Hosted by The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, the Private Equity Pitch Competition brings together top business students from across New York City and beyond.
Designed to bridge academic learning with real-world finance, this competition gives students hands-on experience with industry-standard investment analysis, exposure to private-equity professionals, and the chance to compete against leading business schools.
Participants will work in teams to analyze a deal, develop an investment thesis, and pitch their strategy—just like real PE analysts. Along the way, students gain practical insights, sharpen technical skills, and expand their professional network in one of the most competitive sectors in finance.
Why Participate?
Gain real-world experience in investment analysis
Compete against top business schools in the NYC region
Network directly with private-equity professionals
Win up to $6,000 in prizes
Competition Awards
1st Place: $6,000
2nd Place: $3,000
3rd Place: $1,000
Entry Criteria
Open to current undergraduate students. Teams must be composed of 3–4 students enrolled at the same university, from finance clubs and/or student-managed funds from participating business schools.
Teams are also required to work with a faculty advisor from their university.
Competition Structure
Teams are required to research 1 or more companies and present a 15–25-minute investment pitch including a leveraged buyout (LBO) model, justifying why the company or companies should be added to a buy-and-build or corporate carveout private equity fund, followed by a Q&A session with the judges.
One month before the presentation, students will be given three industries to choose from—to ensure each team starts at the exact same time.
Analysts are advised to use standard market interest rates, realistic assumptions, and appropriate valuation multiples but given total discretion on financial projections and debt structuring.
Important Dates
Registration Deadline: December 19, 2025
Competition Date: February 21, 2026 at St. John's University's Manhattan campus (101 Astor Place)
Judges
David Acharya, Managing Partner of Acharya Capital Partners
Sumit Handa, Chief Investment Officer at Arax Investment Partners
Eric Jacobs, Director of Client Solutions, ToltIQ
Jeff Livingston, Investor at Integrum
Ted Oberwager, Partner at KKR
Rosie Sidel, Board of Director, ToltIQ
Peter Sundheim, Managing Director at KKR
Sheron Tang, Manager, M&A and Asset Optimization at Kindle Energy, A Blackstone Portfolio Company
Matthew Uretsky, Partner at Brown Rudnick
Participating Schools
- Binghamton University
- Fairfield University
- Pace University
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Seton Hall University
- Siena University
- Skidmore College
- St. John's University
- St. Joseph's University
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- Stony Brook University
- Suffolk University
- University of Massachusetts Lowell
- University of Buffalo
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of Connecticut
- University of Delaware
- University of Rochester
Tentative Schedule
Pitch competition will be held in-person at 101 Astor Place on February 21, 2026.
9:00 am - 9:30 am: Arrival
9:30 am - 9:45 am: Welcome Remarks
9:45 am - 1:00 pm: Morning Session
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm: Lunch
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm: Afternoon Session
5:00 pm - 5:30 pm: Awards
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm: Networking Reception
Sponsored by
ToltIQ is the leading provider of AI-powered private market due diligence solutions for GPs, LPs, diligence advisory firms and Family Offices. By combining advanced artificial intelligence with deep private markets expertise, ToltIQ helps investment professionals conduct more thorough, efficient, and accurate due diligence. The company's platform securely ingests deal documents typically found in virtual data rooms while rapidly analyzing and categorizing them to extract critical insights. By delivering clear, actionable intelligence and reducing the need for manual workflows, ToltIQ enables investment teams to focus on what drives deal value - from growth opportunities and early detection of risks to operational improvements. ToltIQ was founded by Ed Brandman, former Partner, Chief Information Officer and Head of Credit Operations at global investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR).
Brown Rudnick is a leading international law firm that provides exceptional, client-driven service in global litigation, crisis management, (restructuring, investigations and special situations), brand and reputation management, life sciences and technology. They advise on high-profile cross-border matters while providing the kind of personal attention to clients that is typically found at boutiques. Their enterprising and tenacious lawyers serve their clients around the global from areas in key financial centers int he U.S. and the U.S., and have been recognized by, among others, Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, Benchmark Litigation and Law360 for excellence in their fields.
FAQs
No, students are responsible for covering their own lodging and transportation expenses.
The pitch competition will be held in-person at St. John's Manhattan campus at 101 Astor Place, New York. All teams who are interested in participating must present in-person.
Register by December, 19, 2025 by submitting this registration form.
Questions
Contact Jason Berkowitz, Ph.D., Professor of Finance, at [email protected]