Season One Debuts as a Four-Episode Unscripted Series Following Six U.S. Startup Founders as They Navigate the Pressure, Personalities, Pivots, and Preparation Leading to the 2026 CodeLaunch U.S. Championship.

PLANO, Texas, Aug. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CodeLaunch today announced the launch of “Next Founder Up,” its first original episodic reality series, premiering August 5 on YouTube.

The four-episode series takes viewers inside the high-stakes journey of six U.S. ventures as they prepare to compete in the 2026 CodeLaunch U.S. Championship, where one startup will win and advance to the CodeLaunch World Championship.

Premiering weekly throughout August, the series gives audiences an unfiltered look at what happens before founders step onto the competition stage. From product development and pitch preparation to personal sacrifices, unexpected challenges, and the relationships formed throughout the process, Next Founder Up captures the realities of building a startup under pressure.

Season 1 concludes on August 26 at 7pm ET with an interactive livestream finale. The live audience can vote in real time as founders compete for a berth into the 2026 CodeLaunch World Championship on November 11 in Dallas, where they will battle against the champions from CodeLaunch Canada (September 16 in Toronto) and CodeLaunch LATAM (October 14 in Guadalajara, MX), for $50,000.

“Next Founder Up is about more than startups and pitches. It’s about people willing to bet on themselves.” – Jason W. Taylor, President and Founder of CodeLaunch.

Next Founder Up marks CodeLaunch’s first original reality competition series, expanding the organization beyond its signature Venturetainment-style in-person showcase events.

“CodeLaunch gave us more than a stage. It gave us momentum. I’m excited to see the next generation of founders get their shot on Next Founder Up!” – Riley Keen, CEO of CharaChorder, CodeLaunch Finalist in 2019.

The founder-first approach continues to drive CodeLaunch’s mission of creating more investible early-stage ventures while giving innovators the resources, connections, and visibility needed to grow.

“We’re proud to support a platform that strengthens the startup ecosystem and exemplifies Improving’s commitment to Conscious Capitalism.” – Curtis Hite, CEO, Improving, parent company of CodeLaunch.

SEASON 1 RELEASE SCHEDULE

Episode 1 — August 5 Noon CT
From 290 to 6, who will make the cut?

Episode 2 — August 12 Noon CT
The 6 finalists accelerate their digital products with Improving PCL (Professional Coder League) teams.

Episode 3 — August 19 Noon CT
With Championship Day approaching, every decision matters.

Episode 4 Livestream — August 26 6pm CT
The journey concludes with the CodeLaunch U.S. Championship, during which livestream audiences can watch the competition and vote in parallel with the in-person studio audience through Improving’s LaunchKings platform to determine which founder wins, and advances to the World Championship.

ABOUT CODELAUNCH
CodeLaunch is a startup accelerator competition and live Venturetainment platform that connects early-stage tech founders with investors, mentors, corporate partners, and professional software engineering teams from Improving, to accelerate startup growth and visibility.

Since its founding in 2013, CodeLaunch has accelerated hundreds of startups across North America and Latin America to transform ambitious digital product ventures into scalable companies without taking equity. Through its founder-first model, CodeLaunch elevates founder visibility and produces startups more prepared to raise investment funding while enabling founders to retain full ownership of their companies, and elevating their digital products.

MEDIA CONTACT & RESOURCES
Dez Ewell
Phone: (214) 613-4456
Website: codelaunch.com
Next Founder Up: youtube.com/c/CodeLaunch