Catalyst Games
| Company type | Non-profit organization |
|---|---|
| Industry | Competitive events, Charity |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Austin , United States |
Area served | Technology firms, Startup communities |
Key people | Gillian Wilson (President) |
Catalyst Games (previously known as Startup Games) is a non-profit organization based in Austin that coordinates competitive events between technology firms, with each team supporting a charitable cause. Established in 2012, it hosts yearly tournaments that embody the spirit of startup environments.
Previous competitions
Originally launched as the Austin Startup Olympics in 2012, the first event was held at uShip’s headquarters. Participants included companies such as Adlucent, Boundless Network, BuildASign, Mass Relevance (currently part of Spredfast), SpareFoot, Spredfast, uShip, and WhaleShark Media (now RetailMeNot). The initial championship was won by uShip.
The sole Summer Games edition took place on June 9, 2012, with BuildASign emerging as the winner.
Between 2013 and 2015, SpareFoot secured three consecutive victories in the Austin competitions while representing Kure It Cancer Research.
In 2015, Catalyst Games launched the Level Up event targeting organizations with more than 250 employees; BuildASign claimed the first title in this category.
Development and influence
By 2015, Catalyst Games had contributed over $175,000 to various charities and aimed to broaden its reach into additional startup communities such as San Antonio, New York, and Chicago.
Organizational leadership
Initiated through a partnership of eight founding competing companies, Catalyst Games now operates as an autonomous non-profit entity under the leadership of founding member Gillian Wilson, who serves as president.