StartUp Cup is an intensive thirty-week process. Although there is only one winner, those who have gone through the process consider the time invested to be critical to the success of their business.
| All Entries | Tuesday | April 24, 2012 | Santa Clara County StartUp Cup Launches / Submissions Open |
| Tuesday, 11:59PM | May 22, 2012 | Submissions Close | |
| Wednesday | May 23, 2012 | Judges Review of Initial Submissions | |
| Top 25 | Thursday | June 7, 2012 | Review Ends/Top 25 Selection Notification/Submissions of Long-Form Business Models |
| Tuesday, 11:59PM | June 22, 2012 | Deadline for Submissions of Long-form Business Models | |
| Wednesday | June 27, 2012 | Day One – Top 25 Pitches (7 minutes) | |
| Thursday | June 28, 2012 | Day Two – Top 25 Pitches (7 minutes) | |
| Top 12 | Monday | July 2, 2012 | Top 12 Notification of Advancement to Semi Finals |
| Wednesday | July 25, 2012 | Coaching Session for Top 12 Business Models/Pitches | |
| Thursday | July 26, 2012 | Begin Submission on Top 12 Revised Business Models | |
| Tuesday, 11:59PM | September 4, 2012 | Deadline for Submissions of Top 12 Revised Business Models | |
| Wednesday | September 5, 2012 | Judges Review of Top 12 Revised Business Models | |
| Wednesday | September 12, 2012 | Review Concludes / Top 12 Pitches (5 minutes) | |
| Top 7 | Monday | September 17, 2012 | Top 7 Notification of Advancement to Finals |
| Friday | September 28, 2012 | Coaching Session for Top 7 Business Models/Pitches | |
| Saturday | September 29, 2012 | Begin Submission of Top 7 Revised Business Models | |
| Wednesday, 11:59PM | October 24, 2012 | Deadline for Submission of Top 7 Revised Business Models | |
| Thursday | October 25, 2012 | Judges Review of Revised Submissions | |
| Thursday | November 1, 2012 | Review Concludes / Top 7 Pitches (2 minutes) | |
| Winners Announced | Thursday | November 15, 2012 | Santa Clara County StartUp Cup Business Model Competition Celebration |