Ukrainian Future, the business incubator of the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the official representative of the global Startup World Cup competition in Ukraine, has announced the recruitment of teams for the regional pitching stage of the startup competition, with the final taking place in Silicon Valley and a grand prize of $1,000,000!
Startup World Cup Ukraine 2022 was scheduled to take place on March 31 at the Parkovy Convention and Exhibition Center in Kyiv. When Russia started the war against Ukraine, there was only one week left until the deadline for applications. In order not to deprive Ukrainian startups of the opportunity to present their projects at one of the most prestigious startup events in the world, the organizers of the Startup World Cup agreed to hold the Ukrainian regional selection online and extended the deadline for applications by exactly one week - from June 27 to July 4 inclusive. Registration is available here.
The participation requirements for the regional selection remain unchanged, including having an officially registered business and the ability to pitch in English. In the current circumstances, startups are also asked to consider the possibility of traveling abroad.
Based on the evaluation of the submitted applications, the jury of the global Startup World Cup competition will select 10 teams to participate in the regional final. It will take place on July 22 on the Howspace platform. The winner of the Startup World Cup Ukraine 2022 (determined by the Ukrainian jury) will have the opportunity to represent their startup at the Grand Final of the Startup World Cup, which will take place in San Francisco, USA, in the autumn of 2022, and win the grand prize of $1,000,000.
It is worth noting that in addition to the $1,000,000 grand prize of the Startup World Cup, additional prizes are awarded each year in tens of thousands of dollars from event partners. The Grand Final in Silicon Valley is also a unique opportunity to meet leading investors, founders, and managers of innovative corporate giants such as Apple, Netflix, Siri, Softbank, LinkedIn, Cisco, Khosla Ventures. The competition's regular speakers include Steve Wozniak, Marc Randolph, Adam Cheyer, Marcelo Claure, Reid Hoffman, John Chambers, and many other successful businessmen. Therefore, the winners of the regional selections from over 60 countries around the world - participants of the Grand Final - will have the opportunity not only to present their projects but also to interact live with "business sharks," receive advice from global experts, find partners, and future investors.
In Ukraine, the regional selection of the Startup World Cup will take place for the second time. This became possible due to the signing of a cooperation agreement between Ukrainian Future, the business incubator of the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, which has the status of a GIST Innovation Hub, and the organizer of the global competition - the international venture company Pegasus Tech Ventures. The first official finalist of the Ukrainian regional selection - Startup World Cup Ukraine 2020 - was the startup Kray Technologies (autonomous drones for the application of plant protection and fertilization with an industrial productivity of up to 470 hectares per day).
This year's regional selection can be observed online. To do this, you need to follow the link above, click on the "Register as a viewer" button, and fill out a short form. After the application is verified, registered viewers will receive an email with a link to access the platform one day before the event.