This year, for the first time, Tech It Forward is bringing the Startup World Cup to Israel!
by Ashley Dawidowicz- Tech It Forward
So, what is “Startup World Cup”?
Startup World Cup is one of the largest and leading global annual startup competitions worldwide. Created by Pegasus Tech Ventures, the Startup World Cup team, together with local regional partners, scout for the most promising startups from over 50 regions worldwide. From 12,000 startups only one startup will be crowned as the global winner in the grand final and win an investment prize of 1,000,000 USD!
The previous edition of SWC reached millions of people from global startup ecosystems and generated 200+ media stories, 50 partnership countries, and 2,500+ attendees at the Grand Finale in San Francisco. The Grand Finale event has included an all-star roster of prominent figures from the tech community, including: Steve Wozniak (Co-Founder of Apple), Reid Hoffman (Founding CEO of LinkedIn), Marcelo Claure (Chief Operating Officer of SoftBank Group), Tim Westergren (Founder and Former CEO of Pandora), Ray Lane (Former President & COO of Oracle), Adam Cheyer (Co-Founder of Siri), Daymond John (ABC’s Shark Tank Founder & CEO of FUBU), Vinod Khosla (Co-Founder of Sun Microsystems), John Chambers (Chairman Emeritus of Cisco), Window Snyder (Former Chief Software Security Officer of Intel).
This year, we are proud to announce that we are bringing this big competition to Israel for the first time ever! Israel’s regional competition will be the perfect opportunity for startups to gain exposure in front of the most influential people in the Israeli tech ecosystem as well as leading VCs, and industry experts from abroad.
How is the event taking place in the context of COVID-19, you ask?
Our dream was to host the Israeli Startup World Cup in person. As the world changed with rapid speed due to the pandemic, so did we. This year, the competition will be online. But don’t worry! it doesn’t mean it’s not going to be as good as usual- on the contrary! It will be even greater than usual! As the Grand Finale is in May 2021, it might (we hope) happen in person! We are looking forward to sending the best Israeli startup to represent Israel in the Grand Finale, taking place in San Francisco, and compete for 1 MILLION dollars!
Startup World Cup Israel 2021 is going virtual and will feature 20 inspiring pitches by our finalists in front of the VIP judges. We are very honoured to showcase the judges of the event: Leah Edwards (Partner, Pegasus Tech Ventures), Roy Caner (Senior Partner, Head Hi-tech Dep. EBN), Tal Dori (CEO, IBI Capital), Delia Pekelman (Deputy Head, Leumitech), Michal Michaeli (Dir. Int. Economic Dev, Tel Aviv Global), Uria Fiano (Serial Entrepreneur & Tech It Forward Board Member), and Snir Hassidim (Corporate and Business Dev, Checkpoint).
Here are some of the categories by which the startups will be judged : the originality of the idea, solving real problems, answering to market needs, traction of the startup, business plan, advantage over other competitors, team, pitching presentation. The judges will be very demanding so be ready to give an inspiring pitch!
Are you a startup ready for the challenge?
Here are the 3 milestones you will have to take on the road to the crown :
- Apply online: startups can apply easily through our simple and quick form. (Here : https://www.swc-israel.com/)
- Be selected: upon completing your application, your form and presentation will be delegated directly to the screening committee. The committee, which will be composed of leading tech experts, will discuss, assess, interview and select the 10 most promising startups that will pitch in the Israeli competition.
- Pitch: the lucky 10 selected startups will compete virtually to win the chance to participate in the Grand Finale in San Francisco, May 2021!Before the Israeli Startup World Cup pitching night, the top 10 startups will enjoy professional guidance and one-on-one meetings with Israeli experts. The startups will meet legal consultants, financial advisors, and marketing strategists to ensure they are fully prepared with winning presentations!
The SWC 2021 edition will be bigger and better, including more countries and entrepreneurs around the globe. The competition will be hosting more regional events worldwide than previous years, like Israel!
We are excited to bring this awesome opportunity to Israel and help Israeli startups take off and grow globally! We look forward to receiving your applications and seeing you there!
Follow us on social media and don’t forget to subscribe to our Facebook event! : https://linktr.ee/StartupWorldCupIsrael
For more info about Tech It Forward: contact@techitforward.com
