On September 6th,up to 12 of Czech’s best seed-stage startups will compete to represent the country at the Seedstars Summit and win up to USD 1 million in equity investments and other prizes.
Seedstars World, the largest startup competition for emerging markets and fast-growing startup scenes is coming to Czech Republic for the 4th time. With the support of the local host Microsoft, Seedstars will be holding a dynamic pitch event on September 6th.
The companies selected to pitch at the Seedstars Prague event need to be less than 2 years old, have raised less than USD 500,000 in funding and built a minimum viable product, ideally with existing traction. The Seedstars team is searching for one additional criterion: the startup’s regional and global scalability. With a strong network of international partners, such as Merck, SPECo, Enel or Continental (amongst others) the competition organizers are looking for smart startups that tackle regional issues and develop profitable and sustainable products for the global market.
The applications are open until September 1st and startups are invited to apply at https://seedsta.rs/prague18_apply. After a careful screening, the Seedstars team will shortlist up to 12 of the best seed-stage startups in Prague to pitch the local finals for the opportunity to compete at the Seedstars Summit, that annually takes place in Switzerland.
“Seedstars World is a platform that connects investors and stakeholders with the next generation of entrepreneurs. Since this will be our 4th time organizing the event at Prague, the stakes are high and we are very excited. We’ve been in this ecosystem for more than 3 years now and know there are companies in Czechia developing high-quality products. We are looking for the best and will take it with us to Switzerland in 2019!”, says Agahuseyn Ahmadov, Regional Manager for CEE at Seedstars.
In order to provide local entrepreneurs with this opportunity and aiming to deliver the best possible event, Seedstars is closely working with Itaca Business Incubator, who is representing the initiative throughout the year.
It’s Seedstars’ goal to place the spotlight on entrepreneurs from emerging markets, especially those targeting solutions that align with UN Sustainable Development Goals. With that in mind, Seedstars World is travelling to more than 65 countries to identify the most innovative seed-stage startups, awarding them the opportunity to win up to USD 1 million and network with investors and mentors from around the world at the global Seedstars Summit in Switzerland. Its previous participants have raised over USD 92M collectively, providing employment to more than 2.100 employees worldwide.
The startups selected for local finals will give a five minute pitch in English, in front of a jury made up of local startup heavyweights. Members of the public and press are welcome to come join the fun and should register on the above Seedstars Prague website as well!
ABOUT SEEDSTARS
“They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds.” – Mexican proverb
Seedstars is a Swiss-based group with the mission to impact people’s lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN. Seedstars connects stakeholders, builds companies from scratch with public and private partners and invests in high-growth startups within these ecosystems. Seedstars aims at fostering impact investing and impact entrepreneurship over the world. Through different activities, that range from startup scouting, events organization to company building and acceleration programs, Seedstars has built the world’s biggest community of changemakers in emerging markets. Seedstars group includes the largest startup competition in emerging markets (Seedstars World Competition), the Entrepreneurship Forum for Emerging Markets (Seedstars Summit), physical entrepreneurs hubs (Seedspace), acceleration programs (Seedstars Growth), teaching & training programs (Seedstars Academy) and an investment entity with a startup lab and a fund (Seedstars Investments). Some of Seedstars main partners are Enel (Energy), School of Management Fribourg (HEG Fribourg) & TRECC – Transforming Education in Cocoa Communities (Education), BBVA (Finance), Tag Heuer (Fempreneurship, Time Saving and Innovation), Merck (Health) and Continental (Mobility).
ABOUT SEEDSTARS WORLD COMPETITION
Seedstars World is the world’s largest startup competition in emerging markets. It has been five years now that Seedstars Team takes off every year for a 9-month world tour and scouts for the best early-stage startups in 65+ countries, organizing 100+ events. One winner is selected to represent each country visited, and is invited to attend one of the 5 Regional Summits, reuniting all local winners of each region to network with regional investors, mentors and corporates. Local winners are also awarded the chance to represent their countries at the Seedstars Summit, the competition final happening in Switzerland, where startups compete for up to $1Mn in investment. The Seedstars Summit is the flagship event of Seedstars, filled with breakout sessions, panel discussions, specialized workshops and the best minds from emerging markets.
