Coming up : 30/10-31/10 2013
Be prepared, check your calenders.
Startup Competition, the Electric Ireland Spark of Genius…
Sounds ambitious. And it is…:-)
150+ entrants, four rounds of pitching on stage, four category winners, one startup champion, a big opportunity to reach an incredible audience of leading investors, media and more from around the world. The competition, which is kindly sponsored by Electric Ireland, is free to enter.
Categories & Critera
– The company must be in existence, in its current format for no more than 3 years.
– Annual revenue for financial year of 2011 be no greater than €5 million.
– Have raised no more than €5 million in funding.
– Be a startup with an innovative product or service idea.
Companies are encouraged to enter all categories which apply to their business.
The Format
1st Round – Pre Event:
All startups should register their interest by Friday 27th of July here. Eligible statups will be invited to complete the next stage of the application process. The top 50 startups will be chosen by the Dublin Web Summit Startup Advisory Panel made up of international entrepreneurs, investors, and tech media. These top 50 will be given the opportunity to pitch on stage at the Dublin Web Summit in front of judges from each category judging panel.
2nd Round: – Day 1 of the Summit:
The Electric Ireland Spark of Genius pitching stage – 4 stages in total, one for each category. The top startups in each category will pitch on their category stage with Q&A from judges in that category. At the end of day one, the judges will choose a winner in each category who will be presented with their trophy and fund. The top 12 startups across all categories will go through to the semi-final. This will include the 4 winners in each category.
Semi-final – Day 2 morning – Startup stage
The top 12 startups will pitch in front of the Finalists’ Judging Panel on the startup stage. The judges will then pick the top 3 who will pitch on the main stage. Dublin Web Summit will provide mentoring for the top 3 finalists to perfect their pitch.
Final – Day 2 afternoon – Main stage
The top 3 will pitch for the final time on the main stage. The People’s Choice Award will be announced and presented with an award. The Electric Ireland Spark of Genius 2012 will be announced and presented with their trophy and fund.
Judging
We will have 5 different judging panels, one for each category and a Finalist Judging Panel, which will consist of two judges from each category panel. Our judging panels will consist of a mixture of international tech entrepreneurs, leading early stage investors, media and more. Each category panel will feature judges relevant to each sector.
Prizes
This year’s prize promises to be our largest fund to date, details to be announced in the coming weeks for each category winner and the overall Electric Ireland Spark of Genius.