Deadline: 26 December 2014
The 1776 invites startups around the world to submit their project for Challenge Cup Competition of $650,000. This is a global competition accepting startups in four different categories.
The competition takes place in 16 cities around the world. Up to 40 startups will present 1 minute pitches at each competition. Among the 40, 8 startups will move to 5 minute pitch round and 4 will be selected to participate in the Global Finals to be held in Washington Dc. The Global Finals will be held during May 2015.
The Global Final will feature total 64 startups, 4 winners from each 16 cities. Among the 64, total 8 startups will be selected and overall winner will be selected from among the 8.
Categories
- Education – the most promising startups improving how people are educated in society. Innovations may include – early child K-12, higher education and adult learning.
- Energy – the most promising startups disrupting any phase in the energy life cycle as well as other creative solutions to efficiently consuming the world’s energy. Innovations may include – production; renewable sources, efficiency in residential; commercial and industrial spaces; storage and transmission; smart grid and smart things; data analytics; marketplace (how consumers choose preferred energy sources); and natural resources.
- Health – the most promising startups creating better ways to keep society healthy and happy. Innovations may include – personal health, medical, bioinformatics, digital health records, data analytics, corporate wellness, tolls for hospitals, mobile, insurance and delivery.
- Cities – the most promising startups creating tools, apps, and other advancements that make citizen and city living more efficient, convenient or improved. Innovations can be (but not limited to) transportation, public safety, delivery of government or commercial benefits, citizen engagement, politics, local connectivity and sharing, sustainability, small business services.
Competition Features
- A 2-day accelerator program
- An exciting public competition with the most innovative companies in the four categories
- An opportunity to connect with prominent entrepreneurs, investors, customers and partners
Prizes – Total Cash Prize $650,000
- $150,000 each to four Category Winners
- $50,000 total to Semifinalists
All the Semifinalists will win –
- 1 Week expense paid trip to Washington DC for the Global Finals
- 5-day mentorship & connections program including workshops, galas, roundtables, and private meetings with executives, corporate partners, investors, and entrepreneurs
- Media coverage
- Ties in growing startups in participant’s community & others from around the world
Cities/Competition Date/Application Deadline
Since the competition deadline for 5 cities has already expired, please consider the following competition dates and deadlines for remaining 11 cities
| Nairobi | 21-22 January 2015 | 26 December 2014 |
| Mumbai | 26-27 January 2015 | 2 January 2015 |
| Austin | 3-4 February 2014 | 9 January 2015 |
| Santiago | 10-11 February 2014 | 16 January 2015 |
| Boston | 18-19 February 2014 | 23 January 2015 |
| Berlin | 23-24 February 2014 | 30 January 2015 |
| Dublin | 26-27 February 2014 | 30 January 2015 |
| San Francisco | 4-5 March 2014 | 6 February 2015 |
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant must be offering scaleable products or services.
- Applicant must be from categories like education, health, energy & cities.
- Applicant must have risen less than $1.5 million USD at the time of application and have generated less than $3 million USD in revenue at time of application.
For more information, visit the link Call for Application.
