The first Startup Awards.SK competition is behind us. Neulogy, in the role of a garant and organizer, was part of this competition from the beginning until the end.
How did it all start?
Neulogy has been planing a start-up competition for some time now. Our goal was to do something more than a mere business plan competition. We wanted to reward people who are devoted to their ideas, managed to build a product, get first customers and aren't afraid to dream about global growth. In cooperation with DELL, SARIO and KPMG, our dream has come true.
Preparations
Once the concept of the competition has been agreed on and the roadshow planned, we have announced the deadlines and waited eagerly for the applications.
Pre-selection
Start-ups waited with their applications for the last minute, and the majority of the 37 applications arrived few minutes before deadline. The application materials were then evaluated by a jury consisting of representatives of Neulogy, SARIO and Plug and Play; and 11 finalists (including a "wild card" for Studentive as a winner of Startup Weekend) were selected.
Preparation of the finalists
In order to prepare the start-ups for their final pitch, a workshop about presenting a start-up has been organised. The lecturer at the workshop was Mark Tuttle, a serial entrepreneur from California.
Finals
The theater was quickly filled by approximately 250 participants of the event. Investors, start-upers, representatives from public as well as private sector, scientists and researchers. The diversity of the participants has taken care for an interesting atmosphere and possibility of enriching exchanges among the participants.
The 11 finalists have presented their projects and the jury had hard time deciding. In the end, 4 start-ups have been chosen to take part in an acceleration program of Plug and Play Technology Center in Silicon Valley.
The winners are:
Congratulations! We hope that the winners will be able to make the most out of their stay in the US and that they will put Slovakia on the map of global start-up scene.
We would like to thank the participants for their ideas for improvement. In case you have missed this event, you can watch recording of the event online.