The top tech start-ups that were unveiled at U-Start’s conferences in Brazil, South Africa, Russia and Switzerland, are heading to Milan for the global final of 2014. Each entrepreneur will live-pitch head to head against 18 of the world’s top start-up’s.
Finalists attending from Europe, South America, Africa and Russia, will be vying for the title of number one start-up of the world. The highly acclaimed accolade is fortified with the prize of final stage funding and the exclusive opportunity to participate in U-Start’s International Investment road show.
Each enterprise presented in three minute slots to a body of active international VC firms, accelerators, high net-worth individuals, family offices and policy makers. The event culminated in the selection of the six finalists, chosen by a panel of esteemed judges. The winning selection was chosen on the basis of four key principles: feasibility, sustainability, scalability and entrepreneurship.
The series will conclude on the 13th-14th May, at the grand finale – U-Start Conference Milan, 2014.
Held in partnership with Regione Lombardia, Iberia Airlines, Airbnb and Uber as tier one sponsors, the conference will serve as a leading knowledge-sharing event, encouraging entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, business angels and global thought-leaders in the technology and business sector to exchange insights, contacts and expertise.
The overall winner of the live-pitch event will be given the chance to take part in the U-Start international investment road show; That will offer an unrivaled opportunity for the winning start-up to interact with a number of prominent investors, venture capitalists, angel investors and family offices from an array of global markets.
The 19 finalists competing at the Milan event will also be granted priority access to a revolutionary concierge service, which partners a pre-engaged network of international investors with financially viable SMEs.
Other benefits for the European contestants and their international competitors include prizes from internationally acclaimed sponsors and a year’s complimentary access to the U-Start platform.
In addition, each candidate will be granted access to Training Week – an intensive training program exclusive to U-Start, which offers industry specific guidance in order to nurture and advise start-ups on legal structuring, go-to-market strategy, internationalization processes and leadership.