The finals of the free-to-enter competition will return to Deloitte’s London Headquarters on 23rd October 2017, where innovative start-up unicorns will present to need-to-know industry leaders from the likes of BT, Deloitte UK, Arm Ltd, Google, Wayra UK, Cambridge Angels and UK Business Angels Association. Ten shortlisted finalists will get the opportunity to pitch to this elite panel of judges and receive their immediate feedback and three overall winners will be announced.
“The Discovering Start-Ups Competition is a firm favourite in the CW calendar of events, not just for the start-up community but for our established members too” said Bob Driver, CEO at CW. “It provides an invaluable opportunity for finalists to shine in front of 22 potential investors and decision makers. The track record of this competition is an impressive one with the quality of start-ups presenting always high, and the contacts made enduring ones”.
The Discovering Start-Ups competition serves as a unique platform for start-ups and scale-ups to showcase their innovative technologies, network and help them gain exposure and traction. “The competition was a fantastic opportunity to meet other start-ups, investors and veteran entrepreneurs. The pitching training provided to all of the finalists by CW was incredibly useful, the networking on the day has opened new doors to us, and of course coming away with a trophy and the accompanying prizes was a great bonus!” said Ramsey Faragher, CEO and Founder of Focal Point Positioning, winner of the 2016 competition. Simon Bond, Innovation Director of SETsquared commented “the quality of investment opportunities showcased was better than ever this year, and the networking opportunities with the corporate venturing community was world class.”
"The Discovering Start-Ups Competition organised by CW will once again be a valuable opportunity for the investment community to meet and interact with many of the UK's emerging innovators and disrupters. The final event offering direct showcasing of the selected businesses, as well as access to vital insights from angels, VCs, corporates and seasoned entrepreneurs through panel debates and networking, makes this a very worthwhile experience for both entrepreneurs and investors" says Jenny Tooth OBE, Chief Executive of UK Business Angels Association.
In addition to the prestigious trophies, the three winners will each receive a one-year CW Founder membership, one delegate pass for the 2018 CW International Conference, access to mentors at Accelerated Digital Ventures and incubator space at Allia’s four centres in Cambridge, Peterborough and East London. Two winners will be guaranteed a place in the semi-finals of the £70k Wayra Acceleration Programme with one fast-tracked to the finals.
Supporters of the competition include St Johns Innovation Centre, IdeaSpace, Barclays Eaglelabs, Allia Ltd and Wayra UK.
The 8th Discovering Start-Ups Competition is now open for UK and European entries. The deadline for applications is 22nd September 2017. To enter, visit, http://www.cambridgewireless.co.uk/dsu/
To strike up a conversation, follow @CambWireless and tag your tech innovations using the hashtag #DSRUPT.
This year’s Discovering Startups Competition is kindly sponsored and hosted by Deloitte.
To find out more about this event, please visit the website, alternatively contact Abhi Naha at abhi.naha@cambridgewireless.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1223 967 101
Image: (L-R) DS16 winners - 8power, AlgoDynamics and Focal Point Positioning
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For CW, please contact Abhi - 01223 967 101 abhi.naha@cambridgewireless.co.uk
For press information, please contact Lucy - 01223 967 101 lucy.woods@cambridgewireless.co.uk
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