Girls in Tech Startup Challenge 2022 (up to $35,000 in prizes)

Over the past eight years, the Girls in Tech Startup Challenge has aided numerous female founders in gaining access to capital, mentorship, and media attention. And perhaps more significantly, it has given them the push they required to properly conceptualise, plan out, and get their product ready for market introduction!

The Girls in Tech Startup Challenge is your chance to give your amazing idea some legs. All applicants gain from exposure to the VC community and mentoring, and the winners receive cash rewards to aid in the expansion and launch of their businesses.

Prizes

• 1st Place: $20,000
• 2nd Place: $10,000
• 3rd Place: $5,000

Eligibility

• Individual participants must be at least 18 years old.
• All teams must have at least one female founder.
• All startups must be younger than 24 months.
• The startup must have a software or hardware product.
• The startup cannot have received more than 2M in funding.

Judging Criteria

• Business Description:
  • How well was the concept explained?
• Market Analysis:
  • Is there a genuine need for the product?
  • How well was the target market defined?
• Product Analysis:
  • Is the description of the product clear?
  • Is the product feasible?
• Competition:
  • Has the startup clearly identified its potential competitors and defined their strengths and weaknesses?
• Marketing Strategy:
  • How well defined and realistic is the startup’s current marketing plan?
• Presentation:
  • Did the individual/team engage the audience?
  • Did the individual/team speak with confidence?
  • Were the visual aids (i.e PowerPoint slides, etc) clear and straight to the point?
  • Was the overall pitch compelling?

Application

The following are requirements for application:

• Submission form
  Submit your project to the Girls in Tech YouNoodle before the deadline and complete the submission form questionnaire. Submission (including both a video pitch and pitch deck) can be edited until the deadline.
• Pitch Deck Video Presentation
  Upload a short pitch deck video presentation. This video can be submitted as a YouTube link on your YouNoodle application. The video should be a maximum of 5 minutes long and include the following details:
  • Problem: Explain the problem that you are solving and how consumers will benefit from your solution. Use a story to paint the picture so investors can understand your business.
  • Vision: Explain your vision and the mission of your company. Keep it short and straight to the point.
  • Unique Value Proposition: What makes your solution different from other companies who are addressing the same customer problem?
  • About the Team: Highlight key team member expertise and how these will contribute to the startup.
  • Milestones: Talk about any growth or milestones you have achieved so far and how a new funding round might expedite that growth.
  • Business Model: Talk about how the business works or will work? How does the business make or will make money? Do you have a marketing strategy?
  • Competition: Who are your competitors and what makes you better than them?

Click here to apply