Webit.Founders Games 2020

Founders Games is the growth program of Webit.Festival available for companies with funding of $500K - $20M. It is a special, invitation-only program, with focus on high growth and high potential companies. During the years, Founders Games has become one of the world’s biggest startup competitions connecting startups with investors, partners and media. $1 Million is the prize pool which Webit.Foundation has raised from private investors and our exclusive partner Microsoft for Startups as prizes for the startup finalists and the winner of the Founders Games in our 2019 edition!

All of the selected startups shall receive 3 Pro tickets with access to all the festival's parallel summits, events and workshops, an expo stand for a day at the Festival + the opportunity to get selected for the Founders Games pitches in front of investors and a selected jury. Startup members can also participate in the 1:1 meetings with investors and VC representatives and receive guidance and advice from our speakers, investors, VCs and businessers speaking on the stages of Webit's Startup Academy and Growth Summit.

Pre-seed, Post Seed and Growth Stage startups founded less than 8 years ago are all welcome to apply. You can check on the different startup verticals and see if they fit your company’s product or service.

Each startup has 6 minutes on stage: 3 minutes pitch presentation and 3 minutes Q&A session in front of the investors’ jury and attendees. The startups with maximum points from the jury and the investors providing the award will go to the finals and have a second pitch on stage with the closing ceremony. The winner shall be announced after the investors providing the award advise and select the winner/s.

Our team will contact you once the selection part is over. A few weeks before the Festival we close the application process so that startups will have the time to prepare and for the schedule to be set.

A schedule with detailed agenda about all the Festival’s parallel summits, startup pitches, workshops and partner events is published on Webit’s website.

We recommend arriving on the first day of the Festival when registration opens in order to get acknowledged with the event venue and avoid waiting in lines.

Though there’s no expo and conference agenda on that day, there are a number of things planned such as the night Urban Summit opening and the Startup Academy. Leaving is at best and if convenient planned after the Founders Games finals and closing ceremony on the last day of the conference.

You can freely explore the Festival, have meetings, food and drinks and fun but it’s advisable to have a representative from your team at your stand at (almost) all times.

• Get acknowledged with the big picture on what’s happening and where - agenda, venue and different things happening simultaneously in order to take the best out for you in terms of your interests and needs.
• Practice your pitch, in front of people, mirrors, yourself or even your cat. You'll have 3 minutes to persuade the attendees and investors’ jury (present and online), why your idea should be in their hearts and minds and why it deserves to be a winner. Make it clear and convincing.
• Do some research. You can check the speakers, investors and all attendees of Webit and prepare with background information and cool conversation starters.
• Explore the Festival properly well as well as the city of Webit.
• Go out and about, meet and talk to people. Personal outreach is encouraged more than the virtual one :)
• Get some rest. The Webit party needs you fit, in high power and energy levels.
• Bring a friend or three. Events are better when shared with a company.

• Laptop, tablets, screens.
• Demo of your product if applicable.
• Print and ad materials, posters, stickers, lights, wine and anything you can think of to provide attendees with and properly catch their attention.
• Business cards
• A big smile and camera to take pictures when on stage, off stage and everywhere you feel like it.
• Lots of positive energy!

As a non-profit, Webit Foundation is unable to cover travel and accommodation costs for startups other than the discount grant for participation. We're striving to build a bridge between the enterprise and startup worlds and to get these two forces’ mutual benefit and collaboration.