The semifinals
of the Global Startup Pitch, organized by WiT and Phocuswright, will be held on
August 24 with a total of 18 startups vying for the title of Global Startup of
the Year. The virtual event will run from 7:30 p.m. to 10:40 p.m. Singapore time August
24.
A new “Wildcard
2” category has been created by the organizers to include three promising
companies – MyTrip.ai,
Eco.mio
and SquadTrip.
“We wanted to surface some more ideas in important areas of the industry such
as generative AI, sustainability and payments and introduce more diversity into
the group,” said Pete Comeau, managing director of Phocuswright.
They join
the 15 semifinalists who got through the first round of pitching held on May 24.
They are:
Asia Pacific
Middle East & Africa
Europe
Americas
Wildcard 1
Six companies will go on from the semifinals to
compete in the Grand Finals at WiT
Singapore, Oct 2-4.
The winner will be named Global Startup of the Year and will receive a
presentation spot at The Phocuswright
Conference taking
place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, November 12-14.
“We wish the 18 startups the very best of luck
and can’t wait to welcome the six finalists who will travel to Singapore,” said
Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder of WiT.
“By making it thus far, they’ve proven they have what it takes to make it in
today’s challenging environment for startups. Our judges will be looking for
criteria such as viability, customer appeal, technical innovation,
sustainability, team and the X factor.”
The Global Startup Pitch is part of an ongoing
commitment to cultivate innovation through activities including WiT Bootcamps,
Phocuswright’s Innovation: Launch, Startup Programs and PhocusWire’s Hot25 Travel Startups, all fostering an
industry-driving global network of leaders on the edge of innovation.
Sign up to watch the virtual event or to
attend the in-person events here.