startAD has announced it is now accepting applications for the second edition of the Beyond the Pitch competition. The application window opened on Nov 5 for all UAE residents aged between 18 and 25. The last date for submission of the online application form is January 15, 2019. Beyond the Pitch 2.0 is being organized in collaboration with the UAE government’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).
The second edition of the competition is themed under “Sustainability,” and it invites applicants to share their unique, innovative solutions that can help the global community to offer a united stand against the burning issue of climate change.
Innovations surrounding circular economies, sustainable food and agriculture, and green cities are expected to dominate the competition. These topics were selected by a panel appointed by startAD, GGGI and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. Their end goal is to encourage young, aspiring entrepreneurs to come up with innovative local ideas with the potential to make a significant impact on both the economy, as well as the environment.
“With 35 percent of the UAE’s population under the age of 25, this program is a great opportunity for local youth to take innovative and impactful ideas and turn them into viable business models in a short period. Beyond the Pitch is true to its name. We sought to fill the gap created by pitch competitions and hackathons, by providing much-needed follow-on support and guidance,” commented Robyn Brazzil, Director of startAD.
Only top-15 applicants will make it to the Beyond Pitch 2.0 main round where they will undergo a couple of preliminary boot camps on February 8-9, and February 15-16, 2019. The boot camps will be geared towards providing the participants with detailed instructions on ideation, customer development, and product-market fit.
More workshops will ensue in the follow-up weeks with the vision of helping out the participants come up with a business model and to market it to a diverse audience comprising potential customers, partners, and investors.
