FAQ
Who can participate with an idea?
Everyone - teams of arbitrary size.
- Are there restrictions on the topics?
Nope.
Are there any restrictions on the idea?
We do not allow funded ideas/startups.
Yes, still the idea has to be considered 'early-stage'.
How can you qualify as a team?
The EC Award Qualification Committee will pick 15 teams demonstrating extraordinary quality for the elevator pitches. The 6 best teams get the chance to pitch at the EC Award. Furthermore, the committee will make sure to restrict participation to idea-stage projects.
- I have already worked on my project. I don't know if I'm still idea-stage.
Heuristic, not a rule: If your work brought you to a prototype for the purpose of getting feedback, great. If your past work already represents a respectable part of your product or business, you are no longer what we're looking for.
Is it ok to have one of the team members to be part of the EC Committee?
Nope.
What should a project registration on cofoundme.org look like?
We don't require a certain structure - just do your best to convince the voters and the Qualification Committee. Be sure to emphasize on the given judgement criteria. Furthermore, you might want to restrict the length of your content.
What will the pitches be like?
Every team will have exactly 3 min to pitch. We will not let any team have a second of overtime (hint: there will be a gong!). Slides are allowed. Immediately afterwards, the jury will randomly ask you questions for 5 min. There are no restrictions on the content of the pitch. However we want you to keep in mind, that it's all about idea-stage projects.
What are the judgement criteria for at the event?
Feasibility, monetization potential, innovation, added social and/or ecological value.
- Do I need a ticket to join the audience?
Yes, but all tickets are free. We want everyone to enjoy the evening, which is impossible without seats, food and drinks. Still we don't want to spend an unnecessary amount of money on food and drinks - as we try to rise the prizes as much as we can.