Are you a high-tech startup? That's great, because you're in the right place! Now, let’s talk about why you should apply for this Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge. The answer is generally hidden in these three famous words: investment, connections, and visibility.
We’re not even talking about the chance to attend the Global Summit, the world’s best deep tech event! Clearly, this summit is a fantastic start for you and is definitely a sufficient reason to apply.
However, for some of you, three simple answers may not be enough. We agree. Let’s dive a little deeper! We recommend you consider these six reasons to apply for the Global Challenge.
1. It will take you more than 5 minutes to apply… And that’s definitely a good thing
Who really has the time these days to sit down and think about their project in a good, long, hard way? How often do you get a chance to stop and think about your mission, your ambition, your timelines? At the beginning of your venture, you often have to keep your 'head in the game' as much as possible. You think, breathe, sleep… In fact, there’s a very strong reason why you shouldn’t sleep so much.
Use this unique opportunity to reflect on what you’ve achieved so far and where you want to go in the future. Empower your company by creating a solid application.
To start, here are some tips from jury member and deep tech investor Hemai Parthasarathy:
“For the application process, focus on your specific solution, not the global problem. We all know cancer is a plague, we all know clean air is important. Tell us about your technology, but don’t fall in love with it.”
Don’t worry, you can save your draft and continue from where you left off later!
2. There will be only about 3,000 participants at the summit
We are planning to hold the Global Challenge physically in Paris on December 2-3, 2021. This means the full experience: our amazing speakers, fantastic stages, VIP events, and startup showcases… Don’t worry, we have a Covid emergency plan. Our priority will be to ensure that the experiences of Challenge participants are not affected by local Covid situations while conducting a safe event.
Now, let’s turn to the participants. Our goal with the Global Challenge has always been to provide the best environment to grasp the future and accelerate business for our global Deep Tech community. This is a place where you can come together, discuss, challenge, and grow. We value connections more than the number of staff on your Swapcard or LinkedIn account. We are more on the side of “Meet the right people” than “Meet as many people as possible.” You could say that we value quality over quantity. The Challenge isn’t overly crowded, and there’s plenty of space for working, networking, co-working, etc.
“We met our CEO at the Global Summit. Hello Tomorrow is one of the best things that happened to us!” Founder, Onward, Switzerland.
3. You can have a day full of meetings… But only with the good ones!
To be honest, don’t we all hate endless meeting days back to back? But what if those meetings were one-on-one with the best and leading VCs and CVCs in the world? That would be a completely different story, right?
This is the subject of Investor Day. If you are chosen as one of our Deep Tech Pioneers, you will attend the Summit a full day before to form strong relationships with deep tech-focused investors.
“We found one of our main investors at the Global Challenge” CEO, Skypull, Switzerland
“I first met Total Ventures at Hello Tomorrow when Deep Branch was just a few months old, 2 years ago. We stayed in contact, and when the time came for participation in Series A, we already knew the strategic value of their investments.” CEO, Deep Branch, United Kingdom
4. You might have stage fright… But it will be worth it!
If you are among the finalists of the Global Challenge at the Summit, you will of course be presenting in front of a jury, but also in front of 400 people on a fabulous stage. Trust us! Here’s a picture from the Pitching Stage in 2019.
400 people discovering your solution, admiring your ideas, and ready to meet you at the end of the talk to chat and perhaps build something together.
Bonus: If you win one of the sector verticals, this time you will present again on the Main Stage, which means you will be on the most impressive stage (600 people).
5. You might become a bit famous after the competition… Are you ready to take risks?
For example, our Grand Winner in 2019, RxAll, appeared in about 30 digital articles including full profiles by Fast Company, Deutsche Welle, and Le Monde in the month following the Summit.
When Lilium won the Grand Prize in 2016, they were, in their own words, “4 students with big dreams and not even a full-scale prototype” and the Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge “enabled them to be recognized by the public for the first time.” Since then, they’ve built and flown their prototypes, raised hundreds of millions of euros, and recently announced a SPAC merger worth 3.3 billion euros!
“The Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge took us from doing our work in the background boringly to shining the spotlight on us. We receive emails almost every week since we won.” CEO, Agora Energy Technologies , 2020 Winner.
6. Even if you don’t win the Grand Prize, there are plenty of opportunities to catch!
Of course, being first is always nice! However, there are countless success stories from the hundreds of Deep Tech Pioneers we select from the Challenge application pool every year.
Some connected with their investors during Investor Day or through virtual promotions throughout the year, while others met strategic partners through regular application calls we conduct with our corporate partners or through tailored one-on-one meetings.
The Global Challenge is more than a one-off competition; it’s a gateway to a high-tech community full of opportunities!
“Hello Tomorrow does more than just provide a stage for startups and share ideas that will change the world. As the initiatives of Hello Tomorrow, we have had the privilege of experiencing how you can connect capital and government and truly help founders execute their businesses in the market. It’s not easy to find. It was an incredible and beautiful experience.” CEO, X-Zell, Singapore
So, are you convinced? Grab the spotlight and be part of the best Deep Tech Challenge in the world.
