The 9th RTSI Forum presents a distinguished opportunity for innovative startups dedicated to fostering positive change through technology to participate in the NextGen Startup for Impact competition. This competition offers a unique platform for emerging startups to present their pioneering solutions and demonstrate their significant potential for impact beyond conventional business metrics.

We are particularly interested in startups that tackle urgent social, economic, and environmental challenges across various sectors, including education, healthcare, environmental sustainability, energy, and more. If your venture harnesses NextGen technologies to develop transformative solutions that contribute to the betterment of society.

We invite you to submit your application.

We welcome applications from startups that:

• Are in pre-seed, seed or early stage, (existing pitch, MVP, and business model, funding invested or received under 1M Euros, and up to 2years old)
• Founders are graduate research students or industry young professionals
• Utilize innovative technologies based on their own intellectual property to address pressing economic, environmental or social issues
• Exhibit a clear and measurable impact in their respective fields
• Possess a scalable business model that promotes sustainability and growth.

To participate in this prestigious competition, please adhere to the following steps:

• Prepare Your Application: Provide a comprehensive description of your startup, the issue you are addressing, and the innovative ways your solution employs NextGen technologies. The application will include details on your founding team and background, startup inception (when and how it started), problem / issue addressed, intellectual property, value proposition, target audience and geographies, business model and target revenue model, technologies employed, and competitive advantage.
• Submit Your Application: Complete the online application form by the specified submission deadline. The application will ask you to submit written answers, as well as a short pitch slide deck (10 slides), and 3-minute video pitch.
• Pitch Your Idea: Selected finalists will have the opportunity to present their startup to a panel of esteemed judges during the final event.
• Deadline for Applications: All applications must be submitted by 30 April 2025.

This competition not only offers participants invaluable visibility but also the chance to receive insightful feedback from industry experts. Moreover, competitors will vie for prestigious awards that recognize outstanding research and real world relevance in social impact innovation.

We encourage you to seize this opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the world!

In pre-selection and live pitching phase, you will be assessed along the following criteria:

• Innovation: The startup presents a new technology, enhances an existing technology, or utilizes a new application for an existing technology
• Scalability: The startup has the potential to expand its value proposition or its market (e.g., geographically, sector-wise, etc.)
• Impact: The startup creates a positive impact for its community, clients, and users, while promoting sustainable engineering
• Market Feasibility: The startup has the potential or has demonstrated its ability to enter the market, gain traction from target audience, partners or investors, and gain market share
• Business Potential: The startup has the potential or has demonstrated its ability to sustain revenue generating and profitable business operations with a solid business model
• Skills of the Entrepreneurial Group: The founding team possesses the necessary skills to execute the project successfully.

Pre-selection and final judging panel will include experts from:

• IEEE technical societies
• Industry professionals and experts
• Entrepreneurs and founders
• Investors and mentors