NEC Innovation Challenge

NEC is on a quest to find the next generation of pioneers to deliver the brightest ideas and solutions. NEC launched the NEC Innovation Challenge to ensure their mission to harness technology and digital solutions could be addressed.

NEC’s mission is to search for startups who could provide new innovative ideas that address one of the following key themes: Healthcare & Life sciences, Metaverse and Carbon neutrality. If you have an idea that could address one of these themes, we would like to hear from you.

By participating in this challenge, you could access the following:

• The Grand Winner will receive USD20,000 to cover Proof of Concepts

• Unprecedented access to NEC X’s venture studio and travel to Silicon Valley

• Funding opportunities by NOFF CVC and access to the BIRD INITIATIVE Startup studio to help support your company’s development

Themes of the challenge

NEC’s mission is to bring together the smartest minds on the planet to develop the new unicorn ideas of tomorrow. The NEC Innovation Challenge invites startups and NEC employees to deliver a proof of concept for a new innovative product or technology service, which addresses one of the 3 key themes below.

• Healthcare & Lifescience
• Metaverse
• Carbon Neutrality

Prize and incentives

4 different types of prizes await our selected startups!

• NEC Prize
  Proof of Concept of up to US$20,000
• NEC X Prize
  Access to the NEC X venture studio and travel to Silicon Valley for the kickoff week (flight and hotel expenses covered for 1 person)
• NOFF Prize
  Discussions for funding from NOFF
  *NOFF (NEC Orchestrating Future Fund) is a multi-LP corporate venture capital managed by Translink Capital as a GP. NEC is an Anchor LP for the fund
• BIRD INITIATIVE Prize
  Access to the BIRD startup studio

Final Event

March 10, 2023 – Online
The final of The NEC Global Innovation Challenge will be attended by the 10 selected finalists. They will have the opportunity to pitch their solution to a panel of senior management from NEC.