Extreme Tech Challenge 2022

Do you want global visibility? The ability to raise capital? Collaborate with corporates and receive world-class mentorship?

Atlantica Ventures and EchoVC are pleased to launch the first XTC Africa, a new regional competition of Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC), which is the largest global competition for entrepreneurs addressing UN sustainable development goals through purposeful technology.

Mission

The Extreme Tech ChallengeSM (XTC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit devoted to elevating the next generation of entrepreneurs creating new technologies and innovations to benefit humankind.

Inspired by the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the XTC supports and showcases the innovators harnessing the power of technology to address the greatest challenges facing humanity and our planet. Through its global startup competition, XTC provides top contenders the potential for global visibility, the ability to raise capital, network with global entities (corporations, VCs, partners), and gain mentorship opportunities they need to pioneer technological breakthroughs and help power a sustainable future.

Eligibility

Any company is eligible to participate in the Competition if it satisfies all of the following criteria:

• The company has developed, or is in the process of developing a product or service based on a new or innovative technology, or an innovative application of an existing technology developed by the company.
• The company’s product or service developed or under development by the company has the potential to address one of the following ten key categories, which are based on the Seventeen (17) United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. AgTech and Food, Cleantech, Energy & Environment, Advanced Materials, Edtech, Enabling Tech, FinTech, Biotech, Digital Health, Mobility and Smart Cities

• The company has no restrictions on future funding based on the funding received by the company as of the date of submission of the entry.
• The company is not publicly traded; remains privately held; and will be actively looking to raise additional capital by the end of 2023.
• The company is legally incorporated in any eligible country, is not incorporated in any excluded country, and does not have any subsidiaries or affiliates located or incorporated in any excluded country.
• The company complies with all the terms and conditions of these official rules.
• The company and its officers, directors, managers and employees are not subject to sanctions in the United States or listed on the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List or the Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions Lists, which may be found here.
• At least one company founder or executive is a legal resident of an eligible country, and at least 18 years of age at the time of entry into the competition.
• You agree to notify us if you have any relationship with any XTC partner that is either pre-existing or that develops prior to the judging of the competition. XTC will ensure that any judging is conducted only by qualified individuals who do not have a relationship with your company. Competition partners are the companies and individuals identified on the website.
• The company has not previously been selected as one of the XTC categories or special award winners in 2020 or 2021 otherwise, companies, including the non-winning 122 finalists from 2020 and 2021 are encouraged to reapply this year.

Evaluation

XTC competitors will be evaluated by a team of highly experienced investors, entrepreneurs, and executives. Submissions will be judged based on their quality, ability to address the corresponding U.N. Sustainability Development Goals, and long-term viability. Each application will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Tech for Good and Impact on the Sustainable Development Goals of both the product and the company’s operations
• Product Market Fit
• Product/Service Innovation
• Team

Finalists

The Finalist Cohort will be invited to the virtual XTC Bootcamp and Global Finals in June to meet the VC and corporate executive evaluators, including ~50+ XTC Partners comprised of Ford, Intel, Cisco, ARM, Samsung, etc.

Selected Finalists will also pitch to XTC judges at the Category Finals, who will select the winner of each Category and the winner of each Special Award. These Category Winners will then advance to the final event, the Extreme Tech Challenge 2021 Global Finals Presented by TechCrunch.