Seedstars Summit 2016, the annual entrepreneurship forum for emerging markets, will be held under the topic “Billions” on March 3, 2016 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Some 1,000 entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, corporate executives, business angels, government officials, journalists and startup enthusiasts from the fast-growing startup scenes of Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the MENA region, are expected.
Included in the agenda will be the final ceremony of the third edition of the Seedstars World competition, where up to $1 million of equity investment will be awarded to the best of the 55 regional finalists, pre-selected out of 3,000 startups from emerging areas. Here is the list of startups that will represent CEE at the event:
- Dronee (Azerbaijan) – a customizable drone with Software Development Kit and modular hardware compartment
- Ecoisme (Ukraine) – a subscription-based energy-management system that allows homeowners to monitor the energy output of various devices in the home
- Evreka (Turkey) – a startup providing real time logistics solutions for waste management companies by using IoT and M2M technologies
- Eye Care Plus (Armenia) – the most effective and comprehensive eye fitness and learning app that will fit in a pocket
- Fliiby (Serbia) – a digital content publishing and monetization platform built for creative artists and developers
- Texel (Russian Federation) – the first in the world 3D scanner to scan people and big objects
- Tickey (Bulgaria) – mobile ticketing solution for public transport, using proximity sensors and mobile payments dubbed “Uber for public transport”.
The awards ceremony will be preceded by a three-day Seedstars bootcamp, where international investors and mentors from such top accelerators as Level Up!, the Founder Institute, 500 startups, business strategy consultants representing Wardour & Oxford or eDevice, as well as top managers, such as Filippo Bonsanti, Director of Marketing Strategy at Ebay or Jose Achache, Managing Director at AP-Swiss, will coach the 55 finalists on their business model, pitching skills and growth strategy. On the last day of the bootcamp, the startups will pitch to investors. Twelve startups will be awarded with the ticket to participate in the final round on the main stage at the Summit.
Such top speakers as Frederico Lara, CTO at Bongo International, or Fabio Cannavale, CEO of Lastminute.com Group will share their ideas and insights about the latest trends in their respective fields and regions.
In addition to the Seedstars World global winner award, a new Travel track, powered by Lastminute.com Group, will be introduced to invest up to $500,000 in the best travel startup, accelerating the startup’s growth with the company’s industry know-how and long standing expertise. Moreover, Inmarsat and AP-Swiss will give a $50,000 grant to the best startup developing an application or services leveraging satellite technology. Hublot will reward the most innovative startup with $20,000.
Emerging markets centering the map
The agenda will also feature breakout sessions, panel discussions and specialized workshops on how to influence people’s lives in emerging markets through entrepreneurship and technology. Among the discussed topics will be the following: “Women entrepreneurs rising”, “How can governments kickstart an ecosystem?” and “Takeoff: exploring the next generation of the travel industry”.
“When thinking of emerging markets, most people still imagine the hubs of low cost manufacturing and unskilled labor force. This perception is about to change. Emerging markets are already transforming into the centre of innovation where talented people and changemakers grow,” noted Alisée de Tonnac, CEO at Seedstars World.
“Today, there are over four billion people with no access to the Internet, which makes four billion potential consumers, opportunities and connected citizens. In the next four years alone, nearly half a billion people will come online for the first time. Venturing a bit further into the future, by 2020, eight out of ten smartphones will be located in emerging markets. Emerging markets center the map”, adds Alisée de Tonnac.
- To get your ticket with a 15% discount, please register here.
Seedstars is a global organization based in Switzerland with its activities in more than 55 countries around the world. Its mission is to impact people’s lives in emerging markets through entrepreneurship and technology. Its main goal is to develop and/or foster startup ecosystems by connecting, building and investing into driven entrepreneurs.
