Top startup pitch competitions you must join in 2022

Tuesday, 17/05/2022 17:58 (GTM +7)

Startup is not a strange word, especially for Millennials and GenZ, who possess abundant sources of ideas, enthusiasm, and adaptability to changes in the surrounding environment.

Startup contests are always interesting and attractive destinations. Therefore, we will review some typical playgrounds every year and then have an overview and timeline to prepare well.

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Startup Wheel

Designed as an accelerator program lasting six months (from March to August every year) to support and develop startups, Startup Wheel is the most significant innovation contest in Vietnam for domestic and international projects, organized by Business Startup Support Center (BSSC).

For nine years, Startup Wheel has welcomed 9,700 projects from 31 countries worldwide; 1,500 venture capital funds, investors, experts, and global partners, with total capital being $2 million in 2022.

Startup Wheel does not limit the age, country, and region of registers. There will be two types of Vietnamese and international projects divided into three subjects: individuals or startup groups, businesses, and students.

ITI Fund_Startup Wheel_Vietnam Some typical partners of Startup Wheel in Vietnam (source: Startup Wheel)

ITI Fund_Startup Wheel_Quốc tế Some typical partners of international Startup Wheel (source: Startup Wheel)

We also have some outstanding projects from previous seasons of Startup Wheel:

Hector: The leading company researches and supplies cordyceps products throughout Vietnam with more than 200 distributions.
Edu2review: The education evaluation platform with 5 million users and 2,430 training units successfully raised capital from Nest Tech (Singapore) and Zone Startups Vietnam.
Finhay: The financial technology platform connects young people with reputable investment fund systems, successfully raising millions of USD from Insignia Venture Partners (Sing), H2 Ventures (Australia), Jeffray Cruttenden – co-founder of Acorns ( America).

Techfest Việt Nam

Techfest Vietnam – National Innovation Day is held from September to December annually, with more than 50 events across the country, divided into prominent “startup villages” such as educational technology village, social impact village, and global village,…

Organized by National Startup Support Center (NSSC), Techfest connects innovative startups, experts, and investors across 16 technology fields.

ITI Fund_Techfest Techfest International with Vietnamese brand was first held in the US (source: ictVietnam)

Established in 2015 and experienced seven seasons, Techfest gathers 2000+ projects with 7000+ direct attendants and total capital up to 13.71 million USD per season.
Some typical startups through the seasons:

GoStream, which provides a cross-platform Livestream for sellers, is invested by VinaCapital Ventures and Zone Startups Vietnam.
Foodmap – the e-commerce platform for agricultural products – directly connects farmers, and food manufacturers with customers (B2C and B2B), raising $ 2.9 million from Beenext, Vulpes, Ascend Vietnam Ventures, and Wavemaker.
EM & AI, which provides AI solutions to improve the quality of customer service staff, was selected by the Ministry of Science and Technology to introduce to investors and startup communities.
MultiGlass: devices that integrate multi-recognition, IoT, and AI to help businesses monitor drivers, connected with Lotte Accelerator and SK Telecom.

Creative Idea Contest (CiC)

Creative Idea Contest – CiC is an innovative contest for students organized annually by the Innovative Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) – VNU-HCM. In 2022, ITI Fund will be a strategic partner in this contest.

ITI Fund_CiC_ITI

ITI Fund is a strategic partner of the Creative Idea Contest – CiC 2022 (source: cic.itp.vn)

With support from the HCMC Department of Science and Technology, the Startup Fund of VNU-HCMC, and some universities, CiC wishes to develop and equip knowledge, skill, and experience for founders of potential startups through activities for six months.

CiC has reached 700,000+ students and attracted 350+ projects with 1,000 participants from 174 universities, colleges, and high schools nationwide. For potential projects, CIC will support raising capital, accelerating startups, and participating in incubation programs with total committed capital of 3 billion VND.

ITI Fund_CiC_Thành tích

Some impressive reports of CiC (source: cic.itp.vn)

Target audience: students who study in universities, colleges, intermediate schools, and academies nationwide from grades 8 to 12.

ITI Fund_CiC_Giải thưởng The prize structure of CiC (source: cic.itp.vn)

ITI Fund_CiC_Timeline Timeline of CiC 2022 (source: cic.itp.vn)

Some outstanding projects from previous seasons of CiC:

AUTOMOV – Wheelchair assistive device: successfully raised 300,000,000 VND for 20% of shares.
VITAO – Using microalgae to treat aquatic wastewater: successfully raised 150,000,000 VND for 20% of shares.
KORONA BOARD GAME – Covid19 epidemic prevention game: successfully raised $15,000 for 21% stake.
EMOLYZE TECH – Developing high-quality software with low-code technology: successfully raised $15,000 for 5% stake.

Hack4Growth

Hack4Growth is an innovation contest that aims to promote the Vietnamese startup ecosystem through developing practical and community-driven solutions.

AVSE (Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts) – The global organization of Vietnamese scientists and experts, headquartered in Paris, held this contest and had a partner network of over 20 countries with 2,000+ experts and 10,000+ collaborators.

Hack4Growth’s target audience is young people, and teams must have at least one contestant being Vietnamese.

ITI Fund_Hack4Growth_Partners Some investment partners of the contest (source: Hack4Growth)

Some typical projects through previous seasons of Hack4Growth:

NANONEEM – Biopesticides using nanotechnology and natural mechanisms against pests and diseases extracted from Neem and other herbal plants.
CRE VIETNAM – Rapid and early screening CRE physical discs to reduce transmission of carbapenem resistance (CRE) mutations in hospitals.
SOBANHANG – The application helps small, and micro retailers increase revenue through local e-commerce activation
EGREEN – The project develops biogas power that emission reduction and responds to climate change

ITI Fund_Hack4Growth_Image Image of the contest (source: Hack4Growth)

I-Startup

I-Startup is organized by the National Economics University to find, support, and honor excellent startup ideas, with participants who have participated nationally in Vietnam from 18 to 26 years old.

The contest also incubates potential projects with quality human resources. Having dynamic operation teams and diverse networks of partners, I-Startup will be a valuable playground for young people, reputable partners, and businesses… who want to develop and promote the startup movement in Vietnam. ITI Fund presented as juries for the Top 10 Pitching Round of I-Startup 2022.

ITI Fund_I-Startup_Thành tích Some impressive reports about the contest (source: I-Startup)