Only one week left to apply for Startup Battlefield at Disrupt Berlin

Seven days, 168 hours or 10,080 minutes; you can crunch the numbers any way you like, but you still have only one week left to apply for the Startup Battlefield at Disrupt Berlin 2017. We get it; you’re busy building something great. But you seriously don’t want to miss out on Startup Battlefield — it’s one of the best ways to introduce that greatness to the rest of the world.

We’re not the only people who hold that opinion. Consider what Brian Pokorny, of SV Angel, says about the value of competing in Startup Battlefield:

“Disrupt Battlefield provides startups an opportunity for global exposure and instant access to customers, press and investment opportunities. It’s a one-of-a-kind competition that creates instant credibility and serves as a tremendous catalyst in launching your startup to the next level.”

You don’t even have to win the Battlefield to reap that ROI. And bear in mind: your investment consists of the time it takes to apply, prepare and travel. There’s no fee to participate in the competition. Of course, winning has its perks — namely a check to the tune of $50,000, the Disrupt Cup and serious bragging rights.

How does Startup Battlefield work? We’re so glad you asked. TechCrunch selects 15-30 of the world’s best early-stage startups. Each team gets six minutes to deliver a pitch — which includes a live product demo — to a panel of esteemed judges (consisting of seasoned tech investors and TechCrunch editors). After the demo, the judges put each team through an in-depth Q&A.

The judges then choose 4-5 competitors as finalists. They go through a second round of pitching, and the panel picks one winner and one runner-up. All of this takes place in front of an audience of several thousand startup fans, media and investors. It’s also live-streamed to a global audience via the TechCrunch website.

All Battlefield contestants score free tickets to attend Disrupt Berlin, and they also get a free demo booth in Startup Alley, where hundreds of other innovative young companies showcase their tech and talent.

If this all sounds tense and stressful, well, it is. But it’s also exhilarating, engaging and fun. Yes, fun. All Startup Battlefield participants are invited to TechCrunch’s VIP dinner and other private events for Battlefield founders. And, of course, there are the after parties. Hey, what happens in Berlin, stays in Berlin, OK?

Disrupt Berlin takes place on December 4-5, 2017 at the Arena Berlin, Eichenstraße 412435. Startup Battlefield applications remain open until September 25 at 5 p.m. PT.

The clock is running. You have one week to get your team together and apply to Startup Battlefield. Pro tip: You might want to brush up on your German, too. Ich bin ein Berliner!