We’re less than one month away from hosting our first Startup Battlefield pitch competition in the Middle East and North Africa. Holy smokes, we’re so excited to showcase the region’s most promising early-stage startups at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield MENA 2018 on October 3 in Beirut, Lebanon.
We’ve selected the participating startups, and their founders are hard at work honing their pitches for the big day. There’s just one thing missing — you! Come to Beirut Digital District in Lebanon for an action-packed day of competition, networking and celebration. A spectator pass costs $29, and you can buy your tickets right here.
If you’ve never attended our premier startup pitch competition, here’s how Startup Battlefield works. The participating teams will compete in three preliminary rounds — up to five startups per round. They’ll have just six minutes to wow the judges with a live product demo and pitch. The judges, distinguished technologists and investors, follow each pitch with a six-minute, no-holds-barred Q&A.
At most, five teams will be chosen to move into the final round where they will pitch a second time to new judges, who follow up with more probing questions. All the judges confer, and they will choose one outstanding startup to lay claim to the Startup Battlefield MENA 2018 championship, a US$25,000 no-equity cash prize and a trip for two to Disrupt San Francisco in 2019 — where they get to compete in that Startup Battlefield (assuming the company still qualifies to compete at the time).
And that’s not all: TechCrunch has just announced its first batch of speakers who will be joining us in Beirut. It is a regular who’s who of the MENA startup and technology scene, so you don’t want to miss what they have to say.
It’s fast-paced, think-on-your-feet action, and it all takes place in front of a live audience (we’re looking right at you) of startup fans, tech enthusiasts, investors and media. It’s a great opportunity to see the future of tech unfold — who knows, these startups may grow into tomorrow’s tech titans. It’s also the perfect event for serious networking with like-minded entrepreneurs.
TechCrunch Startup Battlefield MENA 2018 takes place in the Beirut Digital District in Lebanon on October 3. Don’t miss out on the fun, the excitement and the business opportunities. Buy your ticket today.