Web2Day has grown to establish itself as one of the top tech events in France, if not in Europe. The organizers of Web2Day will be kicking-off their 6th edition this year on June 4-6th in Nantes. What started off as a local tech event, has grown into a high-profile international one which last year boasted of 1250 attendees from 6 countries and 4k streaming viewers from 33 countries. As such, Web2Day offers entrepreneurs a great launch pad for their startup, particularly via their Startup Contest which is one of the biggest draws at the 3-day conference.
Co-organized by the private “self incubator” CompanyCamp.us and Atlantic 2.0, the Loire region’s digital innovation cluster, the contest seeks to connect qualified investors and risingnb start-ups from all across Europe. Each year, 40 startups are selected to pitch on the second day of the event to a superstar jury, media and over 800 attendees.
In a nice perk to all those that apply, while applications won’t be posted online, they will be accessible to VCs and investors on CompanyCamp.us’ private platform. So, yes…even if you’re not selected for the final round, this aspect of their approach still gives you a chance to get your startup in-front of potential investors. For the lucky 40 that will be selected, beyond pitching on the main stage, there will be several opportunities for them to have one-on-one time with VCs and other investors via networking sessions and matching sessions with will take place in the ‘Startup Zone’.
What do you need to do to apply and how will it work?
All you need to do to apply is complete the online application here and send in a Vine or Instagram picture or video presenting your product or service. From there a top-notch jury which has, incidentally, just been announced and includes some of France’s top tech community leaders Marie Ekeland, Olivier Mathiot, Guilhem Bertholet, Francois Le Pichon, and Patrick Robin, will select 40 startups to pitch on the 5th of June. From there the judges will narrow the 40 to 8 who will pitch again in the ‘final battle’ the following day. From the 8, three winners will be chosen and will win a host of fantastic prizes.s
The deadline to apply is May 2nd, so make sure to move past if you’d like to try your hand at making it into the top 40.