We recently sat together to plan the next edition of our local betapitch. While we talked about how and where we could promote it, how to get more applications, what kind of startups we hope for and where we want to go with the betapitch, we remembered an idea some time ago with the folks from Sektor 5: Why not make a global betapitch where all the betapitch winners meet for a final?
Right now we are part of a network of Coworking Spaces all over Europe. There are the different betahauses in Cologne, Hamburg and soon (very soon!) Sofia and Barcelona. There are our friends from Sektor5 in Vienna, Utopic_US in Madrid and La Mutinerie in Paris and many more. Some of them already have pitch events, whether they are called betapitch or not. So why not really join forces and put together a global event?
So we got on the phone and called some folks. And within 20 minutes it was all settled: 6 Coworking Spaces in Europe will hold local pitch events and send their winning teams to the betapitch | global. The winning team of this global event will get a customized tour through Europes Coworking Spaces, tailor-made to their bootstrapping needs, plus (here we go): Funding. Yep, you read right. All participating Coworking Spaces will contribute money to fund the winning startup, in a grassroots, community-based effort, which might be the part that we are most excited about.
So right now we dont know where and when the betapitch | global edition will take place, and which Coworking Spaces will participate, since we are busy to get more people on board.
But one thing is for sure: It will happen. And the upcoming betapitch | Berlin, on May 3rd will be the kickoff event, which means the winning team will not only go to seedcamp and startupbootcamp, but will also be the team from Berlin that is to try their luck in the first edition of betapitch | global, some time early next year. So get up off your but, sit down at your desk and start writing the application. You have three days left, the deadline to apply is April 20th.
Good luck, and we cant wait to see you all on May 3rd! Send your applications to team@betapitch.de
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