Innovate!2010 Global Competition Identifies Top 100 Technology Startups

Strategic Insights -

The Innovate!2010 competition, a global series of regional Pitch Slam events, aimed to identify and promote the top 100 technology startups. The fifth Pitch Slam event in the series took place in Helsinki, where a panel of expert judges evaluated semi-finalists using the G/Score assessment methodology. The winning startup, Easy@Office, took the top spot, guaranteeing a place on the prestigious Innovate!100 list and a share of over $1M in Innovate! Challenge prizes.

Key Takeaways:

  • Easy@Office, a web service for quick and transparent contract processes, won the Helsinki Pitch Slam, securing a spot on the Innovate!100 list.
  • The competition partners with tech giants such as Alacatel-Lucent, BestBuy, Cisco Systems, and Microsoft to identify and partner with high-potential startups.
  • Innovate!2010 enables promising startups to access resources and opportunities to accelerate their growth, while providing partners with a platform to engage with vetted startups and raise their brand profile.
  • The competition sponsors and partners include leading organizations such as Hearst, IBM, and LaPoste, as well as European and U.S. economic development agencies and leading angel and venture capital investors.
  • The G/Score assessment methodology, developed by Guidewire Group, has proven to be a reliable predictor of startup viability and promise, helping technology investors and customers qualify and respond to startup deal flow.
  • The Innovate!100 list is a prestigious recognition of top technology startups, offering a platform for these corporations to quickly identify and partner with high-potential startups.

Statistics:

  • Over 20 regional Pitch Slam events took place as part of the Innovate!2010 competition.
  • The G/Score assessment tool has been used in over 20,000 startup interviews.
  • The Innovate!80 list has identified hundreds of highly vetted, fast-growing startups for their partners.
  • The competition partners with over 20 leading organizations, including technology and telecommunications vendors, government agencies, and professional services providers.
  • The Innovate! Challenge prizes total over $1M in cash and in-kind awards.

Sources:

  • Guidewire Group, Inc. Press Release, March 29, 2010: "Innovate!2010: The Global Competition for Top 100 Tech Startups"
  • Guidelines with descriptions of the Innovate! Challenge)
  • Guidewire Group, Inc. Profile Page
  • Vanessa McDonald, Director of Marketing and Communications, Guidewire Group, Inc., Vanessa@balloupr.com, +44 (0)754 032 5319.