Latvia’s largest startup event, TechChill, has announced the semi-finalists for the TechChill Fifty Founders Pitch Battle, featuring 50 early-stage startups hailing from 17 different countries. The chosen semi-finalists will now vie for a substantial prize pool exceeding €350K, which includes a no-strings-attached €10K cash prize courtesy of TechChill and its partners.
The complete list of semi-finalists can be found on the TechChill website. These startups will present their pitches live on stage at TechChill, scheduled to take place in Riga, Latvia, from April 17 to 19. Their audience will comprise over 2000 attendees, including 200 investors and 50 media representatives.
The semi-finalist roster boasts nine Estonian startups, eight Latvian startups, and five each from Ukraine and the US. Additionally, several other countries such as Poland, Lithuania, the UK, and Denmark are represented among the semi-finalists.
The list features startups such as:
AgriModem (PL) – AgriModem is developing a Plug&Play modem and AI and IoT-integrated platform to help farmers optimize mixed fleet of equipment.
Ari Care (EE) – Ari Care is reinventing the manufacturing of personal care products as waterless formulas.
Aspichi (UA) – Audio/Visual Teleportation Company with PTSD treatment as a service in VR.
BabyRAIN (PL)- AI-powered platform to aid diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in children at an early stage
Bdetect (LV) – Multispectral skin cancer detection device powered by AI.
Catalyco (LV) – Catalyco is developing a circular economy supply chain for ZnO to reduce imported materials, help the industry meet ESG.
The full list can found here.
Out of 338 applications received from 57 different countries, these semi-finalists were selected based on rigorous criteria including the strength of their business idea, potential scalability, and the capabilities of their teams.
The chosen Fifty Founders will undergo extensive online pitch training and growth sessions leading up to the main event. Moreover, on TechChill’s Day 0, April 17, founders will have the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive day-long pitch bootcamp in person.
“One of TechChill’s key goals is to provide startup founders with unwavering support. While the conference supports the ecosystem at large, a lot of the founder support is not seen, as it’s not broadcast on a stage. We particularly pride ourselves on the almost month-long pitching and growth support program we provide our Fifty Founders Battle finalists with. So that every single founder gains value from participating, no matter the results of the final battle,” said Annija Mezgaile, CEO of TechChill.
TechChill’s Startup Pitch Battle is the conference’s most-watched event. This year, the prize pool is worth over €350K, with prizes from BADideas.fund, DEPO Ventures, Diaspora VC, Acrobator VC, Snapchat, and others. Whereas the competition’s main prize remains €10K in cash that the winner is free to use as they see fit.
For the second year, this prize has been made up of contributions from the local startup community – emphasizing the startup ecosystem’s desire to see others succeed and pay it forward where they can.
