Deadline: 19 August 2022

Extreme Tech Challenge is inviting applications for the HARMAN-XTC Startup Challenge.

The HARMAN-XTC Startup Challenge will invite eight entrepreneurs to present their business pitch live on stage at the HARMAN Tech Forum, in Las Vegas on September 28, 2022.

The HARMAN Tech Forum will bring together business and technology visionaries for an in depth look at how the Metaverse and Mobility technologies are shaping tomorrow’s consumer experiences.

Categories

• Tech Innovation Categories
• Next-gen experiential technology
• AR/VR
• Mixed Reality
• Metaverse infrastructure and interface
• Virtualization tools
• Gaming
• Mobility and transportation technology

Prize Information

• On-stage pitch at the HARMAN Tech Forum
• Media integration with HARMAN across social, digital and traditional media

Benefits

• Global Visibility: Live pitch event at the HARMAN Tech Forum in front of 350+ live audience
• Access to Corporate Executives: Exposure to 250+ corporate executives attending the HARMAN Tech Forum
• Potential for Corporate Strategic Partnership: Network with influential industry leaders, with potential for business development and collaboration.

Eligible Countries

Each of the following is an Eligible Country: United States, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine (excluding Crimea), United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zambia.

Excluded Countries

Each of the following is an Excluded Country: Belarus, Crimea – Region of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), Russia, Sudan and Syria. If the project is legally incorporated in a country that is neither an Eligible Country nor an Excluded Country.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any project is eligible to participate in the Competition if satisfies all of the following criteria
• It is working on breakthrough innovations that will impact-for-good tomorrow’s entertainment, consumer and mobility experiences such as
  • Next-gen experiential technology
  • AR/VR
  • Mixed Reality
  • Metaverse infrastructure and interface
  • Virtualization tools
  • Gaming
  • Mobility and transportation technology
• The company submits its application in English.
• The company has no restrictions on future funding based on the funding received by the company as of the date of submission of the Entry.
• The company is not publicly traded; remains privately held; and will be actively looking to raise additional capital by the end of 2023.
• The company (i) is legally incorporated in any Eligible Country (listed below), (ii) is not incorporated in any Excluded Country (listed below), and (iii) does not have any subsidiaries or affiliates located or incorporated in any Excluded Country.
• The company complies with all the terms and conditions of these Official Rules.
• The company and its officers, directors, managers and employees are not subject to sanctions in the United States or listed on the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List or the Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions Lists, which may be found here.
• At least one company founder or executive is a legal resident of an Eligible Country, and at least 18 years of age at the time of entry into the Competition.
• You agree to notify us if you have any relationship with Harman International or any XTC Partner that is either pre-existing or that develops prior to the judging of the Competition. XTC will ensure that any judging is conducted only by qualified individuals who do not have a relationship with your company. Competition Partners are the companies and individuals identified here.

Judging Criteria

• Judges for the Competition (the “Judges”) will be a diverse group of experienced technologists, investors, academics and industry experts with experience and expertise in evaluating innovative metaverse, consumer and mobility projects. Each Judge is required to recuse themselves from judging any Entrant with whom there is a personal or business relationship, including but not limited to as employees, directors, officers, advisors, investors, or family members.
• Finalists and Winners will be selected based on the Judges’ assessment of the following equally-weighted criteria:
• Tech for Good / Responsible Innovation for a Radically Better World – Is this innovative product addressing a significant global challenge to society and/or the environment, and can this startup’s product have a wide-reaching impact on same
• Product/market fit – Is there traction and enough scale in the addressable market for sufficient growth/profit to be an attractive investment?
• Product innovation – Is this a disruptive innovation that is differentiated from competitive or substitute offerings?
• Team – Is this team uniquely qualified to develop this project? Do they strongly understand their users and the industry and ecosystem in which they operate? Do they have the determination and endurance to carry this through to completion?

For more information, visit https://extremetechchallenge.org/harman-challenge/