Deadline: December 31, 2017 00:00 CET
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Eligibility: Startups headquartered in North America, Europe (E.U.) or Israel. Have raised less than $4,000,000 USD (local equivalent using foreign exchange rates on dates of funding). Your company must currently offer or intend to release a product, service, or platform which utilizes A.I. and/or machine learning techniques.
Prizes: a total prize pool valued at $5,500,000 USD.
Innovate.AI: a Global Startup Competition 2018
Innovate.AI is a global competition for startups harnessing the power of A.I. & machine learning presented by Microsoft Ventures, Madrona Venture Group, Notion Capital, and Vertex Ventures Israel.
The competition is helping high-potential startups gain access to capital and further the development of A.I. to solve problems and improve people’s lives.
The 3 winning startups receive a $1,000,000 USD investment, with a total prize pool valued at $5,500,000 USD.
3 Regional Competitions Around the Globe
Top applicants from each region will compete in live local pitch competitions in Seattle, Tel Aviv, and London, with 1 winner in each region.
Prizes
The prizes for each regional competition will be:
- 1st Place THREE (3) TOTAL WINNERS
A $1,000,000 investment USD split between Microsoft Ventures & our VC partners, along with $500,000 USD in Azure credits for 3 years, 100 Office 365 licenses for 1 year, and an Azure Standard support plan.
- A.I. For Good ONE (1) WINNER
A $500,000 USD investment from Microsoft Ventures, $500,000 USD in Azure credits for 3 years, 100 Office 365 licenses for 1 year, and an Azure Standard support plan.
The A.I. For Good Prize will be given to the top finalist globally that is responsibly harnessing the promise of A.I. to positively impact people’s lives and the world.
Examples include: increasing access to education, teaching new skills and creating jobs, enhancing the capabilities of existing workforces, and improving the treatment of diseases.
- A.I. Trophy
Judging criteria
A group of judges from Microsoft Ventures and the partner VC firms in each region will each vote on the top 10 entries in reach region based on the following criteria:
- Problem addressed
- Market size and growth potential
- Differentiated/disruptive solution
- Performance and traction with customers
- Ability of founding team to execute
The names of judges for each live competition will be announced closer to the dates of the finals. Each panel of judges will consist of professional investors from the sponsoring VC firms and domain experts in A.I.
What qualifies as using Artificial Intelligence?
Companies must offer a product, service or platform which utilizes M.L./A.I. techniques as defined by relevant scientific research.
Such a product must be based on a model developed by the company, and/or be trained with data obtained/generated by the company or a 3rd party, and/or make use of pre-trained M.L./A.I. APIs.
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