Govar and WeavAir were among the 50 semifinalists who competed in TechChill Milano at the end of September 2023 for more than €400,000 prizes. The top 5 advanced to the finals and performed on the main stage in front of more than 1,000 participants.
Govar is an app for practicing speaking English with people from different countries in a video chat format. WeavAir, on the other hand, develops intelligent business software based on satellite imaging. It helps companies achieve sustainability goals and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. Although Polish companies did not advance to the final round this time, this did not prevent them from dynamic development.
About the contest
The contest organizer received 316 entries from 30 countries, 50 of which advanced to the semifinals, including two from Poland. The complete list is available on the TechChill Milano website here.
A 42-member jury of investors and other industry experts decided on advancement to the semifinals. They evaluated each startup’s business idea, its scalability, and the team of people behind it. The competition was open to early-stage companies with no more than €300,000 funding.
“This year’s Fifty Founders Battle impressed me with the quality and innovation of the projects. I had the opportunity to participate in the selection of startups competing last year. I must admit that there has been significant progress in the innovation and effectiveness of pitches. Given my work, I analyze hundreds of startups every week. Many of them often have similar models and operate in saturated markets. This year promises to be exciting, as picking the winners will not be easy,” said Giancarlo Vergine, founder and managing partner of Over Ventures, after the semifinals.
“TechChill’s Fifty Founders Battle aims to highlight the most promising startups from the region and beyond to attract investor interest and accelerate their growth. We are pleased to be able to do this. Practice shows that half of the TechChill Pitch Battle winners can secure VC investment within just 12 months of winning,” said Annija Mezgaile, CEO of TechChill.
About the TechChill
TechChill is a non-profit startup community that hosts the largest startup event in the Baltics. Last year it expanded its reach to Italy. Growing from a slight grassroots movement of like-minded technology enthusiasts, TechChill promotes the best of the startup community. Thanks to it, it bringing together thousands of attendees each year, including the fastest-growing startups and the most innovative corporations. What’s more, there are speakers, investors active in the region, and talented technology enthusiasts.
Details of this year’s results are here.