Early-stage hardware start-up founders can now step into the spotlight and launch their inventions by pitching them to some of the world’s top investors at the Hardware Battlefield at TC Shenzhen between November 11 and 12, 2019. Winners will receive $25,000 along with a business plan.
This is TechCrunch’s fifth Hardware Battlefield, the sister of Start-up Battlefield, one of the world’s most famous pitch competitions which will be held in China this year. Shenzhen is the heart of hardware in China, with a community that is not only unparalleled but also fosters the growth of hardware start-ups by using a combination of accelerators, prototyping as well as a world-class manufacturing system.
TechCrunch has collaborated with its Chinese subsidiary TechNode to host the competition which will be open to any hardware start-up that is in the early stages of development all around the world. Previous Battlefield examples include food testing devices, smart socks for diabetes, diagnostic tools for malaria, robotic arms and e-motorcycles.
The first step to taking part in Hardware Battlefield is to fill out an application available on TC website before August 14, 2019. Your start-ups must meet these low bars for it to be considered a part of the competition:
- The product must a hardware device or component
- The product must have received the minimum amount of press coverage till date
- The company must have a minimally viable product available for onstage demo
Following this, the editors of TechCrunch will vet among all the qualified applications and choose a team of 10-15 hardware start-ups. These teams will then pitch their products on the main stage to a judging panel which consists of VCs, Technologists as well as founders of successful companies.
You will also be given extensive coaching which is basically a rigorous six-week training program where you will learn how to pitch and present your products.
The teams will get six minutes to pitch their products and give a demo as well, along with responding to Q&A frim the judges. One team will then be declared as the winner and will receive a cheque worth $25,000.
All competing teams will enjoy worldwide media as well as investor attention in addition to being a part of the Start-up Battlefield elite.