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2014 APEC Challenge

In connection with APEC Accelerator Network (AAN) that serves as a sustainable mechanism for regional growth and global connectivity, APEC Challenge seeks to identify possible opportunities for SMEs and Start-ups to raise capitals so as to effectively scale up and grow their businesses.

 

As seeing the huge impacts of globalization along with the evolution of science and technology, we look forward to gathering teams with brand-new ideas which represent disruptive innovation for our next generation. These ideas may overturn the current assumption of what people think the world is, thus creating a new potential market and value network.

 

Scope

In order to encourage entrepreneurship in APEC region, the APEC Challenge is designed for 30 preselected startup teams to present in a competitive process in front of an international panel of experts, judges and investors through August 6^th to 7^th, 2014 in Taipei. The Challenge seeks to connect entrepreneurs with needs for disruptive innovation solution, build international business relationships, and facilitate fundraising activities between investors and startups across Asia- Pacific region.

 

Global Challenges and Event Focus

APEC Challenge aims to establish a platform for start-ups with novelty and innovative business ideas, especially those could represent disruptive innovations. APEC Challenge seeks for the next big ideas that might change the world enormously! For those start-up teams with the best solutions/technologies/business models to solve the most pressing challenges facing the world, we welcome your participation. We are looking for those who have brilliant ideas/business models to tackle the following challenges:

 

 

 

 

Global Challenges / Regional Needs	Focus Area (new solutions or new technologies of what area)
Urbanization How do we support sustainable cities to aim a reasonable urbanization?	Infrastructure products, smart solutions, wearable innovations for everyday life, services that help cities be more environmentally sustainable, competitive, and offer better quality of life to their residents Smart grid Integrated mobility Intelligent buildings Safety and security Infrastructure for electrical vehicles
Climate Change How do we enhance energy efficiency to preserve natural resources?	Energy-efficient products and solutions that improve business performance, reduce lifecycle costs, and cut the CO2 emissions Efficient drive systems Clean power generation Efficient power transmission Energy-managing automation systems Renewable energies
Globalization How do we foster industrial productivity with challenges of globalization?	Intelligent technologies that make the industries more competitive, more efficient, more flexible and help them reduce their energy footprint Industrial control, communication, sensor system Automation & energy supply for industries Industrial software Digital enterprise Technology-based value-added services
Demographic change How do we deliver affordable and personalized healthcare to face demographic change?	Innovative solutions that drive the advancement of human health by enabling professionals to efficiently deliver healthcare, thereby adding years and quality to their patients’ lives Innovative diagnostic instrument Prevention, early detection and therapy Smart medical imaging Healthcare IT Efficient hospitals

 

Team Selection Criteria

APEC Challenge is providing startups the chance to showcase their products and services in front of experienced executives, investors, and innovators. As a collaborative event with Intel and Siemens, we wish to see start-up teams with the following characteristics:

 

1.Start-ups that:

 Acquire the innovation and novelty of business idea/ solutions/ technologies.

 Address significant challenges unique to the country/region

 Should not be in violation of any intellectual property rights.

 Should demonstrate a commitment to responsible and ethical business practices.

2.Start-ups whose capital raise no more than a combined USD$ 5,000,000 in funding from debt and equity funding sources including, but not limited to, venture capital, angel investors, or private funding sources. Funding limitations exclude any grants received.

 

3.Start-ups who have either functional prototypes or pilot customers.

 

4.Start-ups from Asia-Pacific region including those from Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; China; Hong Kong, China; India; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; the Philippines; Russia; Singapore; Taiwan; Thailand; the United States and Vietnam.

 

Pitch & Mentoring Opportunities

Each selected team has

• 6 minutes pitch in front of judges, top VCs, and angels.
• 4 minutes Q&A and feedback from judges, top VCs, angels, and entrepreneurs.

Each selected team also could acquire

• Entry ticket to APEC Accelerator Network Summit
• Free Poster/Booth in APEC Challenge with chances to meet VCs
• Promotional benefits and exposure chances to 20+ economies in Asia-Pacific region

Awards and Prizes

Winner teams of APEC Challenge will get the following awards and an opportunity to showcase their projects at "The 2014 Intel Global Challenge at UC Berkeley" or "The 2014 Siemens Global Venture Forum in Munich, Germany".

 

Intel Award	Siemens Award
Tickets to 2014 Intel Global Challenge at UC Berkeley (2 teams from Asia-Pacific countries and 1 team from host country) Date: October 2014	Tickets to 2014 Siemens Global Venture Forum          (2 teams from Asia-Pacific countries and 1 team from host country) Date: tentatively schedule on October 2014

 

The panel of judges

The panel of judges consists of internationally recognized academic scholars and leading industrial experts.

 

Tentative Schedule

1.Kick-off Press Conference

March 21, 2014 in Taipei

2.APEC Accelerator Network Forum

March 25, 2014 in Taichung

3.Online Application

Application open from April 10, 2014

Entry submission deadline: May 31, 2014

4.Team Selection

Shortlists announcement: June 30, 2014

5.elf-funding Mentorship Programs

Supported by regional accelerators from July, 2014

6.AAN Summit

August 6, 2014 in Taipei

7.APEC Challenge (Demo Day)

August 7, 2014 in Taipei

8.Intel Global Challenge

October 2014 at UC Berkeley

 Siemens Global Venture Forum

Tentatively scheduled on October 2014 in Munich, Germany

 

Entry Submission Requirements

All materials should be submitted in the English on time.

1.Online Application (from April 10 to May 31, 2014)

1. Submit one-page application that addresses the following items:

a. Outline the problem you are solving

b. Explain how this problem is being solved today

c. Describe how your idea is better than the current solution

d. Discuss how this problem is linked to the four global challenges with regional focus

1. Submit a briefing of your business pitch (10-15 slides) that covers the following items:

a. Technology overview

b. Go-to-market strategy

c. Competitive advantages

d. Near-term milestones for your business (18-24 months) that cover technology, business, and funding steps

e. Information about the founders and management team

2.Document Submission (For Shortlisted Teams)

Submit your presentation file by July 15, 2014

 

Ownership and Intellectual Property

All submitted entries to the APEC Challenge must represent original work that is not plagiarized or copied. Teams that infringe intellectual property, trademarks, copyrights or patents shall assume full responsibility for any violations. By submitting a proposal you will be granting the APEC Challenge the right to use the received material for marketing and promotional purposes only. The APEC Challenge will also have the unilateral right to modify any of the mentioned materials in its sole discretion in order to better adapt it to the different formats and layouts that different promotional mediums might require.

 

Other Notes

APEC Challenge reserves the right to make any changes to this document (dates, deadlines, requirement, etc.) as long as these changes are deemed to benefit the majority of the entrants in the competition. Any modification will be announced on the APEC Challenge official website. It is the responsibility of each team to regularly check for updates on contest procedures and rules.

 

For your information, please visit 2013 APEC Challenge website at http://www.apecaccelerator.org/. 2014 APEC Challenge website will be online soon. Should you have any enquiries, please email to asasummit@tier.org.tw.

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