Tech-I competition

Application Deadline: 12:00 PM US ET, December 28, 2017.

The GIST Tech-I Competition is an annual competition for science and technology entrepreneurs from emerging economies worldwide. Aspiring innovators submit their ideas and startups online which are then reviewed by experts and voted on by the global voting public in order to determine the finalists. New this year, U.S. Department of State is inviting all former GIST Tech-I finalists to participate in the program to recruit and mentor the next generation of science and tech entrepreneurs.

Since 2011, innovators from around the globe have showcased their science and technology ventures to the world through GIST Tech-I Competitions. Thousands of expert reviews have taken place and the online voting public has cast over 1 million votes in support of these talented young innovators.

The GIST initiative is led by the U.S. Department of State, and the Tech-I competition is implemented by AAAS.

Eligibility Requirements for Applicant

Applicants must meet ALL of the following eligibility requirements:

The applicant must be 18-40 years old on the application deadline, December 28, 2017.
The applicant must be a citizen of at least one of the 136 GIST-eligible emerging economies.
The applicant must not hold dual-citizenship or permanent resident status in a non-GIST economy.
The applicant must not submit more than one application per GIST Tech-Icompetition year.
The applicant must not be a previous GIST Tech-I finalist who traveled to and competed in the GIST Tech-I Finals at GES.
In addition to meeting the applicant requirements above, applications must to be for Ideas or Startups

that met ALL of the following requirements:

1. The application must be the original work of the Idea or Startup applicant.

2. The Idea or Startup must be developing an innovative science or technology solution with market potential in a GIST-eligible economy.

3. The Idea or Startup must be for-profit. Applications from non-profit ventures or NGOs are

not eligible and will not be reviewed.

4. The Startup must be less than three years old.

5. The Idea or Startup must be, at least in part based, in a GIST-eligible economy.

6. The Idea or Startup must be developing or selling products and services that use its own

innovations in science and technology. Applications from organizations that buy and resell

technologies will not be reviewed.

7. The Idea or Startup must not submit more than one application per GIST Tech-I competition year

Prizes and Benefits

• Semi-finalists:

o Global exposure.

Last year’s semi-finalists received more than 430,000 votes from all over the world and were featured by numerous local, national, and international media outlets. Several even met or were mentioned by their heads of state.

o Marketing and networking support from the AAAS Team, including the provision of

voting graphics, and guidance on reaching out to media outlets.

• Finalists:

o All-expenses-paid trip to Istanbul, Turkey to pitch their project and network with entrepreneurs and investors at GEC 2018.

o Opportunity to attend several pre-finals training webinars on topics such as pitching to investors, business models, and intellectual topic.

o One day of intensive training and mentoring in Istanbul before the finals.

o Opportunity to win seed capital prizes and other prizes during final pitch contest. Prize amounts will be published closer to the finals.

How to Apply and Application Materials

• Prospective applicants will go to GISTNetwork.org to apply.

• The applicant will complete a standard application form and will select an Alumni Mentor to work with should they be selected to continue in the competition.

The GIST Tech-I Application consists of:

o A 100-word short summary of your project, to be used on the public voting website,

if your project advances to semifinals. Your short summary must be in English.

o Brief eligibility questions.

o Responses to several questions that address the Judging Criteria listed in section VII.

Each response is limited to 100 to 150-words. All responses must be in English.

o A 90-second pitch video in English or with English subtitles provided. Formats accepted include .MOV, .MPEG4, .MP4, .AVI, .WMV, .MPEGPS, .FLV, .3GPP, and .WebM. See examples from previous participants on YouTube.

• All application materials must be submitted through the online portal before the deadline:

12:00 PM US ET, December 28, 2017. Application materials can be edited any time before that deadline

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the GIST Tech-I Competition 2018

Application Deadline March 20, 2015

How to Apply: Upload an Executive Summary and 90 second promotional video to the GIST Tech-I website

General Criteria : An idea or start-up science and technology product, research, or service with commercial potential in the areas of Agriculture, Energy, Health, or Information Communication Technology (ICT)

Basic Eligibility : Scientists, entrepreneurs, researchers, or innovators who are citizens of a GIST eligible country in sub-Saharan Africa, Eurasia, the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean, or Latin America and the Caribbean and are not permanent residents or citizens of the U.S.

Awards: Mentorship Individual Grant Awards up to $15,000 USDAAAS Memberships

Are you a scientist? An entrepreneur? A researcher? An innovator? A student? Are you just someone who has a great idea or startup company and are looking to change the world? Whoever you are, if you have a great idea then Tech-I is for you!

The Tech-I competition is open to everyone between the ages of 18 to 40 years old who has either an idea or a startup in the sectors of agriculture, energy, healthcare, or information communication technology (ICT). Your idea or startup can be an invention, a product, a service, an app, any combination of these, or something entirely unique.

The Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) initiative operates at the intersection of science and technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship to empower individual scientists and innovators and to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems.

GIST equips young men and women around the world with the skills they need to become successful entrepreneurs and leaders who turn ideas into new ventures that transform their communities. GIST identifies and supports promising young entrepreneurs through competitions, skills development, networking, and interactive mentorship.

The GIST Technology Idea (Tech-I) competition is an annual competition for science and technology entrepreneurs from around the world.

Benefits

Public voting will determine the top thirty finalists who will attend the Tech-I finals at the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in sub-Saharan Africa (exact location to be confirmed).
During this internationally prestigious event, these amazing up-and-coming scientists and entrepreneurs will receive intensive skills training, mentorship, and networking access to global leaders in their fields. All finalists will receive up to 3 months mentoring following the finals. In addition, finalists will also compete for funding totaling $70,000.
GIST Tech-I winners, selected by experts at the GES, win mini-grants, and receive one-on-one mentorship and training.

The GIST initiative is led by the U.S. Department of State. The Tech-I Competition of the GIST initiative is implemented by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

The Tech-I Competition is designed to encourage and support technology and science entrepreneurs to launch and/or grow a company through:

Training and mentorship with successful entrepreneurs, scientists, angel investors, and venture capitalists;
Networking opportunities; and
Access to capital.

Eligibility Requirements:

Before you apply, you should first confirm that you are eligible to compete. The basic eligibility requirements are that:

You must be a citizen of a GIST eligible country; and
You must be between the ages of 18-40 years old on March 20, 2015.

Once you have established that you are eligible to apply, you will next need to get together a few promotional materials for your application including:

An Executive Summary The Executive Summary narrative must be completed online in the application tool, must not exceed 750 words, and must be written in English. It should include the information outlined in the Program Announcement which includes significance of idea, scientific and technical merit, and commercial potential. Further details can be found here; and
A 90 Second Promotional Video Each application must include a 90 second promotional video, which should highlight the value and purpose of the product or service to customers. The video must be presented by the applicant in English or include English subtitles. The video should focus on the concept, product, or service being promoted and its potential market value.This is your opportunity to really sell your idea so your video should be both engaging and creative. Further advice can be found here. Videos from last year’s startup and idea stage winners are also available to use as examples.

During the application, you will be asked several questions including whether you are submitting an Idea or Startup science and technology product, research, or service. The following criteria should be applied to help you to decide which category you fit in:

Idea Stage Application

The entrepreneur has research or a technology with commercialization potential and is willing to start a business.
The entrepreneur has started thinking about the qualifications of the management team necessary to execute the idea.
The entrepreneur has started to identify advisors.
The entrepreneur has started market research.

Startup Stage Application

Venture is for-profit and less than three years old from date of launching startup.
Product or service is currently in a testing or pilot stage and not yet available for commercial release.
Venture is either self-funded (revenue) or has external financing (either from public or private sources).

Apply Now for the the 2015 Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Tech-I Competition

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the 2015 Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Tech-I Competition

GIST Tech-I Competition 2018 for entrepreneurs from emerging economies worldwide (All-expenses-paid trip to Istanbul, Turkey)

2015 Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Tech-I Competition (USD$15,000 and all-expense paid trip to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit)