The regional finalists for the Online Seedstars World Competition 2020/21 (SSW) have been announced, and four startups from Asia have been chosen to join the group of 20 winners advancing to the next stage.
From 94 startups, only 20 are moving on to the Regional Finals for a chance to secure a spot at the Grand Finale, the final round of the competition.
In the Grand Finale, only one startup will emerge as the global winner, and be awarded the grand prize of $500K in funding.
Check out the full list of regional finalists here.
“With how hard and unexpected 2020 was to each one of us, it was really amazing to see our finalists grow over the competition while going through the Online Seedstars Academy as well as the 1 month Investment Readiness Program. It’s going to be an exciting Regional Finals!” said Eugenia Shevchenko, lead of the competition.
Seedstars, the Swiss-based investment holding with a mission to impact people’s lives in emerging markets, annually holds the Seedstars World Competition to scout for the most promising startups around the Asia, Africa, CEE, MENA, and LATAM regions.
ODESH, Port Moresby city’s first taxi & chauffeur on-demand booking app, is one of the four startups from Asia that claimed a spot at the finale.
Joining them is Singaporean healthtech startup SmartFuture, which aims to bring together a network of healthcare providers, and with the help of IoT and AI, streamline effective solutions, improve health literacy, and allow users the option of ownership of their own health data.
Another finalist is Finology, a fintech startup from Malaysia with a mission to simplify lending and insurance by making access to financial products seamless for everyone.
Lastly, ELN Limited from Pakistan completes the list of finalists from Asia. The startup offers online vocational training by designing, building, and delivering engaging online learning content, serving a timely solution for today’s online educational shift.
The regional finals for Asia will be aired next Wednesday (14 Apr). The remaining finalists will battle it out through their pitches, and viewers will get the chance to watch it all happen online.
Click here to add the event to your calendar.
Viewers can also tune into the Ecosystem Insights presentation and panel discussion on the topic of Women Empowerment & Gender Equality in Asia with speakers Suhela Khan, Country Programme Manager at WeEmpowerAsia UN Women; Shuyin Tang, Partner at Patamar Capital; and Chanikarn Mint Wongviriyawong, CEO at EATLAB.
Doris Clemenz, Head of Partnerships Southeast Asia at Seedstars, will be moderating the session.
