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Global Impact

The world's largest startup competition for entrepreneurs addressing global challenges

The world's largest startup
competition for entrepreneurs
addressing global challenges

Tech for Purpose

XTC is a non-profit organization behind the world’s largest startup competition that aims to help startups change the world for the better. In our quest, we are supported by leading corporations, VCs, foundations, policymakers, universities and tech conferences.

10,000+

Startup Applications across 120+ countries, covering a wide spectrum of tech verticals and funding stages

US $4.1B

Venture Capital Funding Raised by XTC Startup Finalists (2015-2023)

400+

VCs and CVCs on the XTC Evaluation Committee, Global Partners

36%

Female Founded Finalists

XTC x Consensus by Coindesk: Web3 Pitch Fest 2022

XTC’s inaugural Web3 Pitch Fest in collaboration with Consensus showcased finalists & announced four lucky winners.

Extreme Tech Challenge & ACTAI Global host inaugural Neckerverse Summit

Bringing together leaders in technology, venture capital, and blockchain, with creators, conservationists and social impact professionals to catalyze Web3 projects focused on global good.

XTC 2022 Highlights

Enabling Collaboration between Startups and Global Corporations
Cadence Design Systems
Chemonics International
Samsung
ADI
ARM
Beep! Digital
Cadence Design Systems
CISCO
Evercore
Ford Motor Co
Fujitsu
Groupe Adeo/Leroy Merlin
HARMAN International
HP Tech Ventures
Hyundai
Lakestar Advisors
Mae Kyong Media Group
NXP Semiconductors
Samsung
Synopsys
Actai Global
Actai Ventures
Atlantica Ventures
Benhamou Global Ventures
Center for Advancing Innovation
Curtin University
DLA Piper
EchoVC
Factory Berlin
France Digitale
Global Semiconductor Alliance
GLOVO
Horasis
Ignite Alliance
Ignite Social Impact
INCMty
Innovation Norway
International Space Station National Laboratory
IT-Farm
Kejora Ventures, Indonesia
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lumo Labs
Mawsonia Media/Global Corporate Venturing
MeetLatAm
Morgan Lewis
Orrick
Our Crowd, Israel
Pangaea Ventures
Pitango Venture Capital, Israel
Platform Calgary
Sangha Capital
SG-Innovate, Singapore
Sheba Health
Smartpreneur
StartSe, Brasil
SVG Partners
TechCrunch
Tecnológico de Monterrey
TriVentures (ARC)
U-California Office of President
UC Berkeley
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC Merced
UC Riverside
UC San Diego
UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Cruz
UCLA
UCSF
United Nations FAO
University of Zurich
Untapped Invest
West Tech Fest
Your Story, India
Latest News

Republic of Korea, UNDP and Extreme Tech Challenge launch tech startup competition to drive SDG 16 solutions

The Government of the Republic of Korea, in collaboration with Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), announces a new and impactful initiative: The Peace, Justice & Inclusive Society Startup Competition, powered by Extreme Tech Challenge. This competition is a concerted effort to align technological innovation with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on SDG 16. SDG 16 aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. Startups worldwide are invited to participate in this competition, offering an extraordinary opportunity […]

Extreme Tech Challenge Announces Event Partnership with NVIDIA for the 2024 GTC AI Conference

Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) is thrilled to announce it will be an event partner for the upcoming NVIDIA GTC AI Conference, scheduled to take place in San Jose March 18-21, aiming to drive innovation and transformative solutions in the field of AI and computing. The GTC AI Conference, hosted at the San Jose Convention Center, is set to be a pivotal gathering for AI and computing professionals. The conference will feature a keynote by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and includes over 900 sessions, more than 200 exhibits, and a variety of technical workshops and unique networking events. Attendees will have […]

Shaping a Sustainable Future Through Innovation in Climate Tech: CES 2024 Recap

CES® 2024, the apex of tech innovation and entrepreneurship, concluded recently, provided a unique opportunity for networking, showcasing finalists from the Deep Tech Climate Innovations Startup Challenge.

Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: EarthEn

This week in our Startup Spotlight blog series is our 2024 Winner of the Deep Tech Climate Innovations Startup Challenge - EarthEn!

Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: Sustainable Planet

This week in our Startup Spotlight blog series is our 2023 World Food Forum Startup Innovation Award Winner -Sustainable Planet!

Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: Stellapps

This week in our Startup Spotlight blog series is our 2023 Winner, Better Life Category, UN World Food Forum Startup Innovation Awards by XTC -Stellapps!

Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: Zebra CropBank

This week in our Startup Spotlight blog series is our 2023 Winner, Better Production Category, UN World Food Forum Startup Innovation Awards by XTC - Zebra CropBank!

Register to Attend the CES Networking Reception and Deep Tech Climate Startup Challenge!

We’re putting the final touches on our first big event of 2024: the Extreme Tech Challenge Networking Reception and Deep Tech Climate Startup Challenge at CES®, the world’s largest tech expo and global stage of innovation.

Deep Tech Climate Innovations Challenge: Finalists Announced 🎉

Congratulations to the Top 8 Finalists of the Deep Tech Climate Innovations Challenge, presented by Cadence Foundation by Cadence Design Systems.

  • "We’re currently in the fifth wave of technology evolution – an era driven by data and AI, which are accelerating the number of applications that can disrupt every industry due to the timely availability of actionable data-driven insights."
    Young Sohn
    CO-FOUNDER, EXTREME TECH CHALLENGE
    CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, HARMAN INTERNATIONAL
  • "The world's financial markets now recognize that unless businesses do something good for this planet, that this planet may not exist – and that there are investable companies that can be part of the solution."
    BILL TAI
    CO-FOUNDER, EXTREME TECH CHALLENGE
    PARTNER EMERITUS, CHARLES RIVER VENTURES
  • "We are balancing between the challenges of economic damage versus potential public health damage. This will define our generation depending on how we deal with it and how agile we can be. I think it’s clear that innovation will come out of necessity."
    JERRY YANG
    CO-FOUNDER & FORMER CEO, YAHOO! AND FOUNDING PARTNER, AME CLOUD VENTURES
  • "The good news is that entrepreneurs can lead us out of this period. Entrepreneurs are the ones who create value and jobs in our economy. This is your opportunity as an entrepreneur right now to take the big risks. This is your time."
    TIM DRAPER
    FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER, DRAPER ASSOCIATES
  • "The experience of finding go-to-market fit is like going from paddling to surfing. You are burning a huge amount of energy to go a very short distance. On the other hand, when you catch the wave, what you feel is momentum."
    TAE HEA NAHM
    CO-FOUNDING MANAGING DIRECTOR OF STORM VENTURES AND CO-AUTHOR OF SURVIVAL TO THRIVAL
  • "As a global startup, you have to think about how the world is changing today... It’s important to think how trillion-dollar industries are digitally transforming themselves because of Covid-19. You need to think about how you can ride these waves of change."
    SHANKAR CHANDRAN
    SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CO-HEAD, SAMSUNG CATALYST FUND
  • "I often tell entrepreneurs what they really need is the right amount of money from the right VCs for the right business plan. You need to unpack each of those elements. Don’t raise more money than you need."
    RICHARD IRVING
    CO-FOUNDER AND GENERAL PARTNER, POND VENTURE PARTNERS
  • "Investors don't like surprises. They don't want to learn something from someone else that they should have learned directly from the entrepreneur. My advice is to always be transparent. Building trust and transparency starts with setting expectations."
    RAFAÈLE TORDJMAN
    CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND INVESTOR, JEITO CAPITAL
  • "I like to get to know the founding team anywhere from 12 to 24 months before actually investing. Building that relationship over time, getting to know each other, and seeing the progress, that makes things much easier when the time is right to invest."
    PHILIPPE BOTTERI
    PARTNER, ACCEL
  • "We found that diversity drives innovation. You need a broad range of voices and perspectives to chip away at the biases that still exist in the workforce. And that will make your products even better."
    PEGGY JOHNSON
    EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, MICROSOFT
  • "Some people are worried that when a corporate investor comes in, they will start controlling your roadmap. When I ran my startup, I didn’t find that. Nobody controlled our roadmap or asked us to do things unnatural to us. They are not there to make sure you only succeed for them..."
    OMAR TAWAKOL
    VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER OF CISCO CONTACT CENTER, CISCO SYSTEMS
  • "Using technology to solve global problem is a factor in our investment decisions. We do focus on areas that relate to sustainability and community. We have a focused area on healthcare. We have seen that a lot of our companies have been useful in the Covid-19 situation."
    MARK LYDON
    MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTEL CAPITAL
  • "I’ve always invested in people who have a background in disruptive technology. I like to identify the most talented people with the most relevant experience. That is always the starting point. Once you have the right leadership, then you can build a team around those people."
    LIP-BU TAN
    CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS AND CHAIRMAIN, WALDEN INTERNATIONAL
  • "As a startup, you want access to capital as well as to investors who can help you with follow-on rounds, with hiring, and with access to management talent. And you also want the strategic advantage of having investors who really understand your space and have experience developing technology and products."
    DAVID JOHNSON
    MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTEL CAPITAL
  • "If your business is a technology-born business, then you are in good hands. The disruption is in front of us. The question is how do you convert it into opportunity? If you chose to disrupt, if you chose to scale up, this is your day. This is the time to prioritize. This is what will make you successful on this bumpy ride. "
    CP GURNANI
    CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & MANAGING DIRECTOR, TECH MAHINDRA
  • "Telemedicine and telepathology are here to stay in a post-Covid world. It’s clear that patients have wanted this to happen. We have gone from near zero telemedicine usage at the beginning of the year to now, where 40% of our encounters are completed with telemedicine."
    ATUL BUTTE
    MD, PHD, CHAN ZUCKERBERG DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR, UCSF AND CHIEF DATA SCIENTIST, CALIFORNIA HEALTH SYSTEM (UC HEALTH)
  • "Even though, with corporate venture capital, you are dealing with big companies, it always comes down to the people and the personal relationships you build. Finding the right person within the corporation you want to work with makes a big difference."
    PHILIP KIRK
    VICE PRESIDENT, CISCO INVESTMENTS
  • "Diversity has to be part of your culture and process. Creating a diverse team from the beginning will create a better product. At Microsoft, the more diverse teams we have working on our solutions, the better our products have been."
    TAMARA STEFFENS
    MANAGING DIRECTOR, M12

Global Visibility

Pitch your startup to thousands of tech leaders and investors at regional and global competitions.

Opportunity for Investment

Top finalists will get an opportunity to pitch to a panel of leading global investors.

World-Class Mentorship

Work with industry leaders and experts who can help shape your startup for success.

“The world’s largest startup competition for entrepreneurs addressing the globe’s most serious challenges.”

Forbes

The United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals that serve as the framework.

No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Decent Work and Economic Growth Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Reduced Inequalities Sustainable Cities and Communities Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Life Below Water Life On Land Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Partnerships for the Goals

Empowering Startups to Innovate in 10 Key Categories inspired by the 17 SDGs

  • Advanced Materials
  • Agtech & Food
  • Biotech & Medical Devices
  • Cleantech, Energy and Environment
  • Climate Tech
  • Deep Tech
  • Digital Health
  • Edtech
  • Enabling Tech
  • Fintech
  • Mobility
  • Sustainability
  • Sustainable Smart Cities
  • Web3

Special Awards

  • Female Founder
  • HARMAN-XTC
  • People's Choice
  • UNICEF EdTech

Hear What Startups and Investors Say About Us