Last Updated on Friday, 29 September, 2023 at 5:21 pm by Andre Camilleri
The third edition of the Startup Festival will be held between 5 and 6 October, at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta’ Qali.
In its first two editions, Startup Festival Malta has hosted some of the best entrepreneurial minds in Malta and has managed to attract hundreds of new local and international businesses, representing various sectors including FinTech, Digital Gaming, VR/AR, Metaverse, BioTech, MedTech and the Blue Economy.
Larger expo space, workshops and startup-investor matchmaking
Apart from keynote talks by headline international guests and thought-provoking panels this year the event shall see the addition of tailor-made practical workshops.
An expanded exhibition space will embody the vision for an event which is coming of age, while a mindfulness area shall seek to offer an experience that appeals to both mind and body.
The festival will once more offer a matchmaking opportunity for startups and scaleups looking at raising funds via local and international business angels and VCs. Last year, the curated service via Deal Room Events saw around 300 such meetings taking place in a 10-hour window.
Pitch Black competition – 41 applicants and 10 finalists revealed
For the first time the event will also have its own pitching competition – named ‘Pitch Black’ in reference to pitching to an audience with lights-out and no extra visual tools. Founders will present their accomplishments and vision to a professional panel of judges and compete for 2 final awards worth around €200,000 in professional services. Out of the 41 applications received by Malta Enterprise for this competition 25 were female led start-ups. Amongst the 10 finalists selected – 3 are locally based and 7 are international companies.
Fundraiser in aid of SOAR – fully booked!
Start Up Festival will also be hosting a special fundraising event on 4 October at the Casino Maltese in Valletta. This event is dedicated to supporting the remarkable work of the Jean Antide SOAR Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to empowering survivors of Domestic Violence through education and support.
You are still in time to register for Startup Festival Malta coming this Thursday and Friday 5and 6October via logging on to www.startupfestivalmalta.com
