The Extreme Tech Challenge Global Finals 2021 starts tomorrow

Published July 21, 2021

Get ready for a startup throwdown of global proportions (literally). We’re the proud hosts of the Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) Global Finals, and the pitch competition action starts tomorrow, July 22 at 9:00 am (PT).

Pro housekeeping tip: Attending this virtual pitch fest is 100% free, but you need to register here first.

Not familiar with XTC? It’s the world’s largest pitch competition focused on solving humanity’s most vexing challenges. You gotta love a competition that serves the greater good — and a startup ecosystem for purpose-driven companies determined to build a more sustainable, equitable, healthy, inclusive and prosperous world.

The road to the XTC finals was crowded, to say the least. More than 3,700 startups from 92 countries applied to compete in one of these categories: Agtech, Food & Water, Cleantech & Energy, Edtech, Enabling Tech, Fintech, Healthtech and Mobility & Smart Cities.

Talk about a daunting endeavor. Team XTC, which consisted of deeply experienced investors, entrepreneurs and executives, winnowed down that field to these seven competing finalists: Wasteless, Mining and Process Solutions, Testmaster, Dot Inc., Hillridge Technology, Genetika+ and Fotokite.

Tomorrow’s competition takes place in two rounds, and each startup team will have to bring its best if they hope to impress this panel of judges — all leaders in sustainability and social impact.

Young Sohn, co-founder, XTC and chairman at Harmann International; Bill Tai, co-founder, XTC and partner emeritus, Charles River Ventures; Regina Dugan, president and CEO of Wellcome Leap; Jerry Yang, founder/partner of AME Cloud Ventures and co-founder of Yahoo!; Lars Reger, CTO and EVP at NXP Semiconductors; and Michael Zeisser, managing partner at FMZ Ventures.

In a classic, “but wait, there’s more” moment, the day also features several presentations from some of the leading voices in sustainability. Take a look at the two examples below, and check out the complete XTC finals agenda and the roster of speakers:

The Keynote Address: Tune in as Beth Bechdol, the deputy director-general at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, provides an update on the latest from her agency.
Waste Matters: According to the EPA, the U.S. alone produces 292.4 million tons of waste a year. Can technology help this massive — and growing — issue? Leon Farrant (Green Li-Ion), Matanya Horowitz (AMP Robotics) and Elizabeth Gilligan (Material Evolution) will discuss their companies’ unique approaches to dealing with the problem.

The Extreme Tech Challenge Global Finals starts tomorrow, July 22. Join us and thousands of people around the world for this free, virtual pitch competition. Register here for your free ticket.

Announcing the agenda for Extreme Tech Challenge Global Finals presented by TechCrunch

Published June 22, 2021

Here at TechCrunch, we’re big fans of startup competitions. From our Extra Crunch Live Pitch-offs all the way up to the world-famous Disrupt Startup Battlefield, we can’t get enough of ’em. So we’re hooking up with Extreme Tech Challenge (‘XTC’) to present the Extreme Tech Challenge Global Finals, a startup competition focused on powering a more sustainable, equitable, inclusive, and healthy world.

Extreme Tech Challenge is the world’s largest transformative tech startup competition and forum for the leaders of tomorrow to be able to unleash their full potential. Last year, the competition attracted startups from 87 countries, and one third of the XTC 2020 finalists raised more than $167M combined in venture investment since being selected.

This year, over 3700 startups applied from 92 countries across XTC’s competition tracks: Agtech, Food & Water, Cleantech & Energy, Edtech, Enabling Tech, Fintech, Healthtech, and Mobility & Smart Cities. Check out the 80 Global Finalists that emerged from this competitive pool. The Category winners and the Special Awards winners will make it to the Global Finals stage.

Join the Extreme Tech Challenge on 7/22 to meet the world’s best purpose-driven startups making the world better through transformative tech. Network with corporations, VCs, & founders. Get your free tickets here!

Today, we’re excited to share the agenda of the event with you.

Powering the Future Through Transformative Tech
with Young Sohn (Young Sohn (XTC Co-Founder, Chairman of the Board, HARMAN International, and former Samsung Corporate President and Chief Strategy Officer), Bill Tai (XTC Co-Founder, Partner Emeritus, Charles River Ventures), and Beth Bechdol (Deputy Director-General, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization)

What are the breakthrough tech innovations transforming industries to build a radically better world? How can business, government, philanthropy, and the startup community come together to create a better tomorrow? Hear from these industry veterans and thought leaders about how technology can not only shape the future, but also where the biggest opportunities lie, including some exciting news about XTC and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Going Green
with Shilpi Kumar (Urban Us), Jenny Rooke (Genoa Ventures), and Albert Wenger (Union Square Ventures)

Sustainability is the key to our planet’s future and our survival, but it’s also going to be incredibly lucrative and a major piece of our world economy. Hear from these seasoned investors and founders how VCs and startups alike are thinking about greentech and how that will evolve in the coming years.

The Extreme Tech Challenge 2021 Global Finals: Startup Pitches Part 1

The reason we’re all here – the XTC Category and Special Awards Winners get their chance to pitch their transformative tech ideas to a panel of expert judges and hear their feedback. XTC is a global platform that connects exceptional purpose-driven startups with a network of investors, corporations, and mentors to help them raise capital, launch corporate collaborations, and scale their world-changing startups.

Waste Matters
with Leon Farrant (Green Li-ion), Matanya Horowitz (AMP Robotics), and Elizabeth Gilligan (Material Evolution)

According to the EPA, the U.S. alone produces 292.4 million tons of waste a year. Can technology help this massive – and growing – issue? Leon Farrant (Green Li-Ion), Matanya Horowitz (AMP Robotics), and Elizabeth Gilligan (Material Evolution) will discuss their companies’ unique approaches to dealing with the problem.

The Extreme Tech Challenge 2021 Global Finals: Startup Pitches Part 2

Cutting Out Carbon Emitters with Bioengineering
with Aaron Nesser (AlgiKnit), Jennifer Holmgren (LanzaTech) and Patricia Bubner (Orbillion Bio)

Bioengineering may soon provide compelling, low-carbon alternatives in industries where even the best methods produce significant emissions. By utilizing natural and engineered biological processes, we may soon have low-carbon textiles from Algiknit, lab-grown premium meats from Orbillion, and fuels captured from waste emissions via LanzaTech. Leaders from these companies will join our panel to talk about how bioengineering can do its part in the fight against climate change.

Announcement of the Extreme Tech Challenge 2021 Winners

The judging panel will crown the global winner of Extreme Tech Challenge 2021 and also announce the winner of the Female Founder Award.

Networking

Join thousands of investors, corporate executives, startups, and policymakers to network via video chat.

Join the Extreme Tech Challenge on July 22 to meet the world’s best purpose-driven startups making the world better through transformative tech. Network with corporations, VCs, & founders. Get your free tickets here!