Get Your Pitch Ready For VCs And Win – Announcing Elevator Pitch Competition

We are proud to announce, for the second year in a row, an Elevator Pitch Competition for all Baltic and Nordic startups and growth companies, to be held in Tallinn on June 1st.

The jury of the competition consists of pan-Nordic-Baltic VCs, so this is a perfect opportunity to put yourself on the radar and get valuable feedback on your pitch from experienced financiers. We also have great prizes for the winners.

The applications to the Pitch Competition must be done using this form.

Please send your application to events (at) arcticstartup.com latest by May 6th 8:00 PM EET. Finalists will be announced by May 12th.

The Elevator Pitch Competition is organized as part of the Third Annual Tallinn Conference by The International Technology Law Association and Enterprise Estonia.  The conference will be held at the Swissotel Tallinn during May 31-June 1, and the Elevator Pitch Competition will take place in the afternoon of June 1, 2010.

The conference theme this year is Preparing The Technology Company For Breakout: Challenges and Tools for the Nordic Region. Last year the conference drew in VCs, entrepreneurs and business owners, and naturally business lawyers (of the good type…) from all over the Nordic and Baltic countries, and also many guests from the USA. Registration is now open.

And that’s not all – ArcticStartup will also organize ArcticEvening Tallinn in the evening of June 1st, to wrap up the conference and the pitch competition, and to create a networking forum for the international bunch in the city. Mark it in your calendar and stay tuned for more info!

Prizes:

  1. The Grand Prize is provided by Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, Silicon Valley. The firm will offer a $5000 USD in kind prize, equivalent to one full day of law consulting time with the firm. The consultation can be used as the winner wishes, e.g., to incorporate a subsidiary for operations in Silicon Valley, file US patents, etc. The consultation can be in person, by Skype video or by Polycom video. Consultation with the firm’s Zurich office, or the other 12 offices may also be included. Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP is a major law firm with a robust network of relationships with venture capital and investment banking firms from Silicon Valley to Boston and New York among other specialties.
    • ArcticStartup will also offer the winner one month’s banner featuring and a sponsored blog post with negotiable timing.
  2. Second Prize – Borenius Group will offer a [$2,500 USD] in kind prize, equivalent to one full day of law consulting time with their Tallinn, Helsinki, Vilnius, or Riga office. The consultation can be in person or can be arranged otherwise, as agreed with the prize winner.
    • ArcticStartup will also provide the second prize winner one month’s banner featuring.
  3. Third PrizeRoschierRaidla offers [$2,500 USD] in kind prize, also equivalent to one full day of law consulting. The consultation can be in person or can be arranged otherwise, as agreed with the prize winner.

Details and terms on the prizes can be found in the Invitation letter.

The jury:

  • Martin Hauge, General Partner, Creandum, Stockholm
  • Allan Martinson, Founder and Managing Partner, MTVP, Tallinn
  • Artturi Tarjanne, General Partner, Nexit Ventures, Helsinki
  • Pirko Konsa, Tehnopol, Tallinn
  • Yrjö Ojasaar, Managing Partner, Solon Partners, Tallinn
  • Heidi Kakko, Estonian Development Fund, Tallinn
  • Toby Moore, Director, Imprimatur Capital Baltics, Riga
  • Olev Schults, CEO and founding partner, AS Cresco, Tallinn
  • Inka Mero, Chairman and Co-Founder, KoppiCatch, Helsinki
  • Jussi Harvela, Partner, Veturi Venture Accelerator Oy, Helsinki
  • Richard Allan Horning, Counsel, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, Silicon Valley

Growth and internationalization-oriented firms from all of the Nordic and Baltic countries are welcomed to apply. Five firms will be selected to present a 7-minute pitch at the event. The judging criteria include the expected success of the firm, growth potential, differentiation and competitive advantage, risk and financial viability, and the management team. Detailed contest rules and other information in the Invitation letter. Any questions about the contest can be sent to miikka(at)arcticstartup(dot)com.

About the conference:

International Technology Law Association logo

Preparing The Technology Company For Breakout: Challenges and Tools for the Nordic Region

The International Technology Law Association and Enterprise Estonia are pleased to present a two-day program focusing on the needs and requirements of technology companies as they expand beyond the Nordic Region.

This two-day program, taught by a panel of recognized international experts, will feature presentations on selected legal topics of which technology companies, and their advisors, need to be aware as those companies expand their reach onto global markets. Topics for the 2010 conference include among others:

  • Legal Risks and Challenges in the Social Networking Space
  • Preparing for Global Expansion: Global IP Protection Strategies and Branding
  • Employment and Equity Participation Issues
  • VC Panel Discussion on  Capital Raising and Attracting and Using Government Funding Support

You can now Register to the conference.


Photo by cpalmieri (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).