LEVEL UP Award gives startup a jumpstart

By Linda Bak

On September 30, young, innovative companies will be spotlighted during the startup event LEVEL UP in Eindhoven. This day for the international startup community is all about startups’ sustainable growth and development. Not only do founders literally get a stage during the many workshops and pitches, but they also get a stage during the grand finale of the day: the LEVEL UP Awardshow. Here, the most innovative tech startups of the Benelux will be celebrated and awarded.

The three best startups will pitch their companies on the main stage of LEVEL UP in a room full of investors, fellow entrepreneurs, and stakeholders. It’s already a prize in itself. The prestigious jury – formed by Jeroen van Glabbeek (CM.com), Simone Brummelhuis (Borski Fund), and Kathleen Philips (imec) – will then choose a winner, who gets an impressive prize. The winning startup will in fact join the 4TU delegation with two people for an exclusive trip to CES Las Vegas – the global stage for innovation – Palo Alto and San Francisco!

The runners-up are not forgotten either. They will get a booth at CES Unveiled, the Dutch pre-event of CES Las Vegas, as will the winner of the audience award (which you can vote for soon)!

CES – Global Stage for Innovation

CES is the largest tech trade show in the world. Last year, the four-day event featured over three thousand exhibitors and more than 135,000 visitors. For startups, it is a unique opportunity to get in touch with potential (international) investors or other cooperation partners.

4TU: entrepreneurs together

The winner of the LEVEL UP Award will be part of the delegation from the 4TU.Federation (the partnership between the four technical universities in the Netherlands). The 4TU.Federation travels annually to CES Las Vegas with a delegation of ambitious founders and prominent figures from the startup ecosystem. This year, the delegation will also visit Palo Alto and San Francisco.

“Just being with like-minded entrepreneurs with the same challenges is perceived as super valuable,” said Roelyn van der Hoek, program manager of 4TU Impact. Add to that the fact that during the trip, participants get to interact with 4TU alumni from the Bay Area, get the chance to pitch in Silicon Valley, and also gain new key insights and contacts at CES Las Vegas, and you have a unique, unforgettable experience to get a lot out of as a founder. “Advancing to scale up is a challenging task for many startups. As part of the startup ecosystem, our job is to provide startups with the support they need. The mission to CES Las Vegas, Palo Alto, and San Francisco is a great example. The trip stimulates (international) knowledge exchange, cooperation, and access to new markets.” As a final note, Roelyn enthusiastically adds, “And, of course, it’s also just cool to experience together!”

Recognition

In addition to great prizes, the LEVEL UP Awards also give entrepreneurs the recognition they need. “As a startup, you experience good and bad moments; sometimes you celebrate successes, and sometimes things become more difficult. That’s part of it. An award like this gives confidence; it confirms that you are on the right track,” Roger Blokland, CEO of Relement and winner of the previous edition, previously told Innovation Origins.

The LEVEL UP Awards ceremony is part of a daylong program with keynote speakers, workshops, pitches, and networking opportunities on September 30 at the Evoluon in Eindhoven. With its wonderful lineup of speakers and (investor) panels, interesting visitors, and the award, again, LEVEL UP offers all the ingredients to accelerate startup growth.