New competition challenges AI startups: ‘Turn on the yes mode’

By Linda Bak

“The classic image of startups is true. Perfect ideas arise in attic rooms. But we see that startups only really start to grow when the entrepreneurs connect,” says Job Nijs, director of Braventure, a Brabant partnership to support startups. The most important and promising technology today is AI. “It offers solutions to big problems in energy and healthcare,” states Liesje Goldschmidt, Head of Business Development at Erasmus Enterprise.

The AI incubator

Over the past few months, more than 50 startups applied to participate in the AI Pitch Competition. From these, 12 finalists were selected. They will pitch their idea to an expert jury on November 7 during the AI Summit Brainport. The winner will receive €50,000; for the numbers two and three, there are big prizes, €35,000 and €25,000.

Pitching on the center spot

According to Goldschmidt and Nijs, the cash prizes are only some of the crucial parts. “With the workshop, we want to help startups get started. That is more important than winning. That’s why, for example, we also organize a workshop at the Willem II station in the run-up to the finals. The finalists pitch there on the center spot,” Goldschmidt says. Erasmus Enterprise has been working on a successful startup competition in Rotterdam for years and was therefore asked by Braventure and the province of North Brabant to think along. “Just like the startups, we also learn a lot from each other,” Nijs says. Goldschmidt: “It’s also just a matter of getting started; startups do that, too.” The idea is to organize the annual AI Pitch Competition to expand the community. Nijs: “It’s a Brabant’s party with national ambition.”

Brand new AI Pitch Competition advances technology and entrepreneurship in Brabant

Brabant is launching a new competition for AI startups as part of the AI Summit Brainport on November 7, 2024.

Connect

Much has already been arranged for startups in Brabant. “We have several funds and programs to help and support startups on their way. The province plays an active role in this. However, we see that startup entrepreneurs still have difficulty finding each other. Startups start not only in the hotspots like Brainport and Breda but also in all the small villages scattered throughout the province. We want to involve all companies, give them a stage, and connect them with each other. For example, entrepreneurs might find out that 15 kilometers away, a startup is working on the same kind of AI but in a different sector. Then you can learn from each other and possibly work together,” Nijs says.

He sees a surprising number of medical startups among the applications for the AI Pitch Competition. “These companies generally have a long time to market. We can shorten that time by connecting entrepreneurs and building a strong network.”

Nijs observes that Brabant is an interesting place for startups. “There are many existing companies here in the medical field, think Philips, but also suppliers and companies that supply medical equipment – such as microscopes. So there is a lot of expertise about scaling innovations.” Goldschmidt adds that plenty of applications from startups from other sectors also exist. “They have one common goal: to solve a social problem.”

Expanding community

After the competition, the community will continue to exist. “In addition, we provide financing tools and look at housing for the startups,” he continues. Braventure will continue to expand the Startup Readiness Program in the coming years. There are plenty of plans. Goldschmidt: “We want to organize a CEO dinner for the startups and scale-ups and established companies from the region.”

The most important thing within the AI Pitch Competition? Goldschmidt: “The yes mode. We can all think of reasons why startups won’t make it. But we don’t think in ‘no.’ We think in ‘yes.’ Because there are also startups that will make it and will make a big difference to the world.”