Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) 2024 (Over $1 million in prizes + Investment Opportunities) Deadline: 31 July, 2024

Is your company solving some of the world’s biggest challenges? Apply for the 2024 Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) by the Global Entrepreneurship Network. The Entrepreneurship World Cup is one of the biggest and most diverse startup pitch competitions and support programs of its kind, featuring more than 370,000 entrepreneurs from over 200 countries and territories while offering winners life-changing prizes.

Since 2019, EWC has awarded $4 million in cash prizes and $150 million in in-kind prizes and provided opportunities for entrepreneurs to reach the next stage in their company’s journey. EWC is more than just a competition, though. Hundreds of coaching and training hours have been delivered, along with high-value entrepreneurship programs tailored to all three participating stages in the World Cup.

The network you build throughout this journey offer invaluable guidance and support to catapult your company toward its growth objectives. Their alumni, whether they are cash-prize winners or members of their select cohorts, have gone on to continue doing amazing things to make the world a better place with innovative solutions to their community’s most pressing needs.

Prizes and benefits

Global Finals Cash Prizes: Early Stage: The top five (5) Early Stage finalists receive cash prizes. 

• Early Stage Champion: $100,000 
• 2nd Place: $75,000 
• 3rd Place: $60,000 
• 4th Place: $45,000 
• 5th Place: $35,000 

Global Finals Cash Prizes: Idea Stage: The top two (2) Idea Stage finalists receive cash prizes. 

• Idea Stage Champion: $50,000
• 2nd Place: $25,000

Global Finals Cash Prizes: Growth Stage: The top three (3) Growth Stage finalists receive cash prizes! 

• Growth Stage Champion: $200,000 
• 2nd Place: $140,000 
• 3rd Place: $70,000 

Global Finals Cash Prizes: Sector: Finalists from all three stages – Idea, Early and Growth – in the sectors below compete for the following cash prizes. 

• Health + Wellness: $50,000
  Championing longer, healthier lives by tackling prevalent medical challenges, ensuring fair access to digital healthcare and pioneering biotech solutions for a healthier world.
• Economies of the Future: $50,000
  Fostering innovation in digital technologies, shaping the future of urban living, and constructing human-centered, environmentally friendly smart cities. Exploring deep-sea resources and establishing a global presence in the frontier of space exploration.
• Energy + Industrial Leadership: $50,000
  Spearheading alternative energy production such as green hydrogen, solar and wind power. Driving the industrial sector towards cutting-edge, high-value industries and fostering competitive, sustainable development in the mining sector.
• Sustainable Environment + Supply of Essential Needs: $50,000
  Leading the way in global environmental preservation and meeting fundamental requirements for water, food, and sustainable energy. Pioneering eco-friendly water technologies, sustainable food production, increased green spaces and cost-effective electricity generation.

EWC is more than just a global pitch competition but it’s still a competition, and yes, there are prizes – life-changing prizes. More than USD $1 million total in prizes, in addition to investment opportunities, visibility, network, access to markets and in-kind services for the top EWC100. 

The global finals will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November 2024.

All Global Finalists will be reviewed and assessed based on due diligence. The top 100 startups from all stages will be announced as the EWC 100 and will pitch at the EWC Global Finals. The EWC Global Finals in Riyadh is a culmination of a year-long search to find some of the most promising entrepreneurs all over the world. The Finals is a multi-day event that features a series of pitches as well as opportunities to meet investors from all over the world. 

Eligibility

All entrepreneurs are welcome. Wherever you are in the world, no matter your industry, and whatever your company stage. They welcome you to EWC 2024 and look forward to another great year of competition and global connectivity.

• There is no entry fee.
• Any startup from around the world is welcome to apply and become an Applicant.
• Applicant startups must be legally registered or planning to register in their country of residence.
• Applicant startups must be ten years or less old by the date of the Global Finals. Entity age is set by the date of company registration and not idea conception.
• EWC Global Winners who won cash prizes during previous editions of the EWC Global Finals (2019-2023) are eligible to participate again in 2024 with certain candidacy considerations for future would-be prizes:
  • EWC Applicants can only be eligible for different prize categories than the prize they earned during previous participation in the competition.
    • Only EWC Grand Prize winners (first place overall) are ineligible to participate as applicant candidates for EWC 2024.
    • Any past second through fifth place winners and/or category winners are eligible and encouraged to apply, but cannot compete for the same placement.
      • To encourage fairness in competition, there is no fast-track for past winners to compete in the Global Finals, and all applicants will pass through the same judging process.
        • For example: Entrant A wins Idea Stage prize in 2021. If Applicant A reapplies, they will only be considered for EWC category prizes and/or non-Idea Stage “ranked prizes
        • For example: Entrant B wins a specific category prize in 2023. If Applicant B reapplies, they will only be considered for any category prize except the prize they previously win and/or all ranked prizes.
        • For example: Entrant C won second place in 2020. If Applicant B reapplies, they will only be considered for EWC category prizes and/or any ranked prize except second place.
• Employees of the organizers, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotional agencies, suppliers and immediate family members are not eligible to participate in the competition.
• By submitting an application to participate in the Entrepreneurship World Cup, you are agreeing to and accepting the Terms of Use set out below under Terms and Conditions.

Deadline: 31 July, 2024

Application

All startups must apply from the country where their headquarters are based. Even if your team is based in multiple countries, you must register from the country where the business’s executive management and key managerial and support staff are located. 

If idea stage, you must apply from the country where you are planning to set up your business.  

Click here to apply.

For more information, visit EWC 2024.