To enter the Supernova All-Stars:

1) You will need to apply to the relevant regional online applications mentioned. Applications opening soon!

OR

2) Be one of the exhibiting startups participating in GITEX Europe 2025 where you will be able to apply through the Exhibitor Portal.

1^st Place - €50,000 cash prize

2^nd Place - €30,000 cash prize

3^rd Place - €20,000 cash prize

Special Mentions:

• Women in Tech Award
• GITEX GLOBAL x Expand North Star in Dubai Award
• GITEX AFRICA Award
• GITEX ASIA Award
• GITEX Nigeria Award

1) If you are applying to the regional online applications mentioned, the final deadline is January 31^st 2025 (no extensions).

2) If you are an exhibiting startup, the final deadline is April 21^st 2025 (no extensions).

Here is a good reference for you:

https://slidebean.com/blog/pitch-deck-structure

Your Pitch Video must be ONLY 60 Seconds or it will not be considered. Your Pitch Video must be in English and have a clear shot of your upper body (sitting or standing). Please submit your video by either a YouTube or a Vimeo URL.

Check out Paul Graham’s advice on story telling when pitching:

"Your goal, and your only goal, is to make investors feel it's not safe to cross you off. And there is a verb for convincing someone that something is not safe. It sounds dramatic, but your goal is to frighten them. But what frightens them? The possibility that you might become really big. They know there are maybe a few companies that will become really big….Before you start meeting investors, put together a rough draft of your fundraising vertebrae. These are the 3-4 points that compromise the narrative of why your company will be really big.

Together, if investors believed in any of these points, they’d be afraid not to bet on you. As you do, keep in mind that there is an important distinction between what the business is and how you tell the story of what your business is. Your conversations with investors should influence the latter, not the former. No investor knows your business as well as you do.”

1) If you applied through the regional online applications, the announcements of the shortlisted startups for the semi-finals will be announced on March 3^rd 2025.

2) If you are an exhibiting startup and applied through the Exhibitor portal, the announcements of the shortlisted startups for the semi-finals will be announced on April 28^th 2025.

As part of the Supernova All-Stars, we are scouting for the most disruptive startups revolutionizing sectors of Deeptech, AI, Greentech, Digital Finance, Cybersecurity, Cloud and Mobility.

The general judging criteria is broken down into main areas. Please keep these in mind as you design your pitch deck, pitch video, and semi-finals, finals pitches!

• Idea: How innovative is this idea?
• Market Opportunity: Market Size, Competition, Scalability
• Business Model: Revenue Model, Pricing, Target Customers
• Traction: Any revenue, customers, investors?
• Team: Is a skilled team in place for the startup’s success?

The judging panels for the Supernova All-Stars will be experts in the respective sectors and will be a diverse panel with investment, commercial, and entrepreneurial background in the focus sectors.

No, you cannot make edits to your application until the submission deadline.

If you are not shortlisted, there are many opportunities to engage with investors and the wider GITEX EUROPE audience. We will be keeping a waitlist in case of any last-minute changes. Please note that we receive hundreds of applications and the shortlisting goes through multiple rounds of review.

100 startups will be selected to pitch in-person as part of the Supernova Semi-Finals at GITEX EUROPE on Day 1 and Day 2, including 30 startups from regional winners.

10 startups will move on to pitch in-person as part of the Supernova Finals which will take place on Day 3.

There will be no sector categories as part of the semi-finals and finals of Supernova. The selection committee will score and shortlist startups based on a variety of metrics including sector disruption.

Starting in February, confirmed exhibiting startups will be shortlisted every month to participate in a virtual pitch event called The Qualifiers. This will give your startup the opportunity to connect with investors who will participate as judges in the Qualifier rounds; receive feedback regarding your pitch early on; and additional exposure to attendees in the ecosystem. Startups are selected based on their pitch deck and video submission, and scored as per the judging criteria. So, book your startup pod to benefit from the Virtual Qualifiers.

If you are unable to participate or do not get selected for the Virtual Qualifiers, you will still be considered for the Supernova All-Stars but will not get the opportunity to pitch to a panel of investors.. All applications will be scored by a panel of judges after the final application deadline, ensuring that every startup is reviewed before final shortlisting is made for the Semi-Finalists.

The team will be in touch regarding your cash prize or awards and next steps 1 week after GITEX EUROPE 2025.

No, there will be a new selection process each year. You will have to apply to be considered again. Similarly, if you are shortlisted for the finals after pitching in the semi-finals but you miss the pitch, you will be replaced with the next runner-up.