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THE SUPERNOVA ALL-STARS PITCH COMPETITION

Do you have what it takes to compete to be a part of the Supernova 100 and win from a cash prize pool of €100,000 Equity-Free? 

Winners of regional online applications and GITEX Impact Series selections benefit from sponsored participation as part of GITEX Europe

Visibility with investors and accelerators who make up the Selection Committees of Supernova competitions; and Media and marketing visibility as semi-finalists and finalists

Opportunity to be considered for GITEX global events including GITEX Africa in Marrakech, GITEX Asia in Singapore, GITEX Nigeria, and GITEX Global x Expand North Star in Dubai

The Road to the All-Stars

We’ll be scouting for the most disruptive startups across different regions in Europe across AI, Deeptech Greentech, Climatech, Mobility, Digital Finance, and Smart Cities. Submit your startup pitch based on your startup headquarters to one of the regional competitions.

We will be scouting across:

  • Nordics & Baltics
  • Southern Europe & Balkans
  • Eurasia & Caucasus     
  • Eastern Europe
  • Western Europe & Central Europe

If you are a startup based in Germany, apply through the Impact Series!

Applications Closed!

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Exhibiting Startup? How Can You Apply?

To participate in the Supernova Challenge pitch competition, you must be an exhibiting startup at GITEX EUROPE 2025.

To apply, please complete the exhibitor booking form by following the button below. One of our team members will be in touch directly to secure your spot for GITEX EUROPE 2025 exhibition.

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Startup from Germany?

Apply to the Germany Impact Series for special opportunities to participate!

European Regional Roadshows Supporting Partners

TIMELINE

March 7th

European Regionals Application Deadline

May 5th

Final Application Deadline

May 12th

Semi-Finalists Announced

May 14th

Virtual Pitch Prep Session

May 21st

Semi-Finals Pitch Competition Begins

May 22nd

GITEX Universe Finals Pitch Begins

May 23rd

Finals Pitch Competition Begins & Winners Announced

FAQs

To enter the Supernova All-Stars:

1) If you are a startup from Germany and have not booked to exhibit yet, you will need to apply to the Germany Impact Series. Final deadline for the Germany Impact Series application is 31 March 2025! 

OR

2) If you have already booked to exhibit, you can apply through the exhibitor portal.

1st Place - €50,000 cash prize

2nd Place - €30,000 cash prize

3rd Place - €20,000 cash prize

Special Mentions:

  • Women in Tech Award
  • GITEX NIGERIA 2025 Award
  • GITEX GLOBAL x Expand North Star 2025 in Dubai Award
  • GITEX AFRICA 2026 Award
  • GITEX ASIA 2026 Award
  • AI Everything Global 2026 Award     

  1) If you are an exhibiting startup, the final deadline is May 5th 2025 (no extensions) on the exhibitor portal.

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 14th 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 28th 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.

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.

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.

You can still book your pod to participate at GITEX EUROPE 2025, and apply for Supernova Challenge pitch competition through the exhibitor portal.