Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition

Startups who will get the opportunity to pitch at the Startup Competition Finals on Sunday, June 5:

  • WithMe
  • Medpack,
  • BeBeep.

Top 7 startups that had the opportunity to pitch at the Spark.me Startup Competition Semifinals on Saturday, June 4:

  • Medpack,
  • Collabwriting,
  • Flash,
  • Visit Village,
  • BeBeep,
  • Spectro,
  • WithMe.

Spark.me continues its tradition of bringing together successful startups from all over Europe in its annual startup competition. This year we are doing it with help of Infobip, the first Croatian unicorn and ​a global leader in omnichannel communication, as Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition sponsor.

The grand prize for the winner of the Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition is the opportunity to attend the TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2022, one of the biggest tech and startup events in the world!

Infobip has provided additional prizes for all 10 startups that will take part in the Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition. While a $20,000 voucher in credits for Infobip products and services will be a prize for 9 startups in the competition, one startup will have a chance to win the Communications Award in form of $50,000 in credits for Infobip products and services as well as the 2 tickets for Infobip Shift 2022, the largest Developer event in Southeastern Europe that will be held on September 19-20, 2022 in Zadar.

Spark.me 2022 Competition Milestones

You can apply for the Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition through the application form available on this page. After applying, the startups will have to pass the pre-selection round. In order to participate in the Spark.me Startup Competition, you need to apply by May 29, 2022, 23:59:59 UTC.

Please apply only if you are certain that you will be able to attend the event in person.

1. The Application

Spark.me continues its tradition of bringing together successful startups from all over Europe in its annual startup competition. This year we are doing it with help of Infobip, the first Croatian unicorn and ​a global leader in omnichannel communication, as Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition sponsor.

The grand prize for the winner of the Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition is the opportunity to attend the TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2022, one of the biggest tech and startup events in the world!

Infobip has provided additional prizes for all 10 startups that will take part in the Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition. While a $20,000 voucher in credits for Infobip products and services will be a prize for 9 startups in the competition, one startup will have a chance to win the Communications Award in form of $50,000 in credits for Infobip products and services as well as the 2 tickets for Infobip Shift 2022, the largest Developer event in Southeastern Europe that will be held on September 19-20, 2022 in Zadar.

2. Pre-Selection

The 10 best startup teams will be invited to confirm their attendance by May 31, 2022. A list of Top 10 startups will be publicly announced on June 1, 2022. Selected startups will get to present at the Spark.me conference on June 4-5, in Porto Montenegro Auditorium in Tivat, Montenegro.

3. Competition

On the first day of the conference (June 4), all teams will present their project in front of a panel of judges. The allotted time for the pitches is 5 minutes, with an additional 3 minutes reserved for questions from the judging panel.

After all 10 teams have presented, the judges will convene and choose 3 teams that will present in the final round. The finalists’ names will be announced during the cocktail reception, at the end of the first day of the conference.

The final round will take place on the second day of the conference (June 5), when each of the 3 finalists will have 3 minutes to explain to the judges why they deserve the title of Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition winner.

The winning team will get the unique opportunity to attend the TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2022, on October 18-20, 2022. This includes:

  • A return economy-class plane ticket to San Francisco (for 2 people),
  • Hotel accommodation for three days (for 2 people),
    Tickets for the TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2022 conference (for 2 people),
  • The grand prize of attending the TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2022 has an approximate value of $5,000.

On the second day of the conference (June 5), Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition sponsor, Infobip, will announce winner of the special Communication Award which includes a $50,000 voucher in credits for Infobip products and services and 2 tickets for Infobip Shift 2022. All other participating startups will be awarded a $20,000 voucher in credits for Infobip products and services each.

The Grand Prize

With over 10,000 attendees and 400+ media outlets, TechCrunch Disrupt 2022 San Francisco is the place to find new customers, get media attention, and meet future investors.

Straight from the headlines of TechCrunch.com, at Disrupt you’ll hear from people who are not only setting the rules but also changing the tech game. Disrupt provides a platform to make genuinely valuable connections with driven and focused people from all across the tech ecosystem. Whether you’re looking for funding, a new job, your new co-founder or investment, you can efficiently and effectively connect with the right people.

The rules for presenting startup ideas at TechCrunch Disrupt have changed this year. The only way to compete in Startup Battlefield is by first earning a spot in the Startup Battlefield 200 — a curated cohort of 200 early-stage startups.

In order to compete in the Bettlefield and have a chance to win the $100,000 grand prize, startups will have to apply via the following link. Out of thousands of applicants, 200 will be selected. From those 200 companies, TechCrunch editors will choose 20 startups as Startup Battlefield finalists. Those founders will be featured on the TechCrunch website, receive private coaching and pitch live in front of the entire TechCrunch audience.

FAQ

Who is eligible to apply to Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition?

All startups founded after September 1, 2020, and that have received less than $2.5 million in funding, are eligible to apply, regardless of where they are registered.

Will the winner of the Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition get a cash prize?

No. The winning team gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend one of the most prestigious startup events in the world, TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2022. The prize has an approximate value of $5,000.

Why are is the winner of Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition not guaranteed a booth at the TC Disrupt Startup Alley?

The rules for presenting your startup idea at TechCrunch Disrupt have changed this year. The only way to compete in Startup Battlefield is by first earning a spot in the Startup Battlefield 200 — a curated cohort of 200 early-stage startups. We strongly encourage the winning team to apply!

Who will be in charge of securing US visas for the winning team and the runner-up?

The winning and runner-up teams are required to provide all the necessary documents for securing the US Visa. The .ME Registry will assist in communications with the US Embassy or another institution in charge of granting the US Visa.

What is the Communications Award?

The Communications Award is a special prize awarded to a startup chosen by Infobip, the sponsor of Spark.me 2022 Startup Competition. The Award includes a $50,000 voucher in credits for Infobip products and services and 2 tickets for Infobip Shift 2022.

This special prize will be awarded to a startup expected to benefit the most from the Infobip products and services and to be able to implement them in order to achieve their scalability goals.

Who will cover the travel costs for presenting at the Spark.me conference in Montenegro?

The travel and accommodation costs for attending the conference in Montenegro are to be covered by the teams themselves. The 10 teams that qualify for the Spark.me Startup competition will receive free conference tickets for all their team members.

Should the startups be registered in Montenegro in order to participate?

No. The startups can be registered anywhere.