Blast Off! EIG 2015 announces Start-Up LaunchPad

The starting gun has been fired on the race to become the 2015 EiG Start-Up LaunchPad winner after Clarion Events, in partnership with GamCrowd, announced that submissions are now being accepted for this year’s competition in Berlin, Germany.

Organisers are expecting the hugely popular LaunchPad, which last year attracted a record number of more than 30 entries, to generate plenty of interest once again ahead of the August 30 deadline for applications.

A Selection Committee will whittle down the entries to a shortlist of between four and six companies, with the finalists then pitching to a panel of expert judges, including Burlywood  Capital Partner Mark Blandford, who founded Sportingbet, and Burckhardt Bonello, the CEO of Found Fair Ventures and the Founder of mybet.

The finalists will also be able to showcase their company via a complementary stand at the Start-Up Village during EiG at Arena Berlin from October 20-22.

Last year’s finalists included DiscountIF, Asylum Labs, Betify and Riftsino, with Fresh8 Gaming emerging as the winner following an audience vote.

“To win the LaunchPad is a badge of honour that can really add credibility to a start-up, and we found it to be a very useful experience for getting our name out into the industry,” Fresh8 Gaming Managing Director Andrew Sharland said.

 

“If you genuinely believe you have a chance, it is definitely worth your while. You have to think about whether your start-up is scalable, whether people are going to buy the idea and, perhaps most importantly, whether the right team is in place to make it come to life.”

Since 2008, the LaunchPad has provided a potentially game-changing platform for start-ups, with many going on from the competition to strike successful partnerships and acquisitions.

Former LaunchPad finalists include Imperus, which acquired Diwip Technologies in a $100m deal, BlueBat Games, which was snapped up by Novomatic’s GreenTube, and Element Wave, which has grown considerably since its 2013 victory.

The Selection Committee, comprising iGaming Capital Director Melissa Blau, GamCrowd CEO Chris North and Clarion Events Head of Gaming Content Ewa Bakun, will announce the shortlisted start-ups in mid-September before regular meetings take place with the finalists to provide assistance with the final presentations.

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Visit http://www.eigexpo.com/start-launchpad to check the submission criteria before sending your completed form to [email protected] no later than August 30.