Applications Open for 2016 GIST Tech-I Competition

Applications are currently being accepted for the 2016 edition of the GIST (Global Innovation through Science and Technology) Technology Idea (Tech-I) Competition. Tech-I, part of the GIST Initiative, is an annual global pitch competition aimed at identifying, selecting, training and encouraging exciting young scientists, engineers and great minds to build businesses around the world. Applicants are required to submit a short summary of their product, research, service or concept and a 750-word executive summary which describes the proposed work and the science and technology behind it. Also, applicants will be required to provide a 1 minute promotional pitch video to showcase their innovation. From the numerous applications received, up to 100 applicants will be selected for the semi-finals where the public will be allowed to vote based on the promotional pitch videos of the applicants, which will be made available online. The votes will help select up to thirty finalists who will pitch their ventures to a global audience at the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Silicon Valley, California. During the Summit, the selected applicants will receive intensive skills training, mentorship and networking access to global leaders in their fields. Winners of the competition will receive seed capital prizes. After the finals, all the finalists will also receive up to 3 months mentoring. The competition is open to citizens from 135 countries and emerging economies in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Interested applicants should apply for the competition on or before January 15, 2016. The 2014 edition of the GIST Tech-I Startup competition was won by David Gluckman from South Africa for his low cost fire detection and early warning system called Lumkani. The GIST Initiative is led by the U.S. Department of State, and the Tech-I Competition is implemented by UT Austin’s IC2 Institute and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).