The FutureNow startup competition, also known as the Startup Awards, is akin to the Oscars for the best startups with global potential. This year marked the eighth and largest occurrence of the competition, open to participants from 17 European countries, with 128 registered start-ups. Glycanostics was chosen as a finalist in the Grand Finale with five other remarkable startups. To get to the Finale, the participants needed to prove that their products were innovative and competitive enough to make a positive impact in the world. These companies had to be in the early stages of their business (no more than five years on the market), with a €500,000 investment ceiling from external sources, and they had to either operate in, or have one of their founders from, one of the participating 17 countries.
Jan Tkac, Сo-Founder and Executive Manager of Glycanostics Ltd., comments:
“It’s the first time we took part in such a prestigious competition. Regarding the fact that all the participants compete in one nomination, it was really amazing to become one of the TOP-6 finalists. We don’t know if we were the 2nd or the 6th but, anyway, it’s very inspiring to get such a high evaluation from so many industry experts!”
“Another great experience was joining the intense, three-day accelerator with only 24 startups selected by the organizers. It was an amazing opportunity to connect with top-notch mentors and with investors with powerful networking abilities, all in a world-class recreational facility!”
comments Tomas Bertok, Co-Founder of Glycanostics Ltd.
The company plans to take part in future prestigious competitions, seed accelerators and governmental programs which support technical and scientific innovations.
FutureNow Startup Awards
FutureNow, formerly known as StartupAwardsSK, is the largest tech and innovation event platform in Slovakia, featuring a multi-day festival, a competition for the most prestigious early-stage startups, and the country’s biggest tech conference. In 2018, it expanded beyond the country’s borders, reaching out to the entire Central European community! With multiple events all throughout the year, the FutureNow team recognizes top early-stage tech companies in the region and brings together innovators, entrepreneurs, designers, policy-makers, corporate leaders and investors from all over. Now in its eighth year, FutureNow brings top-notch international speakers from all over the world to Slovakia. Through their expertise and stories, the organizers aim to showcase the hottest local trends in tech and business, and to inspire everyone to become entrepreneurs.
