• How to Web, the Eastern European renowned tech conference that brings together entrepreneurs, founders and investors, will take place between September 21-22, in Bucharest, Romania.
• Organized by H2W, Spotlight 2022 is the leading competition for tech startups in the Eastern European region, and this year offers a record investment prize of €465K.
• 40 startups will be selected to enter the program, out of which 6 will enter the final stage.
• The deadline for applying is September 1, on the How to Web website.
In 2022, founders, entrepreneurs and investors will have the chance to participate in another edition of How to Web, a leading innovation event in Eastern Europe. In the intense 2-days conference there will be more than 50 speakers from all over the world and 2,000 attendees, allowing participants to gather knowledge and experience, as well as present their innovations and compete with the best.
The conference will also host the competition part of Spotlight, a platform for tech startups to get the tools and resources that would accelerate their growth.
Why and how to apply to Spotlight 2022
During the Spotlight program, starting before the conference, and the competition, participants will interact directly with global experts in innovation, investment and scaling, such as UiPath, Credo Ventures, Mind the Product, and Google, among others. Spotlight aims to give tech startup founders the opportunity to connect with over 100 internationally recognized mentors and business leaders from Central and Eastern Europe.
Tech startups eligible to enter the competition should come from Eastern Europe, have high scalability potential, a product with proper stability and traction, a business life of up to 5 years, and up to a maximum of €1 million in investment.
Organizers expect over 250 registrations until September 1, when the application period closes. 40 of registered startups will then be selected and will enter the Spotlight program on September 20.
Later on, 20 semi-finalist startups will enter the pitching competition, organized during the How to Web 2022 conference. The best 6 startups will move on to the final stage, where they will have the opportunity to present their business in front of over 2,000 attendees on the main stage. The most innovative startup will be awarded with the grand prize of €465K.
This year’s investment prize is syndicated by a group of the most active investors from the region: Tech Angels, SeedBlink, Hellen’s Rock, GapMinder VC, Fortech Investments, Growceanu, V7 Capital, RocaX, StartupWiseGuys, and Transylvania Angels Network.
Launched in 2011, Spotlight is a highlight competition in the Eastern European region for technology startups that want to scale globally. So far, Spotlight alumni include many success stories across various sectors, such as Machinations, Neurolabs, Soleadify, and Cartloop. The winner of the 2021 edition and its €350K investment prize was Estonia-based Alpha AR, an AI-based deep tech solution that makes 3D easy and scalable for AR/VR, NFTs, games and marketing from Estonia.
