GLOBAL CHALLENGE
The world-renowned deep tech startup competition
APPLICATIONS OPEN UNTIL 18TH JUNE
Why apply
A competition designed for science and deep tech entrepreneurs


CONNECTIONS
Track Winners will get customized coaching sessions by our experts & personal introductions with relevant investors & potential partners and clients.
Connect with leading industry experts, investors, accelerators & fellow entrepreneurs.
Become part of the Deep Tech Pioneers community & get all-year access to a global deep tech ecosystem to receive business and funding opportunities.


VISIBILITY
Receive the Deep Tech Pioneer recognition & get a chance to be featured in our reports and invited to speak at future events.
Opportunities to pitch or showcase in front of a curated audience of renowned industry leaders & investors.
Get spotted by international media, with interview opportunities.


FUNDING
€100K Grand Prize, €30K 2nd prize and €20K 3rd prize – all equity-free, no strings attached.
Advertise your open fundraising opportunities to our active international investor network
A dedicated Investor Day for 1-on-1 meetings with 200+ renowned VCs and CVCs.
WE WELCOME INNOVATION ACROSS ALL INDUSTRIES
Discover the tracks of our Global Challenge
CORPORATE TRACKS
TIMELINE
Your Global Challenge journey
JUNE 4TH 2019
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Start of the 6th edition of the Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge
Do you have a deep tech startup or project that uses advanced technology to answer a societal or industrial challenge? You can apply online from June 4th 2019 onwards!
JUNE-AUGUST 2019
ATTEND A CHALLENGE Q&A SESSION
Got burning questions about the Challenge?
Or curious to find out more? HT goes on tour, hosting a series of meetups around the world where you can find out more about the ins and outs of the Global Challenge, get some tips and much more! Previous sessions have taken place in Barcelona, Lausanne, San Francisco, Bangkok, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Vienna, Islamabad and Berlin.
SEPTEMBER 13TH 2019
APPLICATIONS CLOSE
Deadline for applying to the Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge!
Be sure to submit your application on the online platform before September 13th if you want your project to be reviewed by our judges. As we receive a lot of applications and are on a tight schedule, we are unfortunately unable to offer extensions for application submissions.
NOVEMBER 6TH 2019
DEEP TECH PIONEERS ANNOUNCED
The very best deep tech startups are selected!
Hello Tomorrow will announce its list of most promising top deep tech startups. The top selected startups from the Challenge are invited to attend the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit 2020, as well as the Business & Investor Days, which will feature 200+ investors and 100+ corporates.
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2019
LOCAL CHALLENGES
Taking place in Hello Tomorrow hubs around the globe!
Get connected in your local deep tech ecosystem before the Global Summit in Paris! Only for startups based in Africa, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Turkey. Don’t worry, if you’re not in one of these countries, it won’t affect your application to the Global Challenge.
JANUARY 2020
FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
80 startup finalists which will take centre stage at the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit
Hello Tomorrow will publicly announce the list of startups that will pitch on the Challenge Stage at the Global Summit in Paris in front of a jury of experts, industry, investors and journalists. All other top startups selected will still have a chance to demo their product/project and pitch during live sessions in other areas of the event.
NOVEMBER 9TH-13TH 2020
INVESTOR DAYS
Meet with 200+ investors
The Deep Tech Pioneers are invited to attend the Investor Days which will feature 200+ investors. Last year’s participants included NEA, Atomico, Balderton and many more. You will be able to plan up to fifteen 30 minute meetings dedicated to making connections. Over and entire week, you will be able to plan 30-minute meetings dedicated to making connections.
NOVMEBER 16-20TH 2020
HELLO TOMORROW GLOBAL SUMMIT
Where you meet the enablers who will take your technology to the next level
Pitch in front of thousands of experts and influencers, meet the most active industrial corporates looking for collaborations with innovative deep tech projects, demo your product and meet an amazing crowd of peers. The Grand Prize winner and winners from 13 industry tracks will be announced on the final day of the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit!
winners & finalists have Raised more than $1B
Previous challenge winners
‘‘
ADEBAYO ALONGE, ceo & co-founder of rxall
Thanks to the credibility and increased visibility from the Global Challenge, we’ve raised $1.5M to date and been able to scale up, join a famous accelerator in China and create a 2nd generation of our scanner.
”
2020 Grand Prize Winner
AGORA ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, CANADA
A CO2 redox flow battery: grid scale battery technology sequestering CO2.
DISCOVER THE FULL PROJECT +
2018/2019 Grand Prize Winner
RXALL – NIGERIA/USA
A portable nanoscanner to detect fake drugs in real-time.
— 30+ media articles after their win —
DISCOVER THE FULL PROJECT +
2017 Grand Prize Winner
SAATHI – INDIA
Biodegradable sanitary pads made from banana fibre.
— Named in Forbes 30 under 30 Asia
—
2016 Grand Prize Winner
LILIUM AVIATION – GERMANY
Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing Aircrafts.
— Raised €100M since the Global Summit —
2015 Grand Prize Winner
BIOCARBON ENGINEERING – UK
Mass reforestation using automated drones
— Undisclosed investment from Parrot after the Summit —
2014 Grand Prize Winner
GTX MEDICAL – SWITZERLAND
Implant therapy to make paralyzed people walk again.
— Raised €35M since the Global Summit —
JURY MEMBERs
Get hand-picked by the best
Hello Tomorrow has set up an international and interdisciplinary committee of leading scientists, industry specialists, successful deep tech entrepreneurs and renowned VCs, to select the best startups in each industry track.


Romain Lavault
GENERAL PARTNER
PARTECH


Hemai Parthasarathy
CSO & PARTNER
BREAKOUT LABS


Marcus Remmers
CTO
DSM


Jun Axup
SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR & PARTNER
INDIEBIO


Cyril Ebersweiler
FOUNDER & MD HAX – GP SOSV


Eugenie Rives
GENERAL MANAGER
X, THE MOONSHOT FACTORY


Ralph Fritsche
Sr. PROJECT MANAGER
NASA


Celia Hart
GENERAL PARTNER
SUPERNOVA INVEST


Christine Gould
FOUNDER & CEO
THOUGHT FOR FOOD


Florent Illat
HEAD
SAFRAN CORPORATE VENTURES


Stephanie Marrus
MANAGING DIRECTOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
UCSF


Almudena Trigo
CO-FOUNDER & GENERAL PARTNER
BEABLE CAPITAL
Local challenges
We organise Local Hello Tomorrow Challenges ahead of the Global Summit to boost local ecosystems.
If you’re based in one of the countries below, by participating in the Local Challenge, you get the chance to connect with local companies, investors and other stakeholders! But don’t worry, if you’re not in one of these regions, it won’t affect your chances of having the full Global Challenge experience!


Participate in the Africa Challenge, and get a chance to win :
- A return flight ticket to Paris to attend the Global Summit
- Prize money of €3,000 for the winner
- Showcasing opportunity at the Global Summit
- Free tickets to the Global Summit and Business & Investor Days


Participate in the Turkey Challenge, and get a chance to win:
- Two return flight tickets to Paris to attend the Global Summit
- Free Tickets to the Global Summit and Business & Investor Days
- Showcasing opportunity at the Global Summit


Participate in the Southeast Asia Challenge (open to startups from Southeast Asia + Hong Kong + Taiwan), pitch in front of the regional deep tech ecosystem and get a chance to win :
- 3 Cash grants of 50,000 SGD
- 3 return flight tickets to Paris to attend the Global Summit
- Showcasing opportunities at the global Summit
- Free tickets to the Global Summit and Business & Investor Days
CHALLENGE ELIGIBILITY
Am I eligible to apply?
We welcome startups that are:
- In the early stage of development or the beginning of their commercialisation phase
- Based on a new technology, a scientific discovery or a complex engineering process
- Addressing an industrial, societal or environmental unmet need or creating a new market
- Composed of a team of at least 2 people
- Not a subsidiary or spin-off of an existing company
FAQ
GOT QUESTIONS ?
The Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge is a renowned global startup competition designed specifically to address the needs of deep tech entrepreneurs across several industries. The Challenge was created in 2013 by two PhD students, Xavier Duportet and Arnaud De La Tour, who realised that the resources needed to propel emerging technologies were different from those of traditional web and mobile innovation.
The Challenge gives scientists and deep tech entrepreneurs around the globe a platform for their research and projects, providing participants with equity-free funding, global visibility and connections with key players in the deep tech innovation network and other fellow entrepreneurs. To date, previous early-stage participants have raised more than $300 million in funding.
Applications are open until September 13th, 2019. The Grand Finals will be held in Paris on March 10th-13th, 2020 during the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit. Applications to the Global Challenge are entirely free.
You are eligible if:
-Your activity is based on a new technology or an innovative application of an existing technology.
-You have a proof of concept, a prototype, a scientific validation of your claim, or are in the process of producing one.
-Your team is made up of two persons or more. Your project is not part of a larger company.
-Your project/startup is in early-stage (up to series A)
-You foresee an economically viable application on the market within 15 years.
-Your project has the potential to have a strong impact on the industry you target, and on society or the environment in general.
All previous Global Challenge participants are welcome to reapply as long as they have not been a Grand Winner or Track Winner.
Projects don’t have to be incorporated to apply to the competition but they should have clear development plans and goals. In fact, 40% of the applicants from previous editions were not incorporated. In the case that a non-incorporated project wins the competition, no funds will be transferred until the company is incorporated.
There are 14 tracks this year:
Advanced computing & AI, Aeronautics, Cybersecurity & Communication, Digital Health & Medical Devices, Drug Discovery, Energy, Environment, Food & Agriculture, Industrial Biotech, Industry 4.0, Medical Biotech, Mobility, New Space, Smart City.
It’s up to you to select the track you think you would have the best chance of winning. In the case that the judging committee strongly believes that your project fits better in another track, we will suggest that you change the track.
The Deep Tech Pioneers (around 500) are selected by Hello Tomorrow and invited to the Global Summit to interact with sector-specific and invite-only investors, top executives, accelerators and fellow founders.
They are also invited to the Investor Day & Business Day, for one-on-one meetings with 200+ top-tier VCs and 100+ international corporates, which will take place during the 2 days before the Summit.
80 finalists (around 6 finalists per track) will have the opportunity to pitch in front of a select audience of 400 people, competing for the €10k prize per track. The grand winner, selected among the track winners, will be awarded €100k (€10k + €90k).
The judging phase will take place in 3 distinctive steps. Applicants will be informed of the progress at each step.
(1) Deep Tech Pioneers – The Hello Tomorrow judging committee will select the best startups (around 500) based on the quality of their online application.
(2) Finalists – The judging committee will select around 6 startups per track. These finalist startups will be invited to pitch during the Grand Finals at the Summit.
(3) Track winners – A judging committee made up of investors, corporates, scientists and other experts in their field will select the track winners after their pitches at the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit in Paris.
Applications will be reviewed by volunteer expert judges (investors, entrepreneurs, executives, researchers and other experts in their field) who will analyse all applications working under NDAs. For the Grand Finals, taking place during the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit, a list and profile of the judges will be published online and made accessible to contestants prior to the event. The applications will be judged according to the following criteria:
Technological innovation: The company must develop a product/service based on a new technology, a scientific discovery or an innovative application of an existing technology.
Impact: The company must have the potential to make a substantial long-term impact on business and/or society.
Team: The company must have visionary leadership with the capabilities to drive the company towards success.
Economic viability: The company should have well-formulated plans for developments and goals and a sustainable business model.
During the Grand Finals, the Hello Tomorrow Challenge judging committee will rate and select projects based on the quality of the pitch and the complementary information provided by the startups after the first selection rounds (1-page summary & pitch deck).
We designed the Global Challenge specifically for deep tech projects and startups, to acknowledge that the needs and resources needed for deep technologies are different from those of digital startups.
At the Summit, you’ll meet experts in science and technology, including investors, executives, entrepreneurs and potential customers, who have a solid understanding of the needs and potential impact of new solutions and want to be part of the deep technology transfer.
Contrary to other challenges, it provides a platform for global visibility, ranking early-stage startups and connections during the Hello Tomorrow Summit (3,500 attendees from 110+ countries in 2018). The Summit is invite-only and the Challenge gives you an opportunity to be part of the deep tech network.
Hello Tomorrow is run by a group of passionate people who basically just really love deep technology and want to see you get your innovation out into the world!
The application to the Global Challenge is entirely free of charge, and doesn’t engage applicants in any way. Hello Tomorrow does not require any action from the applicants aside from the application material, and does not claim any kind of decision, power or take any equity.
The information you provide on your application will be available to the following parties:
– Hello Tomorrow and our external IT team (to manage the application platform)
– Our volunteer expert jury members (to judge your application)
– Our partners (corporates and investors looking for potential collaboration or investment opportunities)
They all sign our Non-Disclosure Agreement, available upon request (contact@hello-tomorrow.org). However, if you believe some information might be too sensitive (because of a pending patent for example), we advise that you get legal advice from someone within your institution. If you do not have access to legal counsel, don’t hesitate to send us an email.
Applicants selected as Deep Tech Pioneers, and who are invited to the Summit and Investor Day, will be notified on November 6th, 2019. The finalists will then be announced on January 14th, 2020.
We are currently developing our network of local hubs around the globe and are organizing local competitions to empower entrepreneurs at a local level, helping to provide opportunities for startups within their own ecosystem.
The following countries will be hosting Local Challenges:
Turkey – Open to projects/startups based or incorporated in Turkey.
Southeast Asia, Hong Kong & Taiwan – Finals will be held in Singapore. Open to projects/startups based or incorporated in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Africa – Finals will be held in South Africa. Open to projects/startups based or incorporated in any African country.
If your team is based in a country covered by a Local Challenge, you’ll have the opportunity to meet potential partners, investors and the local deep tech community, win your return trip to Paris for the Global Summit in March 2020 and other prizes as well (check your Hello Tomorrow Local Hub website for more information).
If your team is not based in a country covered by a Local Challenge, don’t worry! It won’t affect your application to the Global Challenge and you still have just as much of a chance of being selected as one of our Deep Tech Pioneers or Finalists, and will enjoy the full experience of the Global Challenge and Global Summit!
It’s easy! In the Global Challenge application form, when you select your country, an additional question will appear asking you to confirm that you wish to apply to the Local Challenge as well. Just fill out the rest of the form and submit your application!
No, you can’t. But why would you? Winners of the Local Challenges even get their flight tickets to attend the Global Summit in Paris sponsored!
No, and it won’t affect your application. But you’ll be missing out on amazing extra opportunities!
The Hello Tomorrow Global Summit is the first global event dedicated to scientists and deep tech founders in every industry. This is where finalists will pitch in front of an audience of 400 people and an expert jury to compete to win their track and have a shot at winning the Grand Prize.
There is also a full program, including keynotes from leaders in science and technological innovation, expert panels discussing issues around technology and interactive learning sessions aimed at early-stage startups to share best practices and advice on how to advance your company.
Two full days dedicated to one-on-one investment and business meetings between our Deep Tech Pioneers and 300 of the most prominent VCs, CVCs and industry leaders in the world.
Applicants selected as Deep Tech Pioneers are the only startups attending Investor Dau & Business Day. Prior to these two days, they will be given access to the list of VCs, CVCs and industry leaders who will be present in order to book individual meetings with them.
Participants from the last edition include NEA, Atomico, Balderton Capital, Airbus ventures, Samsung, Merck, Bosch, and many more (check our Investor Day page).
The Summit brings together 3,500 of the most prominent leaders in emerging technology. This unique group of curated participants include investors, founders, top executives, scientists & other academics, policy makers, PhD students and journalists.
While some tickets to the Summit will be for sale, the majority of attendees will have been carefully invited and selected by Hello Tomorrow for their ability to bring expertise to one or several of the industrial sectors represented by the Challenge’s tracks.
Applicants selected as Deep Tech Pioneers do not have to pay to attend the Summit, including the Investor Day and Business Day. However, Deep Tech Pioneers that want to attend the event in Paris have to pay a deposit of 100€ per ticket which is reimbursed when showing up at the Summit. The reimbursement will take place within two months after the Summit.
Participating startups that are not among the selected Deep Tech Pioneers but nevertheless would like to attend the event in Paris have to pay for their tickets.
Unfortunately, we cannot cover travel costs for over 500 startups. Applicants are thus responsible for travel or accommodation expenses.
We understand that the cost associated with travelling to Paris can be significant. However, we’ve seen from previous editions that startups truly benefit from the Summit due to the visibility they get from interacting with top-level executives and selected investors in their industry.


GLOBAL PARTNERS






CHALLENGE TRACK PARTNERS

