Miami, Jan. 16, 2019 – The Idea Center at Miami Dade College (MDC) in partnership with eMerge Americas, Miami’s premier tech event propelling innovation and investment in South Florida and Latin America, will host one-of-a-kind Pitch Night, Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 5:30 p.m.
During the event, two startups will be selected to be fast-tracked into the 2019 eMerge Americas Global Startup Showcase to be held in Miami Beach April 29-30. There is no fee to participate in the Pitch Night or the Global Startup Showcase. Pitches must be presented in English and delivered within a five-minute time frame. Applications can be submitted through Feb. 8, at http://theideacenter.co/startupshowcase
This opportunity is open to startups led by students or recent graduates (up to two years) of MDC, or an Idea Center entrepreneurship program such as Startup Challenge, CREATE, Impact Miami, Scale Up Miami or the MDC Innovation Prize.
Businesses will compete in one of two tracks. Eligibility requirements for each track are as follows:
University track
- Students and/or recent graduates of MDC or Idea Center programs
- Developed a minimum viable product (MVP – a simple version of the product/service to share with potential customers to get feedback)
- Have earned little or no revenue
- Less than one year in operation
Early-stage track
- Affiliated with MDC or Idea Center programs
- Developed a Minimum Viable Product and have established Proof of Concept
- Minimum of two full-time employees
- Have paying customers
- Less than three years in operation
- Hold no more than $500,000 raised in angel or seed capital
One winning startup in each track will receive free support and coaching from eMerge Americas via virtual bootcamps as well as a full-day startup bootcamp in advance of the conference.
Interested businesses must operate in the following sectors: health; media and entertainment; finance; education; eGov and smart cities; logistics; hospitality and travel; cybersecurity; big data; artificial intelligence; and blockchain. They should provide products and/or services that are innovative, software, hardware, mobile or web-based.
The Idea Center is MDC’s hub of innovation, the place where students from all disciplines can gather, collaborate and take advantage of resources and training to develop their entrepreneurial ideas. Through cutting-edge entrepreneurship education, professional development and experiential learning, students and community members can acquire the tools needed to identify challenges and develop solutions.
By connecting entrepreneurs, investors, leading business executives and decision-makers, eMerge Americas is an ecosystem transforming Miami into the tech hub of the Americas. In 2018, eMerge Americas attracted more than 15,000 attendees from 400 participating companies and over 40 countries.
MDC will also once again have a dynamic presence at eMerge, showcasing some of it newest and most disruptive programs in a very hands-on and interactive way.
WHAT: The Idea Center at MDC and eMerge Americas Partner to Host a Startup Pitch Night
WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 13, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: The Idea Center at MDC, Bldg. 8, Fifth Floor 315 N.E. Second Ave.
For more information, please contact Gustavo Grande ggrande@mdc.edu