Trend Micro, the leader in cloud security, announced that it has upped the stakes for its annual tech start-up pitch-off competition, the Forward Thinker Award, doubling the first-place cash prize to $20,000.
The competition, currently in its 4th year, was designed as an opportunity for future entrepreneurs to showcase their abilities annually at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Unlike previous versions of the competition, which were held at the CES event in Las Vegas and open only to CES attendees, this year the competition will be open to everyone in a global search for the tech talent of tomorrow.
The competition is designed and run by Trend Forward Capital, Trend Micro Inc.’s venture capital partner. The Forward Thinker Award serves as an opportunity for the entrepreneurial stars of tomorrow to shine and make a name for themselves and their nascent businesses.
“As we look forward to a brighter 2021, technology innovation will be absolutely critical to helping the world rebound from the crisis over the coming years—driving productivity, growth and countless benefits for society and business,” said Trend Forward Capital Investment Partner Jonathan Chang. “Our Forward Thinker Award has never been more relevant, or important. We’ve seen some fantastic entries over the past four years, and we hope that the changes made this year will help attract an even wider range of participants.”
Of those competing, four finalists will be announced by February 22, 2021 and invited by the Trend Forward Capital team to pitch on March 10, 2021. The judging panel responsible for selecting the winner and runner-up will consist of experienced industry experts and investors. Previous judges have included investors from Microsoft, Propel Venture Partners, 500 Startups, OMERS, BlackBerry, HAX, BDC, and Taiwan Tech Arena.
The Forward Thinker Award winner will receive $20,000 cash prize, while the runner-up will be awarded $10,000. The competition is open to all and submission instructions can be found at www.TrendForward.com/forward-thinker.html. Applicants will be asked to submit a 60-second video and pitch deck here. The application deadline is February 10, 2021.
