GIST Tech-I Application Deadline Extended to January 12, 2018

The 2018 GIST Tech-I team has decided to extend the application deadline by two weeks due to a sudden influx of interest in the competition. The new deadline will ensure that even more great ideas and startups are represented in this year’s competition. Even for those who have not yet started to apply, it is not too late to start and complete the simple application.
The new GIST Tech-I application deadline is 11:59 a.m. EST, January 12, 2018. To apply, click here.

GIST Tech-I is a global pitch competition which seeks to identify, select, train and encourage exciting innovations by young scientists and great minds all over the world. As part of the GIST initiative led by the U.S Department of State, Tech-I works to empower young innovators to build businesses that address economic and development challenges. The GIST Tech-I competition is implemented by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

New this year, past GIST Tech-I finalists will play an active role in soliciting, selecting and mentoring the 2018 Tech-I participants. Throughout the course of the competition, the past finalists will function as Alumni Mentors who work with competitors to improve their ideas and perfect their pitch. New 2018 applicants will be able to choose which Alumni Mentor they want to work with when they apply to the competition. Alumni Mentors will then select the best applications from the 2018 applicant pool to move on to the semi-finals. Those semi-finalists will then compete in a global public vote. The top 10 semi-finalists with the most public votes, along with their Alumni Mentors will advance to the Tech-I finals during the 2018 Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Istanbul, Turkey. At the finals, competing entrepreneurs will pitch their startups to a global audience with the chance to win prizes and seed capital.

This year, citizens from 136 countries and emerging economies spanning Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America are eligible to apply with a cutting-edge science and technology idea or startup in any sector. New applicants applying to the 2018 Tech-I are required to explain the science and technology behind their project. Applicants are also required to explain their business strategy for their startup or idea. Finally, applicants will be required to provide a 90-scond pitch video that showcases their innovation and excite viewers about their project’s potential. All applications for the 2018 Tech-I competition are submitted online.

So do not wait! Apply before 11:59 a.m. EST, January 12, 2018 for your chance to be the next young entrepreneur to win the GIST Tech-I competition! To learn more about the 2018 Tech-I competition, click here.