The Entrepreneurship World Cup stands as one of the world’s most extensive and inclusive startup pitch competitions and entrepreneurial support initiatives. Annually, entrepreneurs from 200 nations numbering in the tens of thousands vie for their portion of $1 million in monetary awards, plus additional millions in investment opportunities, mentorship, media exposure, and participation in an international championship event featuring prominent investors.
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This competition operates under the joint leadership of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) and Monsha’at (Saudi Arabia’s Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority), backed by over 50 strategic partners worldwide.
Originally launched by the Misk Global Forum in 2019, the competition was created through collaboration with GEN.
Beyond being simply a pitch contest, the Entrepreneurship World Cup provides all participants with access to essential resources, including expertise, professional networks, and, for select participants, funding necessary for launching and expanding their ventures.
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Qualification Criteria
- Global startup participation is open to all interested companies seeking to become participants.
- Participating startups must maintain legal registration or have registration plans in their home country.
- Startup age must not exceed ten years by the Global Finals date, calculated from official company registration rather than initial concept development.
- Previous EWC Global Winners who received monetary awards in past competitions (2019-2024) may participate in 2025 under specific conditions:
- Former EWC participants can only qualify for prize categories different from their previous winnings.
- Growth Stage champions from previous years cannot apply as candidates for EWC 2025.
- All other winners and category champions may apply, but cannot compete for identical placements.
- Competition organisers, their related companies, subsidiaries, marketing agencies, vendors, and their immediate relatives cannot participate/
Prize Structure
Championship Cash Awards: Early Stage The leading five (5) Early Stage competitors will earn these monetary prizes:
Early Stage Winner: $250,000
Runner-up: $200,000
Third Position: $150,000
Fourth Position: $100,000
Fifth Position: $50,000
Championship Cash Awards: Growth Stage The top two (2) Growth Stage competitors will receive these cash awards: Growth Stage Winner: $175,000
Runner-up: $100,000.
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Championship Cash Awards: Industry-Focused. The 2025 Entrepreneurship World Cup introduces specialised recognition for space technology and space industry startups. Competitors from all three levels – Concept, Early, and Growth – within these categories will compete for these monetary prizes:
SpaceTech for Mining: $100,000
SpaceTech for Sports Analytics: $100,000
SpaceTech for Health Monitoring: $100,000
SpaceTech for Agriculture + Resource Management: $100,000
Championship Cash Awards: Concept Stage The leading two (2) Concept Stage competitors will earn these cash prizes: Concept Stage Winner: $50,000
Runner-up: $25,000
The application submission deadline has to be announced. Click HERE to apply.
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