The Startups Tournament, a key component of the UNCHAIN Festival, is designed to spotlight the most promising tech startups. Founders across the CEE are invited to showcase their projects and vie for recognition, support, and investment in an atmosphere buzzing with creativity and collaboration.

"As a global centre of tech development and a hub for innovation, UNCHAIN Festival is the perfect platform for startups to showcase their innovative solutions and connect with industry leaders, investors, and enthusiasts," said Alexandra Pollack, CEO & Co-founder of UNCHAIN Festival. "We're excited to provide startups with an opportunity to shine on stage and accelerate their growth in this dynamic ecosystem."

The Startups Tournament invites early-stage startups with tech solutions that demonstrate significant potential for impact and scalability. Selected finalists will have the chance to pitch their projects live to a distinguished panel of judges comprising industry experts, investors, and thought leaders

In addition to exposure and networking opportunities, participants will compete for a range of prizes, including mentorship from industry veterans, access to investor networks, and complimentary exhibition space at future UNCHAIN events.

“We were honoured to be the winners of the first edition, and I believe that UNCHAIN had an incredible energy. Everyone was attending the festival in Oradea for the first time and felt the responsibility of shaping something outstanding, building the DNA of the festival. Some great investment conversations came out from my time in Oradea, and fintech explorations with the likes of Visa. Such ecosystems in CEE are hugely needed.”, says Maria Tanjala, FilmChain Co-founder, the winner of the 1st UNCHAIN Startups Tournament.

“By being on stage a lot of investors and banks come to talk to us. We had great conversations and that was extremely valuable. We've learnt a lot, which added a lot of value to who we are and how we've grown. What I love about UNCHAIN it's that it is not a 4000 people event, it's a very curated event of very important people from the industry. It's almost like a handpicked selection on who is who in the region for the fintech vertical and you don't have many events like this which create that impact.”, says Rohit Bhosale, Synapze CEO`s, the winner of the 2nd UNCHAIN Startups Tournament.

Application Deadline: May 31st

Entrepreneurs eager to participate in the competition are encouraged to submit their applications online through the official UNCHAIN Festival website. Registrations are available until May 31st, but act swiftly, as applications are reviewed and chosen following each submission.

UNCHAIN Festival will take place on 19-20 June 2024 at Oradea's fortress, Romania. For more information about the Startups Tournament and the UNCHAIN Festival, including ticketing visit the event website.