Global Impact
The world's largest startup competition for entrepreneurs addressing global challenges
Tech for Purpose
XTC is a non-profit organization behind the world’s largest startup competition that aims to help startups change the world for the better. In our quest, we are supported by leading corporations, VCs, foundations, policymakers, universities and tech conferences.
5,000+
applications across over 100 countries
$3.4B
funding raised (XTC 2015-2022 finalists)
75+
Global Extreme Tech Challenge partners
36%
Female founded finalists at Extreme Tech Challenge
Latest News
March 16, 2023
This week in our Startup Spotlight blog series is our 2020 XTC Sustainable Smart Cities Winner – SPRK!
Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: SPRK
xtc20 March 16, 2023This week in our Startup Spotlight blog series is our 2020 XTC Sustainable Smart Cities Winner - SPRK!
Extreme Tech Challenge Marine Tech Startup Innovation Challenge Startup Finalists
xtc20 March 10, 2023We are pleased to announce our Marine Tech Startup Innovation Challenge Top 16 Finalists!
Extreme Tech Challenge Welcomes Nicole Shanahan To The Board
xtc20 March 7, 2023Extreme Tech Challenge is thrilled to announce that Nicole Shanahan has joined our Board of Directors.
Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: New Frontier Aerospace
xtc20 February 28, 2023This week in our Startup Spotlight blog series is our 2022 XTC Mobility Runner-Up Winner - New Frontier Aerospace!
Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: Munevo
xtc20 February 25, 2023This week in our Startup Spotlight blog series is our 2023 XTC @ CES Digital Health Category Winner - Munevo!
Announcing XTC’s New Partnership with Katapult Ocean
xtc20 February 22, 2023Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) is proud to announce our new partnership with Katapult Ocean to bring you the inaugural XTC Marine Tech Startup Innovation Challenge at the One Ocean Conference in Bergen, Norway.
Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: Watersight
xtc20 February 20, 2023This week in our Startup Spotlight blog series is our 2023 XTC @ CES Sustainable Smart Cities Category Winner - Watersight!
Extreme Tech Challenge Black Founded Startup Winners & Finalists
xtc20 February 9, 2023As the world’s largest platform for purpose-driven startups, Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) is a firm believer that diversity strengthens innovation. With a global footprint across 120+ countries and multiple technology verticals, diversity and inclusion have been in our DNA since inception.
Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: Expediente Azul
xtc20 February 8, 2023This week in our Startup Spotlight blog series is our 2022 XTC Sustainable Smart Cities co-Runner-Up - Quiron Digital
We’re currently in the fifth wave of technology evolution – an era driven by data and AI, which are accelerating the number of applications that can disrupt every industry due to the timely availability of actionable data-driven insights.
Young Sohn
CO-FOUNDER, EXTREME TECH CHALLENGE
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, HARMAN INTERNATIONALThe world's financial markets now recognize that unless businesses do something good for this planet, that this planet may not exist – and that there are investable companies that can be part of the solution.
BILL TAI
CO-FOUNDER, EXTREME TECH CHALLENGE
PARTNER EMERITUS, CHARLES RIVER VENTURESWe are balancing between the challenges of economic damage versus potential public health damage. This will define our generation depending on how we deal with it and how agile we can be. I think it’s clear that innovation will come out of necessity.
JERRY YANG
CO-FOUNDER & FORMER CEO, YAHOO! AND FOUNDING PARTNER, AME CLOUD VENTURESThe good news is that entrepreneurs can lead us out of this period. Entrepreneurs are the ones who create value and jobs in our economy. This is your opportunity as an entrepreneur right now to take the big risks. This is your time.
TIM DRAPER
FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER, DRAPER ASSOCIATESThe experience of finding go-to-market fit is like going from paddling to surfing. You are burning a huge amount of energy to go a very short distance. On the other hand, when you catch the wave, what you feel is momentum.
TAE HEA NAHM
CO-FOUNDING MANAGING DIRECTOR OF STORM VENTURES AND CO-AUTHOR OF SURVIVAL TO THRIVALAs a global startup, you have to think about how the world is changing today... It’s important to think how trillion-dollar industries are digitally transforming themselves because of Covid-19. You need to think about how you can ride these waves of change.
SHANKAR CHANDRAN
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CO-HEAD, SAMSUNG CATALYST FUNDI often tell entrepreneurs what they really need is the right amount of money from the right VCs for the right business plan. You need to unpack each of those elements. Don’t raise more money than you need.
RICHARD IRVING
CO-FOUNDER AND GENERAL PARTNER, POND VENTURE PARTNERSInvestors don't like surprises. They don't want to learn something from someone else that they should have learned directly from the entrepreneur. My advice is to always be transparent. Building trust and transparency starts with setting expectations.
RAFAÈLE TORDJMAN
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND INVESTOR, JEITO CAPITALI like to get to know the founding team anywhere from 12 to 24 months before actually investing. Building that relationship over time, getting to know each other, and seeing the progress, that makes things much easier when the time is right to invest.
PHILIPPE BOTTERI
PARTNER, ACCELWe found that diversity drives innovation. You need a broad range of voices and perspectives to chip away at the biases that still exist in the workforce. And that will make your products even better.
PEGGY JOHNSON
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, MICROSOFTSome people are worried that when a corporate investor comes in, they will start controlling your roadmap. When I ran my startup, I didn’t find that. Nobody controlled our roadmap or asked us to do things unnatural to us. They are not there to make sure you only succeed for them...
OMAR TAWAKOL
VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER OF CISCO CONTACT CENTER, CISCO SYSTEMSUsing technology to solve global problem is a factor in our investment decisions. We do focus on areas that relate to sustainability and community. We have a focused area on healthcare. We have seen that a lot of our companies have been useful in the Covid-19 situation.
MARK LYDON
MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTEL CAPITALI’ve always invested in people who have a background in disruptive technology. I like to identify the most talented people with the most relevant experience. That is always the starting point. Once you have the right leadership, then you can build a team around those people.
LIP-BU TAN
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS AND CHAIRMAIN, WALDEN INTERNATIONALAs a startup, you want access to capital as well as to investors who can help you with follow-on rounds, with hiring, and with access to management talent. And you also want the strategic advantage of having investors who really understand your space and have experience developing technology and products.
DAVID JOHNSON
MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTEL CAPITALIf your business is a technology-born business, then you are in good hands. The disruption is in front of us. The question is how do you convert it into opportunity? If you chose to disrupt, if you chose to scale up, this is your day. This is the time to prioritize. This is what will make you successful on this bumpy ride.
CP GURNANI
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & MANAGING DIRECTOR, TECH MAHINDRATelemedicine and telepathology are here to stay in a post-Covid world. It’s clear that patients have wanted this to happen. We have gone from near zero telemedicine usage at the beginning of the year to now, where 40% of our encounters are completed with telemedicine.
ATUL BUTTE
MD, PHD, CHAN ZUCKERBERG DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR, UCSF AND CHIEF DATA SCIENTIST, CALIFORNIA HEALTH SYSTEM (UC HEALTH)Even though, with corporate venture capital, you are dealing with big companies, it always comes down to the people and the personal relationships you build. Finding the right person within the corporation you want to work with makes a big difference.
PHILIP KIRK
VICE PRESIDENT, CISCO INVESTMENTSDiversity has to be part of your culture and process. Creating a diverse team from the beginning will create a better product. At Microsoft, the more diverse teams we have working on our solutions, the better our products have been.
TAMARA STEFFENS
MANAGING DIRECTOR, M12
Global Visibility
Pitch your startup to thousands of tech leaders and investors at regional and global competitions.
Opportunity for Investment
Top finalists will get an opportunity to pitch to a panel of leading global investors.
World-Class Mentorship
Work with industry leaders and experts who can help shape your startup for success.
“The world’s largest startup competition for entrepreneurs addressing the globe’s most serious challenges.”

The United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals that serve as the framework.

















Empowering Startups to Innovate in 10 Key Categories inspired by the 17 SDGs
Advanced Materials
Agtech & Food
Biotech & Medical Devices
Cleantech, Energy and Environment
Digital Health
Edtech
Enabling Tech
Fintech
Mobility
Sustainable Smart Cities
Special Awards
Female Founder
HARMAN-XTC
People's Choice
UNICEF EdTech
Web3