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
November 30, 2022
We’re bringing our mission to empower tech startups with a positive social and environmental impact to the global stage for innovation – at CES in Las Vegas!
The XTC Startup Competitions @ CES are back for 2023!
xtc20 November 30, 2022We’re bringing our mission to empower tech startups with a positive social and environmental impact to the global stage for innovation - at CES in Las Vegas!
Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: DOT Inc.
xtc20 November 28, 2022The Startup Spotlight blog series continues with Dot Inc. - our 2021 XTC Co-Grand Winner. Applying tech entrepreneurship to help the visually impaired and disabled with a tactile tablet and other wonders.
Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: Hillridge
xtc20 November 21, 20222021 XTC co-Grand Winner - Hillridge Technology! - join us in our Startup Spotlight blog series this week. Protecting the future of farming with AI-enhanced, blockchain-protected real-time Parametric Weather Insurance platform.
Celebrating Women’s Entrepreneurship Day
xtc20 November 19, 2022The very heart of XTC is the empowerment of startups, innovators and entrepreneurs. So the mission of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (WED) is one we enthusiastically champion: celebrating and supporting women in business worldwide.
Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: Incooling
xtc20 November 15, 2022Cooling down the planet one server at a time. Next up in our Startup Spotlight blog series is our 2022 Enabling Tech Category Winner and Female Founder Winner - Incooling!
Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: Abby by GoGo Tech
xtc20 November 7, 2022Next up in our new blog series is our 2022 XTC Harman Startup Challenge Winner - Abby by GoGo Tech! Versatile, affordable powered wheelchairs with companion app for everyone who has need.
The winners of the World Food Forum Startup Innovation Awards!
xtc20 October 20, 2022The World Food Forum Startup Innovation Awards, powered by XTC, is a global startup competition, showcasing innovators and entrepreneurs who are creating new technologies that will drive the transformation of agri-food systems. Find out the winners of each of the categories and also the Startup Innovator of the Year award!
Extreme Tech Startup Spotlight: Amai Proteins
xtc20 October 12, 2022In a new blog series, we will spotlight our Finalists and Winners and share their fascinating stories, ground-breaking technologies, and why they love being part of the XTC community.
Funding for XTC Alumni hits new heights in Q3
xtc20 October 3, 2022We are very proud to share the fantastic funding raised by our alumni during the third quarter of 2022!

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 INTERNATIONAL
The 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 VENTURES
We 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 VENTURES
The 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 ASSOCIATES
The 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 THRIVAL
As 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 FUND
I 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 PARTNERS
Investors 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 CAPITAL
I 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, ACCEL
We 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, MICROSOFT
Some 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 SYSTEMS
Using 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 CAPITAL
I’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 INTERNATIONAL
As 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 CAPITAL
If 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 MAHINDRA
Telemedicine 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 INVESTMENTS
Diversity 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 FounderHARMAN-XTC
People's Choice
UNICEF EdTech
Web3






































































