XTC x Consensus by Coindesk: Web3 Pitch Fest 2022

Extreme Tech Challenge partnered with Coindesk to bring the first Web3 Pitch Fest to Consensus, 2022. The first-of-its-kind global competition provided a platform for pivotal Web3 projects and communities worldwide. Rallying the world’s most innovative Web3, crypto and blockchain project creators to take part in the challenge and pitch to three outstanding industry experts, with an insightful and thought-provoking Q&A afterwards.

 

💡 XTC’s inaugural Web3 Pitch Fest, in collaboration with Consensus by Coindesk in June of 2022, showcased eight startup finalists pitching to three cryptocurrency, blockchain and Web3 trailblazers, ahead of the announcement of the four lucky winners!

 

What is Consensus?

⛰️ Only the globe’s longest-running, far-reaching & influential summit! The event hosts a yearly gathering for some of the biggest players in the blockchain, Web3 and cryptocurrency ecosystem. The aim of the event is in the very name: a forum space for industry “Consensus”, where discussions and debates are ignited on the current landscape of successes and pivotal technologies, within all aspects of Web3.

🇺🇲 Held in Austin, Texas, the desert state held a platform for some pivotal conversations, as well as inviting featured speakers, thought leaders, policymakers, founders and developers to the stage to share their industry knowledge and vision.

🤝  The community gained access to integrative workshops, with sessions mapping out the future of finance and investing, deep dives into crypto building, explorations of the future of policy, and all things DAO (decentralized autonomous organization), Metaverse, NFT, ownership economy and brand building, plus everything in between. Not to mention – the opportunity to connect and network with some of the sector’s boldest movers.

Pretty comprehensive, we know!

 

Tell me more about the Web3 Pitch Fest …

💡 Our mission has entrepreneurship and startup energy at its heart. We aim to empower & equip founders and innovators with the tools to succeed, providing the rocket-fuel for them to start that journey. We want each entrepreneur to walk away with the tools and insights necessary to continue laying the foundation of a more decentralized future.

👉  The XTC x Coindesk Web3 Pitch Fest was set up to gather the world’s most diverse Web3 developers, giving those voices a platform upon which to share game-changing plans for the future of crypto, blockchain, and more. From catalyzing social impact to helping people learn English and earn cash, each startup pitched their plan of attack on how they would change the world.

 

Who was on the board of evaluators?

🚀 Judges for the Pitch Fest included legendary VC’s and XTC Founders, Bill Tai & Young Sohn, who were also joined by:

🎤  Meltem Demirors, Chief Strategy Officer at CoinShares
🎤 Francis Ho, Partner at Walden Catalyst Ventures
🎤 Rumi Morales, Head of Venture & Growth Investing at Digital Currency Group

 

“Our goal is to amplify the best and brightest startups across the metaverse, blockchain, crypto and decentralized tech sectors.”

-Young Sohn, Founding Managing Partner, Walden Catalyst Ventures, Chairman of the board, HARMAN, & Extreme Tech Challenge Co-Founder

“To the truly engaged, work and play are one and the same. Expect to have fun in unexpected ways.“

-Bill Tai, legendary venture capitalist & Extreme Tech Challenge Co-Founder

 

Top 8 Finalists pitching at the showcase:

 

• BAMBOO: Bamboo is the app that makes tiny investments into crypto & precious metals every time you spend money. Join thousands of Australians investing effortlessly in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Gold and Silver.
• CELL PROTOCOL: A smart AMM that aims to become the liquidity gateway for CLOBs via simplified automated LP tools.
• DEEPER NETWORK: A decentralized VPN and firewall-for-life.
• LET ME SPEAK: The first language learning metaverse around a simple and powerful concept — Earn while you Learn.
• GIVEPACT: A free crypto fundraising platform for nonprofits that funds a community DAO for social impact.
• METAGOOD: Metagood is a for profit company that launched the historic NFT collection OnChainMonkey, which has created significant value for its community and catalyzed social impact.
• MERKLE SCIENCE: Offering crypto risk and intelligence, setting the standard for next-gen financial safeguards and criminal detection, to ensure that anyone may transact with crypto safely.
• MONA: An open metaverse creation platform allowing anyone to create and sell assets in the metaverse right from their browser.

 

What was in it for our winners?

🌍 Our team of evaluators had the almost-impossible task of selecting only 4 winners out of the 8 finalist startups pitching at the event.

🏆 The winning teams from the Consensus Finals received an exclusive invitation to participate in the XTC Web 3 Showcase Day during ‘Neckerverse’, at Richard Branson’s storied Necker Island event!

🌴 Startups also received funds enabling them to send one founder to the island event in the Caribbean, for the Leadership Gathering event of August 2022. Among the mind-blowing rewards & tickets to the exclusive event was access to mentoring and workshops, as well as the chance to pitch to the Virgin Impact team and other global heavyweight investors. We don’t stop short of the sublime, at XTC; connecting resources to entrepreneur, and propel their startups forward.

 

 

The 2022 XTC x Coindesk Web3 Pitch Fest Winners:

🏅 Givepact: A free crypto fundraising platform for nonprofits that funds a community DAO for social impact.

🏅 Merkle Science: Next generation crypto threat detection, risk management and compliance for businesses, banks and government agencies.

🏅 Deeper Network Inc.: The Deeper Network project represents a blockchain based Secure Shared Network and a Proof of Credit based Consensus Network. A fundamental part of our project is Deeper Connect, an innovative device that combines network security, a sharing economy, and blockchain technology.

🏅 Mona: The first platform enabling any creator to build, mint, and sell metaverse worlds, all accessible via the web browser.

 

👏  Congratulations to all who participated in the challenge, from pitching innovations to evaluating and asking the pertinent questions investors and VC’s want to know the answer to. Of course, a huge thank you to our judges who lent us their valuable time and expertise to help us crown the 2022 winners!

⚡ “XTC has built an incredible worldwide community on its journey to become the world’s largest impact oriented startup competition aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. In partnering with CoinDesk’s Consensus Conference, together we will amplify the world’s best companies in Web 3, DAOs, NFTs and the distributed, blockchain based economy. This will be an unbeatable combination to bring resources and visibility to the companies representing the white hot tip of the new economy.”

-Bill Tai

 

What a success! 

💥 Our 2022 Web3 Pitch Fest, in collaboration with Coindesk at Consensus, smashed it out of the park. We had pitches from awe-inspiring startups and entrepreneurs, who shared their genial innovations and ideas for how to improve the future of Web3.

💥 We heard the opinions and comments of the extremely well-informed committee of evaluators, and their expert contributions to the challenge.

💥 And finally, we were able to bring to the foreground some absolutely shining startup winners, who have been given the prized opportunity to network with the Tech for Good community, industry trailblazers in startup ventures, powerful VC’s and investors with the tools to power-surge their success. This is exactly what we came for, folks!

 

You can watch the live session here:

 

👂 Make sure to stay in the loop with all our news and announcements by subscribing to our newsletter, and following our socials, so you never miss a beat – or the opportunity to take part in one of our many global events! 🌍