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A global competition for the world’s most promising startups tackling complex, regulated challenges to share their vision on a global stage, engage with industry leaders, and win grand prizes.
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1776 Challenge Cup in partnership with Revolution is much more than a competition — it’s a movement of startups bringing world-changing ideas to life and solving meaningful problems on a global stage.
1776 started Challenge Cup four years ago to discover the most promising, highly scalable startups poised to solve complex challenges across borders, regulated industries and emerging technologies.
This year, Challenge Cup is presented in partnership with investment firm Revolution, an active champion for the emergence of entrepreneurial communities and startups outside of Silicon Valley. This partnership reinforces 1776’s and Revolution’s core belief around startups and innovation: great companies can start and scale anywhere.
Challenge Cup takes place in 75 cities. In each of these cities, 1776 partners with a leading local startup program to host a Challenge Cup experience on 1776’s UNION Network, a digital platform that connects startup ecosystems around the world.
These qualifying competitions identify one winning startup from each city to advance to the Global Finals at Challenge Festival. Challenge Festival convenes investors, policymakers, and innovators from across the globe convene to examine and discuss pressing global challenges. This year’s event will be hosted November 13-17, 2017, at 1776’s newest campus in New York City.
Whether it be Prima-Temp in Denver or MyPeegu in Bangalore, startups are solving some of our world’s most complex challenges. Challenge Cup breaks down the barriers to access, resources and funding that most startups experience outside of Silicon Valley.
The last few months have been all about learning from other entrepreneurs, from the mentors, from people at 1776, and what I take with me is the experience, which will make us succeed in the future.
Sweta Mandal, MUrgency, 2016 Challenge Cup Champion
At 1776, we believe entrepreneurs have the power to change the world. Need more convincing? Learn about previous Challenge Cup winners!
Meet the startup who won it all at Challenge Cup Global Finals 2016! MUrgency is a Dubai-based company that uses the power of mobile technology and networks to create one seamless global emergency response network.
Check out MUrgency
This startup won Challenge Cup Global Finals 2015 and further proved that innovation is everywhere — like Nairobi, Kenya! Twiga is a mobile-based supply platform for Africa’s retail outlets, kiosks, and market stalls.
Learn more about Twiga Foods
For the very first Challenge Cup Global Finals in 2014, a startup tackling a truly complex challenge took home the grand prize. HandUp makes giving to nonprofit organizations and their clients easy, secure and transparent — and your donation goes directly to the cause.
More on HandUp here