From The Skipper's Desk: More Prizes, More Partners

From The Desk Of BNT Senior Leadership - Steve Vilkas

Startup World Cup Boston Regional Final: A Day Away—Meet Our Prize Partners and Sponsors

We’re just one day away from the highly anticipated Startup World Cup Boston Regional Final! As we approach this landmark event, the excitement is palpable. Our competitors are ready, the stage is set, and thanks to our incredible partners and sponsors, we’re poised to deliver an unforgettable experience.

This year’s event will be held at the Microsoft NERD Center in Cambridge—a premier venue known for fostering innovation and creativity. The NERD Center is the perfect backdrop for a gathering of the brightest minds in the startup ecosystem. With panoramic views of the Charles River and state-of-the-art facilities, this space provides the ideal environment for inspiration and collaboration. A special shoutout to Wayne Sisco and Ashley Khouen for their exceptional support in bringing this event to life. Their commitment to excellence has ensured that everything is in place for a seamless and engaging event.

Jason Burke and All Stage have proven instrumental to ensuring finalists are fully prepared and ready to roll, and we're super excited at what All Stage is doing for the New England ecosystem as a whole. We saw the impact at CIC's Social Impact Cohort Demo Day and deeply value our collaboration.

Big thanks are in order for Markit AI too, for making the registration process a breeze. With Jonathan Chang 'shelp, Markit has streamlined every aspect of attendee management, allowing us to focus on what truly matters—connecting and supporting the startup community.

Capturing the essence of this event is crucial, and we’re thrilled to have Thomas Dodge and NewView.Media Video Marketing as our official videography partners. With years of experience in crafting compelling visual narratives, Tom Dodge has built New View Media into a leading production company specializing in storytelling that resonates.

His work has covered a wide range of industries, from tech startups to large-scale corporate events, always bringing a cinematic touch that elevates every project. We’re in great hands with Tom and his team capturing every moment of the Startup World Cup Boston Regional Final.

Photography is another key element in preserving the memories of this event, and for that, we have Kevin Thai from Three Circles Studio on board. Kevin Thai is renowned for his ability to capture the spirit and energy of events through his lens. Three Circles Photography is known for its high-quality work, ensuring that each image tells a story and captures the vibrancy of the moment. Kevin’s expertise will ensure that every important interaction and milestone is documented with precision and creativity.

Three Circles Studio is offering some fantastic perks for our Startup World Cup Boston Regional Final participants.

The grand prize winner will receive a complimentary headshot session at the studio, including one professionally retouched image, valued at $695—a perfect opportunity to update your professional image. Runner-ups can also benefit from a special offer: their first image will be free when they book a session, valued at $350. Additionally, everyone attending the event can enjoy 20% off all individual and team headshots for sessions scheduled through the end of October, provided they sign up before the end of August.

As we countdown the final hours, we’re excited to introduce the prize partners and sponsors who have gone above and beyond to support our startups. Their contributions will provide our finalists, winners, and attendees with invaluable resources to help them scale and succeed.

Prepare 4 VC is offering the grand prize winner free entry into the Breakthrough Fall Cohort launching on October 21st, valued at $2500. Finalists will receive two free consulting strategy sessions with the Prepare 4 VC team, and all attendees will have priority application and interview opportunities for the Breakthrough Program, with a deadline of October 7th. In addition, Prepare 4 VC is thrilled to announce a special “Night At The Oasis” event for the finalists, which will be revealed one week after the event in their "Be Prepared Bulletin" as part of the event recap.

Scroobious s is providing the grand prize winner with a full year on their platform for free, including one-on-one time with Scroobious experts to continuously refine their pitch deck as they prepare for the next big stage in Silicon Valley. Runner-ups will receive free Medium accounts with access to online education modules covering all aspects of pitch preparation. The broader community can also benefit from a special link for discounted access to the Scroobious platform, opening doors to powerful tools at a reduced rate.

HubSpot For Startups is empowering our participants with discounts of 30% off the first year and 15% off the second year for professional and enterprise products, along with a 50% discount on onboarding services. Winners and finalists will enjoy even deeper discounts of up to 75% off in the first year. These resources can transform customer engagement and growth strategies, making the scaling journey smoother with HubSpot’s top-tier tools.

EKOS.AI offers another exciting opportunity, with a 30% discount on their community space platform, designed to supercharge networking and engagement for communities. This platform allows you to host all your events, meetings, and announcements in one place, optimizing communication and collaboration.

FounderWay is also offering exceptional support, providing the winners and finalists with three months of premium access to their resources, one hour of personalized coaching, and social media exposure during their Founder Fridays. All attendees can enjoy a 50% discount on a one-month subscription.

Virtual Sapiens is dedicated to helping professionals enhance their virtual presence and communication, offering all attendees a free assessment to refine their pitch and communication skills. To access the fully unlocked version at a 50% discount, a special link will be provided at the event.

Innovation Studio is supporting our grand prize winner with a $500 discount for use at their fabulous spaces, helping them take their startup to the next level. Additionally, all attendees can enjoy a 15% discount. overall.

There's lots to look forward to, and we couldn't do it without these great organizations that have joined with us, Pegasus Tech Ventures and GT Law LLC for what promises to be an epic experience not to be missed!

Let's go.