Alongside Hays Technology and Empact Ventures, the competition is backed by partners including NatWest, Siemens Mobility, Microsoft for Startups, OVHcloud Startup Program, FinTech Scotland, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Seedrs, RTC North, Royal Agricultural University, Linkilaw Solicitors, NIHR Surgical MedTech Co-operative, Dublin BIC, Boardroom Advisors, Top Business Tech and HealthTech World. 

The competition will take place across five regions in the UK and Ireland with applications judged by over 30+ judges including regional experts, entrepreneurs, funders, and professionals. Regions include North (North East, North West and Midlands), South (South East, South West, East England), London, Island of Ireland (covering Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland) and a joint region of Scotland and Wales. This is in addition to five regions across Europe including D-A-C-H and Nordics, France, BeNeLuX, Southern Europe and Centre and Eastern Europe.

There will be 21 winners including an overall winner, 10 regional winners and 10 innovation stream winners including AI for Good, EdTech, HealthTech, MedTech, Smart Cities, FinTech for Good, CleanTech and General Tech for Good, Pre-Seed and Industry Challenge.

The competition is open to tech startups at the seed stage and scaleups at Series A-B with the Pre-Seed Challenge launched this year dedicated to early stage startups in partnership with Microsoft for Startups. In addition, a new industry challenge has been launched with Siemens Mobility to improve public safety through new innovations that support transport infrastructure.

The Top 100 Innovation Applicants will be invited to pitch at the Top 100 Innovation Showcase event on 30th September 2021 where the top 10 in each of the innovation streams will go head-to-head to be announced in the Top 10 Tech for Good innovations in Europe announced at the Virtual Final. In parallel, the regional judges will review all applications to decide which 10 Regional Winners will be invited to pitch at the Virtual Final on 18th November 2021 to go head-to-head to become the Super Connect for Good 2021 Overall Champion

James Hallahan, Director, Hays Technology UK and Ireland, said: “Following the success of last year’s competition, we are looking forward to again uncovering start-ups and scale-ups across the country and highlight the social change and difference to people’s lives they make. Not only do we endeavour to showcase the work of these organisations, through the various prizes on offer we will be able to provide exceptional support and networking opportunities to help these organisations accelerate to the next stage of their growth.”

Kosta Mavroulakis, Founder & CEO of Empact Ventures, said: "We are honoured to be working on this high impact initiative with Hays once again after the success of the last year's competition which really demonstrated how tech start-ups and scale-ups are changing people's lives in every area from education to healthcare and public services. In 2021, we are excited to be expanding the reach, opportunities and super connections to a wider variety of tech startups and scaleups including those in CleanTech, those at the pre-seed stage and based outside of the UK and Ireland across Europe."

To apply to the competition, please submit your application here by 11pm on 16th July 2021 or to attend the virtual events please register here and here. For enquiries, please contact hello@empact-ventures.com