In 10 years of the competition, UNLEASH startups have collectively raised over €10 billion in funding.

This year, UNLEASH World has teamed up with Acadian Ventures to create a combined prize worth €150,000 made up of €100,000 of investment from Acadian and a €50,000 sponsorship and marketing package from UNLEASH. The deadline to enter is 21 September 2022. 

Held at the Paris Convention Centre, UNLEASH World is the ultimate HR experience. Over 200 inspirational speakers, CHROs and people leaders will take to the stage to share their insights on the challenges that organisations face today. Meanwhile, over 100 exhibitors will showcase the latest solutions from across the HR tech ecosystem. Startups gain the opportunity to exhibit alongside the likes of SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, ServiceNow, UKG, SmartRecruiters, eightfold and more. 

The competition is open to all startup exhibitors who have always enjoyed a special focus at UNLEASH. Past winners and finalists of the competition who have announced investment rounds or acquisition after the event include Clustree, Peakon, TandemHR, Textio and CandidateID. The competition is open to early stage startups, typically at pre-seed or seed stage. They can be pre-revenue but should have a demonstrable product.

Marc Coleman, CEO and Founder of UNLEASH: “The world of startup is coded into the UNLEASH DNA and is an essential part of our global HR community. At our core, we’re here to support startups scaling their business by providing them with what they need most – access to industry thought leaders, investors, decision makers, analysts, and potential partners. We know from working with nearly 500 startups in the last decade that the visibility and exposure is invaluable. And for the winners of the competition, the rewards are tangible with a huge prize up for grabs this year. 

“For 2022, we’re thrilled to partner with our good friends at Acadian Ventures. Their connections and expertise in supporting and scaling startups is world class, but the insights and first-hand experience that the founders Jason Corsello and Thomas Otter can bring is worth its weight in gold.” 

Jason Corsello, Founder and General Partner at Acadian Ventures: “We have been closely involved with UNLEASH since its inception. The growth and success of the conference mirrors the growth of startups reshaping the future of work in Europe. Over the last few years, we have worked with and invested in some of the most exciting startups across the world, and we look forward to backing and nurturing the next wave of innovators.”

Thomas Otter, General Partner at Acadian Ventures: “The startup competition showcases innovation at the heart of the future of work startup community. We are excited to deepen our partnership with UNLEASH by joining forces to offer the €150,000 prize. We’ve seen former prize-winners go on to become leaders in the space and we are really looking forward to meeting, learning about and funding the next generation of future of work changemakers.”

The stage is set for startups to get involved today. The preliminary round of the competition is open now. To join the most valuable startup competition for HR technology and the future of work on the planet, visit: https://www.unleash.ai/unleashworld/hr-startups/