For over seven years, WMF has been dealing with innovation, entrepreneurship and startups through events and initiatives that promote and support the creation of an innovative ecosystem.

A commitment which was created in 2014. For the past few years it has seen more than 2,100 startups involved in the participation of competitions and in the creation of a network. Impressively, more than 150 between partners and investors have delivered prizes with a total value of over one million Euros.

WMF Malta Startup Competition belongs to a larger network of international events dedicated to innovation, created by WMF - We Make Future, in collaboration with local partners.

The event will take place in La Valletta on the 14th of October.

WMF Malta Startup Competition is organised in collaboration with the Maltese Italian Chamber of Commerce (MICC), a private-law organisation whose aim is to promote economic exchanges between Malta and Italy. 

The MICC has a central role in developing business between Italy and Malta, offering different types of services for both Italian and Maltese entrepreneurs.

WMF Malta Startup Competition is open to any startups and business - made up of individuals or teams - who want to share their innovative projects or ideas. The applications are open to any kind of startups, with no specific requirement for development stage or industries.

Participants can attend the event as investors, as visitors or as candidates for the competition. All the startups applying as candidates in Malta will be evaluated by a dedicated team, and 15 startups will be selected to pitch during the event in front of major investors. The 15 Startups will just have few minutes available to present their project through an elevator pitch. A jury, composed both by investors and professionals, will then choose 3 winners.

Read the instructions

The ‘elevator pitch’ is a brief presentation that describes your business venture in a nutshell. A solid elevator pitch needs to convey the business idea in a concise manner, so as to quickly attract your audience's attention.

Download support material

All the startups attending the event will be granted free entrance to WMF2020 (November 2020).

The first 3 classified, among the 15 startups chosen to have the elevator pitch in Malta, will have access to the following benefits:

• 3rd and 2nd classified: chance to give the elevator pitch in Italy, during the WMF2020, in a dedicated conference room in front of the most important European investors.
• 1st classified: access to a 6sqm stand in the Innovation Expo Area of the WMF2020 and chance to give the elevator pitch in Italy in a dedicated conference room in front of the most important European investors. The 1st classified might also be selected among the 6 finalists who will pitch on the Mainstage of the Festival. This option will grant access to the awards valued 1 million euros (based on 2019).

Applicants will be selected according to the following criteria:

• Skills of the team, knowledge of the sector, feasibility of the project;
• Development stage of the product/service;
• Degree of innovation and its defensibility;
• Positioning in relation to competitors;
• Consistency with market and customers’ needs and potential outreach;
• Business potential of the idea.