At first blush, a panel of grandmother judges at a startup competition may inspire a notion of: “Well if a grandmother can understand it, anyone can.”
But that would be a wrongful assumption. Our esteemed panel of Grandmother Judges are a Startupfest favourite with an unbeatable track record—and they don’t suffer fools.
You may remember them as the judges who picked Onavo—the company that went on to be acquired by Facebook for over US $150M—as the clear winner of the grandmother prize in 2013. And they continue to spot amazing startups: In 2019, they saw over a hundred pitches in just 36 hours!
As one of the most popular pitch contests at Startupfest, countless entrepreneurs line up each summer to make their cases to the grandmothers—and for good reason. These ladies can see a good idea (or a bad one) from a mile away, and they certainly have no qualms about calling it as they see it.
The winner of the (non-cash) grandmother prize may not walk away with newfound riches; they will, however, leave with a treasure-trove of good advice. So, come and test you and your startup’s mettle by pitching on the main stage to the Grandmother Judges.
Eligibility Criteria
This award is open to all startups registered and attending the event. There is no application process, no form to fill out and no video to submit. All you need to do is register and attend Startupfest, and prepare a pitch to present to our illustrious grandmother judges.
The Process
You have until 3pm on the last day of the Fest to pitch to our panel of Grandmothers. They will be located exclusively in the Tent Village, during Village hours. Startups can pitch in the language of their choice, however given that Startupfest attracts people from across the country and beyond, some of our judges are more comfortable in English.