UiPath launches new competition for automation start-ups in CEE

UiPath, the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) market leader, today announced the launch of UiPath Automation Awards 2019 – a competition targeted to B2B automation software start-ups from the CEE region. Ending in October this year, the contest will award 50,000 euro in cash to the winner during a ceremony hosted at the How to Web conference in Bucharest, Romania.

UiPath Automation Awards has started receiving applications here for its two categories:

– Start-Up Automation Award – in this category, jurors will see applications from existing teams with a viable automation product and a maximum funding of $1 million;
– Scale-Up Automation Awards – in order to be eligible, the company has at least 3 paying customers, a solid team, and a maximum funding of $3 million.

The winner of the Start-Up category will receive a cash prize of 50,000 euro, mentoring hours with experienced executives within UiPath, and tech and marketing support. The Scale-Up category will award its winner with the introduction to at least 4 international customers from UiPath, tech and marketing support, and also with the opportunity to have its solution featured in the UiPath Immersion Labs all over the world.
Vargha Moayed, Chief Strategy Officer at UiPath and the champion of this project, declared:

We at UiPath have not forgotten that, despite our current $7 billion evaluation, not long ago we were a struggling Romanian start-up working from a Bucharest apartment with a team of 10 people. We know how hard it is for a brilliant idea to become a great company. This is why today we want to extend a helping hand to the talented entrepreneurs in this region so they may also realise their dreams.

Applications will be assessed by the 5 jurors of the competition: Elisabeta Moraru – Chief Executive Officer, Google Romania, Vargha Moayed – Chief Strategy Officer, UiPath, Boris Kumrey – Chief Robotics Officer, UiPath, Ondrej Bartos – Managing Partner, Credo Ventures, and Stephen Allott – Venture Partner, Seedcamp.

The deadline for applications is September 2, 2019, and the initial screening by the jurors will occur until September 16, from October 7 jurors will make field visits and nominate 3 finalists for each category. These will present their pitches on October 30, during the How to web conference in Bucharest, Romania.

Any startup or early-stage automation company in the CEE region (Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Ukraine, and Turkey) is eligible.

Check this page for full details.