Get exposure for your startup at RISE 2020

Hundreds of investors, thousands of journalists, and tens of thousands of attendees will travel to Hong Kong for RISE. They’re not just our attendees — they could be the people who fund your startup, give you a game-changing write-up, or become your next clients.

With the entire tech ecosystem gathered in one place, there's no better venue for your startup to get some serious exposure. That’s why our ALPHA programme for early-stage startups is all about letting your startup shine. Pitch your startup in a live, onstage competition. Demo your product in front of thousands of onlookers. Meet the investors who can help you secure the funding you need to grow. RISE offers countless ways to get your startup the exposure it deserves.

We’re highlighting just a few of the ways you can put your startup in the spotlight at RISE.

Perfect your pitch

RISE is filled with startups and investors trying to find the right fit. In a sea of 15,000, you never know when opportunity could come knocking. So whether it’s at a bar during Night Summit, on the exhibition floor at RISE, or even in a taxi queue at the airport - your pitch needs to be ready to impress at a moment’s notice.

Enter the pitching masterclass. This is a boot camp for pitches, where you’ll be getting tailored feedback from experts in the art. Only five startups will be selected to take part in the pitching masterclass, so don’t wait to apply for our ALPHA programme. And for insider advice on pitching at the conference, check out this blog post by our head of startups.

Enter the PITCH competition

If you’re already sure you’ve got a knock-em-dead pitch for your startup, the PITCH competition might be just what you’re looking for. PITCH is a live, onstage competition featuring the 60 most exciting startups exhibiting at RISE.

Over the three days of the conference, they’ll battle it out on the PITCH stage, with three minutes to make the case for their startups. The three finalists will pitch their companies on Centre Stage in front of an audience of thousands of RISE attendees. There can only be one PITCH champion, but the exposure that comes from competing is a prize in and of itself.

Show off at Machine Demo

At Machine Demo, you let your product do the talking. In the case of some machine learning startups, that’s actually not a metaphor.

Machine Demo is a special competition for startups in the machine learning, gaming, AR and VR, hardware, and IoT industries. This isn’t just a chance to get exposure for you startup - it’s a chance to show the 15,000 RISE attendees exactly what your product can do.

Use the RISE app

Consider the RISE app your networking Swiss Army knife. Use it to scan the QR code on the badges of the people you meet, and it’ll save their details. You can then message them on the app to set up meetings, plan to get drinks, or even just chat about the latest talk or workshop. Plus, you’ll be able to save your contacts after the event so you can keep in touch with all the people your startup has impressed.

Meet with investors

There are hundreds of investors at RISE, and making an impression on the exhibition floor can be daunting. That’s why our ALPHA programme offers Investor Meetings, a series of pre-arranged 15-minute sit-downs with the top investors attending the conference. We play matchmaker, finding the best investors for your startup. You’ll get advice about how to secure funding, the best ways to pitch, and what to look for in potential investors.

Work hard, play hard

Night Summit is where a lot of the deals at RISE get done. It’s how attendees let loose after a day of talks, workshops, and exhibits. This isn’t where you’ll want to make the hard sell for your startup - everyone’s just looking to have a good time - but it is the perfect place to make connections that could be essential down the line. Be sure to make liberal use of the RISE app at Night Summit. If you’re scanning QR codes all night, you’ll wake up in the morning with a full roster of brand new contacts.

Attract media attention

Getting press coverage is one of the best things that can happen to a young startup, but it can be hard to know where to start.

At RISE, you're in luck. Over 700 journalists will be in attendance, each looking for the startups and products that are about to make waves in the tech world. Entering a competition like PITCH or Machine Demo and networking it up at Night Summit only increase your chances of turning the heads of prominent tech reporters.

With competitions, investor meetings, and a buzzing exhibition floor, startups of all sizes and specializations can make a splash at RISE. There’s still time to apply for the ALPHA programme at RISE 2020. What are you waiting for?

Disclaimer:

Sponsored content: The views expressed in the post are those of the author.