The competition takes you step-by-step from creating the idea, through forming a team, to writing a business plan.
It will take place in three rounds. It is not necessary to participate in the earlier rounds, to be allowed to enter in the later rounds. You can submit ideas in one or more of four thematic streams: consumer lifestyle, media & communication, healthcare, and cleantech & energy. (see: Streams)
Throughout the competition we will provide coaching and advice, to help you become successful.
There are numerous prizes to be won in each of the three rounds of the A2 Challenge. Moreover, teams that make it to the final round will be offered the unique opportunity to convert their ideas in real‐life businesses, in close collaboration with some of our partners.
The table below summarizes the streams, prizes and length of business description required to participate in each round of the competition.
Categories
The A2 Challenge is all about a combination of innovation with a chance for success. We are looking for fresh but realistic ideas and concepts.
There are four streams in the A2 Challenge: consumer lifestyle, media & communcation, healthcare and clean tech and enegry. Please note that you idea may well fit in more streams than one. You’ll have to decide where it fits best. Winners are selected from the best ideas overall.
Consumer Lifestyle
The consumer lifestyle revolves around innovations that affect our daily lives. Smart products and/or innovative services, that make everyday life easier, more enjoyable, elegant or more efficient.
Media & Communication
Media & Communication is all about content, information and communication, including virtual worlds, phone applications, social networking, web 3.0, geotagging, but also telecoms hardware, services, or anything else you can think of from the information world
Healthcare
The potential for innovation in healthcare services, hardware and applications is virtually endless. Whether it concerns health awareness, preventive healthcare, or solutions for an ageing population, this is stream is your challenge.
Clean Tech & Energy
If you have ideas for products or services that can either save, or generate energy, lead to a better awareness of energy consumption, or address the energy problem in any way, this is the stream for you.
How to join
If you want to join the competition, please register at our Younoodle page. On this page where you can join the competition, create your profile, and submit your entry by uploading your business idea. In order to upload a document with the text you want to submit, you need to create a start-up. Please remember that you remain the owner of your business idea, and that this is a non-profit competition.
Please remember that every team needs to have at least one member that is affiliated with one of the participating organizations:
- MSc/PhD students/alumni from any technical university in the Netherlands
- Employees of all companies on the High-Tech Campus Eindhoven
- Members of the Mediaguild/ Waag Society
- Members of EUBC / ABC Tilburg / StudentOndernemers
- All students of any of the University Colleges
- All students of NWSV Helix study association
- All students or members of ACE @ Sciencepark
- All participants of the PicNic 2010
- All participants of Startup Weekend Eindhoven 2011
- Philips employees (certain departments may want to limit participation, please check)
We are always looking to expand the list of participating organizations. If your organization would like to join: please be in touch with the competition management.
If you are not affiliated with any of the participating organizations you can still join the A2 Challenge! You will just need to form a team with someone that is affiliated with a participating organization. You can form a team via the Younoodle online networking tools, or at one of our networking events.
