DTA Startup Pitch Competition 2025
Terms and Conditions
- INTRODUCTION
The Deep Tech Atelier Startup Pitch Competition 2025 (hereinafter also DTA Pitch 25) is established as a possibility to foster innovations of early stage Deep Tech startups, organized by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA or Organizer) in collaboration with Commercialization Reactor platform (CR or Contractor), where scientists and entrepreneurs are brought together to meet and to create meaningful Deep Tech startups.
The aim of the DTA Pitch 25 is to display an entrepreneurial talent to the international investment and acceleration community, as well as to corporations seeking innovation, encouraging contact between them for potential investment, commercial or strategic agreements, as well as promoting startups participating in the event.
DTA Pitch 25 is a professional tool that encourages interaction and the creation of business opportunities: visibility, access to finance and strategic agreements for startups, innovation for corporations, and deal flow for investors. The event is part of the conference “Deep Tech Atelier” (hereinafter also DTA) to be held on 15-16 May, 2025.
The event language is English.
The Venue: FANTADROMS, 76 Gustava Zemgala gat., Riga, LV-1039, Latvia.
Mode of the event: DTA Pitch 25 will be held in-person for the participants and jury.
Important website to follow for the conference and pitch competition related information: www.deeptechatelier.com.
The event is organised at the terms and conditions outlined in this document.
- PURPOSE
2.1. The purpose of the DTA Pitch 25 is to showcase Latvian and Global Deep Tech startups from different industry sectors to the industry, investors and other stakeholders for collaboration, pilot project and investment attraction.
2.2. Projects will be selected based on various criteria such as:
2.2.1. Team capabilities;
2.2.2. Project scalability;
2.2.3. Business model and marketing approach;
2.2.4. Uniqueness of the technology;
2.2.5. Attractiveness for investors;
2.2.6. Clearness in conveying startups unique competitive edge at the video pitch.
- PARTICIPANTS AND REQUIREMENTS
3.1. The DTA Pitch 25, is aimed at all those projects that are at an early stage of development (hereinafter referred to as “Early Stage”). All industry Deep Tech startups are welcomed to participate – Advanced Computing / Quantum Computing, Advanced Manufacturing, Advanced Materials, Aerospace, Automotive and Remote Sensing, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, including Big Data, Biotechnology and Life Sciences, Communications and Networks, including 5G, Cybersecurity and Data Protection, Electronics and Photonics, Internet of Things, W3C, Semantic Web, Robotics, Sustainable Energy and Clean Technologies, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Metaverse, Web 3.0, including Blockchain, Distributed Ledgers, NFTs.
3.1.1. Deep Tech, meaning that there is intellectual property-rich science or engineering behind the project;
3.1.2. Early stage (before sales or sales have just started);
3.1.3. The team contains both scientist/-s and entrepreneur/-s;
3.1.4. Lab-scale prototype (science finished, TRL at least 4);
3.1.5. The business idea has potential for scaling;
3.1.6. A legal entity is not compulsory.
The DTA Pitch 25 is open to all entrepreneurs, of legal age, whether they be natural or legal persons, and whatever their nationality is. There is no territorial limitation to participate – local and international participants are welcome.
3.2. The selected startups for the DTA Pitch 25 will prepare & present their pitch presentation during the event, which should at the minimum contain the following:
3.2.1. Introduction page;
3.2.2. Description of a problem;
3.2.3. Technical and business solution of the problem;
3.2.4. Market & market penetration strategy
3.2.5. Competitors & startups unique value proposition;
3.2.5. Revenue model & Growth strategy;
3.2.6. Team;
3.2.7. Investment and other needs.
- APPLICATIONS AND DEADLINES:
4.1. Online registration form will be available at the Deep Tech Atelier website (https://deeptechatelier.com/pitch-competition/). Applicants must complete all sections in the form required as obligatory in English.
4.2. Applications contain the following information and answers:
4.2.1. Name of a startup, website (if any);
4.2.2. Name of representative: first name, surname;
4.2.3. Position;
4.2.4. Contacts: email, phone;
4.2.5. City, Country of Residency;
4.2.6. Description of the startup;
4.2.7. What defines you as a Deep Tech startup?;
4.2.8. What industries is your startup applicable to?;
4.2.9. Who are your possible target clients? (specify the market segment);
4.2.10. What is the problem you are trying to solve? What is your solution?;
4.2.12. Who are your competitors? What competitive advantages does your startup have over current players?;
4.2.13. What is the status of your product or prototype?;
4.2.14. How will you sell your product/service? (what is your (expected) revenue model);
4.2.15. Startup team: describe your team members, relevant skillset, roles;
4.2.16. How much investor capital have you raised, if any?;
4.2.17. Video pitch (shows the presentation slides + the speakers face + voiceover) uploaded in https://www.youtube.com/ and/or http://drive.google.com/ . Startups can choose to record the video pitch at any convenient app – even as a Zoom call with itself, as long as the pitch deck is explained with voiceover.
4.3. Deadlines:
15.04.2025: DTA Startup Pitch 25 is open for applications.
05.05.2025: applications are accepted by 18:00 Riga time, the final application registration deadline.
09.05.2025: participants selected for stage pitch are defined and announced.
12.05.2025: Startup pitch training workshop in-person and Online.
15.05.2025: Semi-finals: 3-minute pitch to the DTA Pitch 25 jury, followed by 2-minute Q&A session
16.05.2025: Finals & Award ceremony: 3-minute pitch to the international DTA Pitch 25 jury, followed with 3
-minute Q&A session. Selected participants will receive prizes.
4.4. All applicants to the DTA Pitch 25 must be registered for the app managing communication and program of Deep Tech Atelier 2025 conference in addition to registration to the DTA Pitch 25 (Mitto event app: https://www.mittoevents.com/deep-tech-atelier-2025/register).
- STARTUP SELECTION PROCESS
5.1. The Selection Committee will be appointed by the Contractor and in agreement with the Organiser. It will comprise an international network of investors, accelerators, entrepreneurs, and experts in various industries. This Committee will evaluate all the projects and will select the best graded ones. The pre-selected Startups will be announced May 9, 2025 via startup’s provided e-mail and on the website of Deep Tech Atelier, as well as their social media channels.
5.2. The startup competition is organized in several rounds. Startups need to apply here: https://www.f6s.com/dta-pitch-25/apply to be shortlisted. The form has questions listed in point 4.2. Video pitch is required for better understanding of the business strategy to make the written answers at the application more clear. From all applications, up to 30 semi-finalists will be selected to pitch on the DTA stage on May 15. 10 (ten startups) of those will get into the finals on May 16.
5.2.1. The selection criteria for choosing semi-finalists are as follows:
5.2.1.1. Product or technology uniqueness (1-5 points);
5.2.1.2. Team capabilities (1-5 points);
5.2.1.3. Project scalability (1-5 points);
5.2.1.4. Business model (1-5 points);
5.2.1.5. Marketing approach and competitive advantage (1-5 points);
5.2.1.6. Investor appeal (1-5 points);
5.2.1.7. Prototype readiness at least TRL 4 (Yes / No).
5.2.2. Selection criteria will be evaluated on a scale of 1-5, where 1 – the lowest and 5 is the highest score.
5.3. The selected Startups (participants) will have the opportunity to be presented to international and national investors, accelerators, media and corporations, and have a Q&A session with the jury. Semi-finals and finals will happen only in-person at the Deep Tech Atelier venue in Fantadroms.
5.3.1. The jury criteria at the pre-finals and finals are as follows:
5.3.1.1. Product or technology uniqueness – level of innovation, originality, and differentiation from existing solutions in the target market. (1-5 points);
5.3.1.2. Team capabilities – member strengths, industry expertise, and synergy of the team to develop and scale the project. (1-5 points);
5.3.1.3. Project scalability – ability of the project to grow in new markets and handle increased demand. (1-5 points);
5.3.1.4. Business model – clarity, feasibility, and sustainability of the project’s revenue model. (1-5 points);
5.3.1.5. Marketing approach and competitive advantage – effectiveness of the go-to-market approach and how well the project distinguishes itself from competitors. (1-5 points);
5.3.1.6. Investor appeal – project’s potential to attract investment based on market opportunity, traction, and expected return. (1-5 points);
5.3.1.7. Presentation and communication skills – clarity and persuasiveness of the pitcher explaining the startups uniqueness, competitiveness and teams capability to deliver results with market dominance with their startup case, as well as clarity in answering jury questions. (1-5 points).
5.3.2. Selection criteria will be evaluated on a scale of 1-5, where 1 – the lowest and 5 is the highest score.
5.5. The selected startups will have the opportunity to also receive a pitch training workshop in-person in Riga (Perses street 2, Riga (LIAA office)) and Online (link to be sent later to selected participants).
5.5.1. Startups need to come with a ready 3-minutes short pitch presentation (consisting of the speaking text and pitching slides). Feedback is given for ready pitches NOT PITCH IDEAS. PitchDecks for both training session options should be submitted by 8:00 RIGA time by May 12 via organizer email (organizers will contact selected startups personally and give detailed guidance on May 9). Late submission will result in declined participation in the pitch training workshop.
5.5.2. After the pitch training workshop, if the startup chooses to do updates in the presentation, the final pitch deck needs to be sent to organizers by May 13, 22:00 RIGA time. Late submission will result in declined participation in the DTA Pitch 25.
5.6. Selected startups must participate in the DTA Pitch 25 on 15-16 May, 2025 in-person as part of the Deep Tech Atelier 2025.
5.6.1. All participants must be present at the conference venue at least 20 minutes prior to their scheduled time during the DTA Pitch 25. Each participant presents their pitch in the semi-finals for 3 minutes, followed by 2 minutes of Q&A session with the Jury. After semi-finals several startups will be selected to present during the finals with a 3-minute pitch, followed by a 3-minute Q&A session with the Jury.
5.6.2. If a participant can’t be present in-person, they must contact the organisers till May 13, 2025, 17:00 RIGA, Latvia time zone (Community@CommercializationReactor.com).
5.6.3. Failure to comply with the deadlines and requirements means withdrawal from the DTA Pitch 25.
5.7. The criteria for the Jury selection stay the same as during the pre-selection.
5.8. The organisers may grant awards to the selected startups. Information about awards will be available on the organisers’ website before the DTA Pitch 25.
5.9. The decision regarding the winners in the DTA Pitch 25 will be announced on May 16, 2025.
- ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
6.1. The organisers reserve the right, unilaterally and without prior notice, to exclude any participant from the DTA Pitch 25, especially in those cases where it has suspicions or detects attempts to defraud, alter and/or disable, directly or indirectly, the smooth running and ordinary, proper course of this event.
6.2. Both the initial Selection Committee and the Jury appointed for the DTA Pitch 25 will have the ability to interpret and complete the Terms and Conditions of this event and their decisions will be final.
6.3. Non-acceptance of any of the terms and conditions of the legal rules of this DTA Pitch 25 will also involve the loss by participants of the right to participate in this event, or obtain any prize that could arise from their participation.
6.4. Participation in the DTA Pitch 25 involves acceptance of the whole contents of these Terms and Conditions.
6.5 The participant certifies/states that all data/information submitted in his/her application to DTA Pitch 25 is their own and not of a third party, as well as it is true, correct and accurate to the best of their knowledge.
- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
7.1. All participants taking part in the DTA Pitch 25 declare that they have sufficient ownership of intellectual property rights (trademarks, etc.), programs and/or content included in their proposals, declaring through the acceptance of this Legal Notice that they do not infringe on any intellectual property right or any other rights that any third party may hold in Latvia or abroad regarding the contents and exempting Organizer and Contractor from any liability regarding the use of the above-mentioned programs and/or content.
7.2. Specifically, and in relation to the content and images that participants may make public during the DTA Pitch 25, the latter guarantee and are liable to Organizer and Contractor and third parties for the following aspects:
7.2.1. They are legitimate owners or holders of rights, granting Organizer and Contractor the licence for their publication and, where appropriate, have obtained the necessary consent from third parties to do so.
7.2.2. They do not violate applicable laws such as those relating to the right to privacy, image and/or honour, intellectual, industrial or similar property rights, or any right of a third party, either a person or an entity.
7.2.3. In the unlikely event that they publish personal details about another person during the DTA Pitch 25, they should have previously obtained their consent for the publication.
7.3. The participant will therefore be liable to Organizer and its Contractor for the accuracy of the details reported, ensuring that they do actually correspond to them and not to a third party, holding them harmless from any demand or claim that, if applicable, could be made by third parties in relation to the above statements, and any legitimate right to the content that is published and/or provided as part of the Competition.
7.4. The participants are in any event solely liable for the consequences of damages or actions arising from use of the content and/or programs included in their proposals, as well as their reproduction and diffusion.
7.5. Intellectual and/or industrial property for initiatives and projects submitted in the “DTA Pitch 25” will – where appropriate in each case – belong exclusively to participants who submitted them.
- CONFIDENTIALITY
8.1. Throughout the DTA Pitch 25, confidentiality will be ensured with respect to the ideas and/or projects submitted by the participants; organisers only being able to diffuse, at any time and through any means, the general characteristics of these, as well as the names of these ideas and/or projects and those of participants and, especially, the winners.
- ADVERTISING
9.1. DTA Pitch 25 participants, and especially the winners, expressly authorise LIAA and the third parties through the acceptance of these Terms and Conditions, without any territorial or time limit, to establish, reproduce, disseminate and use by any printed, spoken and signed media, in any form, by any means and through any medium, their name, image and voice, as well as the general characteristics and names of the ideas or projects submitted, always respecting the provisions of the Intellectual Property and Confidentiality sections of this document, provided they are for advertising, information and/or promotional purposes relating to DTA Pitch 25 or the Deep Tech Atelier, without any right to compensation.
9.2. Information about DTA Pitch 25 will be distributed through several channels: media, websites of the organisers and partners, social networks, partners’ channels.
- PRIVACY AND DATA PROTECTION POLICY
10.1. By submitting an application to the DTA Pitch 25 participant is informed that the Organizer and Contractor respects current legislation regarding the protection of personal data, pursuant to the provisions of General Data Protection Regulation, approving the regulations implementing it. The Participant can exercise their rights, including the right to object or ask questions to the Organiser by contacting via e-mail pasts@liaa.gov.lv.
10.2. In these communications, please specify the name of the participant – attaching a photocopy of ID – your email address and, if applicable, the name of the company on behalf of which you completed the forms on the website.
10.3. The main legitimating base that enables those responsible for the processing of personal data of the participants is the execution of the participation in the DTA Startup Pitch 25, because without the processing of their personal data their participation could not be carried out. Likewise, the participants authorise the responsible parties and potential assignees, to send content (newsletter) by means of their own consent through the forms established for this, without in any case the withdrawal of this consent conditioning the participation in the DTA Pitch 25.
10.4. In the use of the data included in the file, Organizer and Contractor undertakes to respect its confidentiality and use it in accordance with the purpose of the file, i.e. to manage data regarding contact details and participants in the DTA Pitch 25, in the Deep Tech Atelier, and to perform content delivery management (newsletters) and any others that might be indicated at the time of data collection, as well as complying with its obligation to store it and adopt all measures to prevent alteration, loss, treatment or unauthorised access in accordance with the provisions of General Data Protection Regulation.
10.5. The participant agrees and expressly authorises Organizer and Contractor to transfer data to bodies promoting, organising, sponsoring and participating in the Deep Tech Atelier 2025.
10.6. Personal data provided by participants must always be truthful and complete. If they are false, and if the prize corresponds to the participant, the Organizer reserves the possibility of refusing the right to compete for the prize at any time.
10.7. Participants in the DTA Pitch 25 know and expressly accept that to manage and enable their participation and management of the prize, Organizer and Contractor may use both their image and personal contact data and, in particular, their email address in order to communicate with the participants and the winners and to inform them of the steps to take to ensure their presentations during the Deep Tech Atelier and to be awarded the prizes.
10.8. Startup competition will be audio and video recorded and/or live broadcast through web streaming. With the submission of the application participants for their personal data (name, surname, photo and video) being processed for publicity purposes on the organizer’s websites https://deeptechatelier.com/, https://labsoflatvia.com/, www.liaa.gov.lv and social media accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Instagram without a time limitation.
10.9. Winners agree that their name will be published on the Organizer site and Deep Tech Atelier 2025 site as part of the management for their participation.
- MODIFICATIONS AND CANCELLATIONS
11.1. LIAA reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions at any time, including the prize and/or its possible cancellation before the expected date of resolution, provided there is a justified cause, undertaking to publish these modifications through the website https://deeptechatelier.com/
11.2. Furthermore, if participants wish to make any modifications or cancellations related to the information provided, they must do so to the email address Community@CommercializationReactor.com
- LAW AND JURISDICTION
12.1. These Terms and Conditions are governed by Latvian law and the participants and the organiser, expressly waiving any other jurisdiction, are subject to the Courts of Republic of Latvia for any dispute arising between the parties.