Digital Startup Knight 2013 launched

It has opened the 2013 competition again but has introduced two divisions to the competition - Concept Phase and Startup Phase.

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Unlike other competitions, the sponsoring company enters into a partnership with the winner in order to provide ongoing support and, as the company is software-based, it can provide infrastructure and professional guidance. Last year's winners (Easy2Map) excelled and received additional funding from Umbono Google.

Competition phases

• The Concept Phase: Moneypulation offers a R100,000 cash prize. This stream of the competition is designed to attract visionaries with the most innovative 'concept phase' software product that will turn heads in the financial and tech industry, think BitCoin, Square, PayPal, Mint, Freshbooks etc. Note to contestants is that as part of the terms and conditions (T&Cs), all intellectual property of the winning concept is transferred to Byte Orbit.

• The Startup Phase offers a R100,000 development and R100 000 PR prize for the most innovative software business that disrupts the South African tech industry. As part of the T&Cs, the winning startup will enter into a partnership with Byte Orbit whereby it takes 15% equity.

Mentors

An array of successful South African entrepreneurs will guide the startups and the concepts entrants.

• Adii Pienaar founder & CEP WhooThemes
• Amit Ramdath CEO Byte Orbit
• Andre De Wet GM PriceCheck
• Anthony Stonefield MD Africa Gramercy Ventures
• Brad Page media director Neo@Ogilvy
• Catherine Lückhoff exco member: Silicon Cape
• Charl Norman co-founder OnNet
• Daniel Guasco CEO Groupon South Africa
• Elmien Smit co-founder Runwaysale
• Farris Massoudi CTO Emerging Circle
• Jesse Green CEO Perk
• Johan Nel CEO & founder Umuntu Media
• Karl Hammerschmidt co-founder Runwaysale
• Kishan Kalan co-founder Runwaysale
• Martin Ras COO Byte Orbit
• Rob Gilmour MD RSA Web
• Shaun Adler founder & director Motillion
• Steven Ellis co-founder Easy2Map

Tech Report, SmileFM, Radisson Blu and BandwidthBlog are partners in the event.

Eight concept phase finalists and eight startup phase finalists will be announced by 25 October and they will be required to pitch to a judging panel at the company's offices in Durbanville, Cape Town on 2 November. The day prior to the final day of pitching, 1 November, the finalists are required to attend a mentorship session at the offices.

The results of the winner will be announced at an invite-only cocktail event on the evening of 2 November at Radisson Blu, Granger Bay, Cape Town.

All entries must be submitted by 24 October 2013 to www.startupknight.co.za.