Deel, the global HR and payroll platform, has launched an international competition designed to find and back the world’s most promising Seed-stage startups.
Called The Pitch, it has a total prize pool of US$15 million ($21.2m). Up to 100 regional winners will receive US$50,000 each, while up to 10 global champions will receive a US$1 million ($A1.42m) each to scale their visions.
Deel country manager Shannon Karaka said the program aims to level the playing field for founders by surfacing talent based on merit, rather than geography or connections.
“What we know is that local networks often constrain traditional venture capital. The Pitch breaks these boundaries by combining a high-stakes tournament with expert review that analyses a broad range of data points to identify ‘high-signal’ startups,” he said.
“Talent is global, but access to capital isn’t. The Pitch surfaces the best ideas regardless of a founder’s location or connections.”
Karaka said one thing he’s learnt from founders is the idea isn’t the hardest part, it’s believing when no one else does.”
“That’s why I’m excited about The Pitch. It’s not about perfect decks or polished storytelling,” he said.
“It’s about giving early-stage founders a genuine opportunity to be heard. If you’re building something and wondering whether it’s ‘too early,’ it probably isn’t.”
The competition’ is headline sponsored backers include JP Morgan, a16z, Google and Stripe.
For more and how to apply, see the Deel Pitch.
