In the world of government technology, the GovTech Connect Pitch Day 2023 aimed at being a beacon of innovation and collaboration. The event was not just a gathering but a celebration of forward-thinking and disruptive solutions aimed at enhancing public sector efficiency and effectiveness.
The day kicked off with a welcome speech by Gudrun Stock, Deputy Head of Unit eGovernment and Trust at European Commission DG CONNECT, setting the tone for the event. She introduced the GovTech Connect’s goals and objectives, connecting the project to the broader context of the European Commission’s latest work. This moment was a declaration of the event's commitment to foster a transformative ecosystem in government technology.
This was followed by an overview of the GovTech Connect Project, with a presentation of GovTech Connect Community and the journey of startups participating in the boot camps.
The spotlight then turned to the heart of the event – the pitches from the startups of Boot Camp 1, representing Northern Europe. Each startup brought something unique to the table, but they all shared a common thread of commitment to sustainability and efficiency.
Klimato, Chromaway, Open Hydro, Measure and Change, and Combine DAO presented their innovative solutions for the challenge 'Open Sustainability Data.' Their pitches were a showcase of creativity and technological prowess, aiming to make sustainability data more accessible and actionable.
The 'Energy Efficient Buildings' challenge saw compelling pitches from Builtrix, Skenario Labs, and Storvix. Their solutions, ranging from smart energy management to predictive analytics for buildings, highlighted the critical role of technology in enhancing energy efficiency in the built environment.
Lastly, Clean Sea Solutions took the stage for the 'Sustainable Tourism' challenge.
A pivotal aspect of each pitch was the question-and-answer session, where startups engaged directly with a panel of jury members. This panel included Otso Salvi, Second Secretary, Finnish Embassy in Madrid, Inés de Saralegui, Senior Trade Advisor - Tech Sector, Danish Embassy in Madrid, Darío García de Viedma, Emerging Technologies at the Center for the Governance of Change & Former Citibeats Product Manager, and Annick Janssens Director Venture Lab & Venture Network, IE Business School.
You can watch the video of the first part of the Pitch Day below!
The event then continued with the pitches of the Southern Europe startups, stay tuned to discover more!