· First recipients will be the 5 winners of Capgemini’s InnovatorsRace50 worldwide competition
· Awards will be presented at VivaTech in Paris in June
· Due to overwhelming number of entries InnovatorsRace50 deadline is extended to March 6
Capgemini, a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing services, today announced a new prestigious award scheme to recognize outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship around the world. The ‘Serge Kampf Awards’ celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship in honor of Capgemini’s founder, the late Serge Kampf, who created his very own start-up 50 years ago. The official awards will be presented to the winners of Capgemini’s InnovatorsRace50, in June at VivaTech, the tech show for game-changer start-ups, taking place in Paris, June 15-17.
“It is 50 years since the birth of Capgemini; a unique start-up that has now grown to almost 200,000 people around the world,” comments Paul Hermelin, Chairman and CEO, Capgemini Group. “As we look ahead the acceleration of digital technologies will enable greater transformation than we can possibly imagine. It is no exaggeration to say that today’s innovative entrepreneurs really do have the potential to change the world. The ‘Serge Kampf Awards’ have been set up to recognize entrepreneurs who can now but also throughout the years demonstrate passion, drive and excellence in innovation.”
The Serge Kampf Awards will be presented to the winners of Capgemini’s InnovatorsRace50, in June at VivaTech in Paris. Launched in January, to mark Capgemini’s 50th Anniversary, InnovatorsRace50 is a worldwide competition for early stage start-ups to showcase the potential of their products, services or innovative uses of technology to disrupt businesses and organizations. The 5 winning start-ups will each have the opportunity to secure business backing of equity free funding to the tune of $50,000 USD, extensive networking opportunities, participation in international tech events such as VivaTech, access to industry experts, and the opportunity to become a Capgemini partner.
More than 350 start-ups have already entered this global competition – due to the overwhelming number of applicants, Capgemini has extended the entry deadline to March 6. After this date, fifty will be chosen across five themes (ten from each), to go forward to personal meetings with a panel of experts who will nominate two finalists per theme.
The winners of InnovatorsRace50 will be announced at VivaTech in June, where all ten finalists will be present showcasing their products and services on Capgemini’s Applied Innovation Booth.
Viewers will be able to follow the stories behind the start-ups in the “InnovatorsRace50” series which will be broadcast throughout September and October on www.innovatorsrace50.com. A series of videos entitled ‘Unicorns’ will also be featured on http://CNNMoney.com/Unicorns and a special round-up TV show will air on CNN International in October. To tie in with InnovatorsRace50, CNN will publish a unique ranking of the 50 most active and promising start-up companies valued at over $1 billion USD in 2017: The Unicorns 50.
