Startup competitions seeking legal tech companies

They include Global Legaltech Venture Days and the Legal Tech Startup Awards

If you're a startup seeking opportunities to get funded, educated or connected, startup competitions are a great resource.

Vator has been holding its own competitions, using VatorX, to find and filter for the best startups. We've had some very successful and notable winners in the past that have gone on to raise big funding rounds including Thumbtack, DogVacay, Pokitdok, Grovo, Udemy and Apartment List, to name a few.

Anyone can list their program as VatorX is one of the most comprehensive listing guides to startup competitions, challenges, accelerators and programs. Click here to list your program!

As part of our weekly series, we'll look at top competitions with big cash prizes, as well as competitions that have teed up the most promising startups, to finding popular startup competitions you need to know about. 

Here are some of the startup competitions that are focused on diabetes companies:

 

• TECHSHOW Live: Startup Pitch Competition

Description: "For the second year in a row, ABA TECHSHOW will host a startup competition showcasing 15 innovative legal startups. Right before the Wednesday night Welcome Reception, the 15 startups will face off in a bracketed pitch competition – judged by TECHSHOW attendees – to pick the most innovative startup. The startups will also be featured in the EXPO Hall during TECHSHOW in the Start-Up Alley."

Prize: Not specified

Previous winners: Voluble, Book-It Legal, Gideon Legal, Time Miner

 

• Global Legaltech Venture Days

Description: "Law Schools Global League and Ontier, in collaboration with IE and South Summit, have recently launched the Global Legaltech Venture Days, a startup competition that focuses on legal technologies that have a positive impact on major challenges faced by legal operators or legal systems with the aim to improve their operations and promote the cause of justice."

Prize: Winners of the startup competition receive a few key benefits including global exposure, a residency program, validation and access to top venture capitalists, among other unparalleled opportunities — not to mention the massive media exposure and access to eager investors.

The Global Legaltech Venture Day final prize consists of a residency program tailored to the winning start-up’s specific needs. The winners will work with IE and ONTIER up to 3 months (starting September 2018). During this time IE and ONTIER will help the team develop its product and/or adapt it to the legal market and carry out pilots with real users, allowing the winning team to align the product with the needs of the legal market and gain insights on matters that might not seem significant to tech founders.

Furthermore, the winning team will not only have access to all events hosted by Area 31 (IE’s long-standing entrepreneurship center) but also have access to investors, leading professionals and potential partners and customers.

The winning team will also acquire global exposure through Area 31’s and ONTIER’s external communications and have the opportunity to pitch on IE’s stage at South Summit taking place on October 2018, and can have access to the investor Den, conferences in all stages, one on one meetings and matchmaking service with investors and big corporations, leading to unparalleled opportunities.

Previous winners: None yet

 

• Legal Tech Startup Awards 2018

Description: "The Legal Tech Startup Awards 2018 is a competition for technological startups with potential for the legal sector. The organisation brings these startups and the market together and ensures that they speak each other’s language. Linking products and ideas to concrete issues leads to innovative solutions that make a real difference."

Prize: Not specified

Previous winners: LeReTo

 

• The Pitch

Description: "Now in its second year, The Pitch is an exciting competition for Legal Tech startups from around the globe hoping to change the way we do law. Top finalists earn the chance to compete for career changing prizes—and make their pitch to judges, potential investors, and a live audience of legal professionals like you. Take a front row seat and vote on your favorite innovation – tickets are free for CBA Members!"

Prize: THE GRAND PRIZE PACKAGE

The first place winner will get a career changing prize package, including:

1. A sought-after opportunity to get in front of the Lex Machina leadership – home of the LexisNexis Legal Tech Accelerator program. This expansive offering includes:
   • Roundtrip airfare for one to Silicon Valley
   • 2 nights hotel accommodation
   • A meeting and tour of the Lex Machina California headquarters, which hosts the LexisNexis Legal Tech Accelerator program
   • The chance to present their pitch to the Lex Machina CEO Josh Becker and/or Lex Machina Chief Evangelist and Legal Counsel Owen Byrd
2. A coveted opportunity to pitch their idea to a Nextlaw Ventures Managing Director, and demo their offerings to selected NLV subject matter experts for valuable input
3. Access to great benefits provided by IBM Canada to help build, launch and scale their company, including:
   • Up to $120k of free IBM Cloud and Watson Cognitive Computing services for 12 months. This significant cost saving will allow the winning startup to spend elsewhere, such as hiring developers, investing in marketing and acquiring new customers. 
   • Go-to Market & New Customer Acquisition: Connect with enterprise customers, open new markets and distribution channels with promotion in the key markets. 
   • Business Mentorship: You’ll be paired with expert mentors from IBM and their network of serial entrepreneurs to accelerate the growth of your startup – no matter what stage of the journey you’re in.
   • Technical Support: Consult in-person or virtually with technical experts who will guide you through applying IBM Cloud and Watson technology to your ideas and help you migrate from your existing infrastructure or platform.
4. An innovative 2-in-1 laptop/tablet Surface Pro 4 i5 (128 GB) from Microsoft,  a retail value of $1,200.

CONSOLATION PRIZE

The other four finalists will each receive a state-of-the-art Xerox Versalink C405/DN colour multifunction printer, valued at nearly $1,000 each.

GOWLING WLG FAN FAVOURITE

Mobile voting will allow audience members a chance to also pick their favourite startup. The winner will receive a Gowling WLG Legal Health Check Up.

TOP FIVE FINALISTS

All five finalists will be offered an interview with Nextlaw Ventures, a globally active early stage venture investor that focuses exclusively on legal technology. This is your chance to get in front of investors and media, test the market and connect with industry influencers who can help your company grow.

Previous winners: Digitory Legal

 

• Legal Geek Around the World Tour

Description: "In search of the coolest LegalTech start-ups, the #LGRoadTrip 2018 featured 5 pitching competitions held across 4 continents with start-ups competing to win travel grants to attend the Legal Conference in October."

Prize: The World Tour overall winner will win a travel grant, receive a startup alley exhibitor pitch and a speaker slot.

Previous winners: Law Switch, Pravoved, TurboContract

(Image source: 2civility.org)