Empowering early-stage founders through investor-curated pitch events in the world’s most dynamic startup ecosystems.

June 2025 — Silicon Valley, California. The Ventures Award will expand its international program with investor-led pitch events in 12 cities. The global pitch competition already held editions in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, London, Buenos Aires, Bali, and Tel Aviv.

Also, in 2025, the program will reach Tokyo, Miami, Seattle, Singapore, Paris, and Berlin. As a result, the expansion connects early-stage founders with capital, visibility, and strategic partners.

A global network for early-stage startups

Originally founded in Silicon Valley, The Ventures Award works with more than 100 venture capital firms and innovation hubs. Furthermore, Stanford, Plug and Play, and Google.

Meanwhile, the program looks for companies with global ambition. It highlights product readiness, early traction, team strength, and technology. The 2025 sectors include AI, fintech, robotics, medtech, and cybersecurity.

Investor-curated pitch events

Meanwhile, each local event brings selected founders and active investors together. Therefore, the format encourages focused, high-intent conversations instead of generic networking.

“The energy at The Ventures in Chicago was unmatched — sharp founders, bold ideas, and real momentum. It’s rare to see this level of early-stage clarity paired with global ambition.”

Yash Chaturvedi, Jury Member and Principal TPM at Amazon, made that assessment.

Founders and investors build trust

In addition, Matviy Kruglov, former investor and Director of Ecosystem & Partnerships at Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, now at AWS, praised the San Francisco edition.

“The San Francisco edition brought together founders tackling some of the most urgent and complex problems in AI and deep tech. I was impressed by both their technological depth and market traction. The Ventures creates a space where real investor–founder trust can form — and that’s what moves ecosystems forward.”

Next steps for The Ventures Award

Finally, the program aims to reach 50 global innovation capitals. It is more than a pitch stage. It is a network of opportunity for founders and investors.

Next, events will take place during the second and third quarters of 2025. Finally, for partnership inquiries, judging opportunities, or startup applications, visit www.the-ventures.com.