NEXXINSPIRE
Social Leader
Awards

Start-up
Division

1. Innovation and Impact - How innovative is the startup's core technology, product or business model? What is the scale of its potential impact on sustainability challenges like climate change, resource depletion or environmental degradation? Judges will evaluate the level of innovation involved and its meaningful, real-world impact.

2. Scalability - Can the startup's solution scale to significantly transform its industry and beyond? Judging will consider the startup's vision and roadmap for scaling up its technologies and operations to broader adoption and global impact. Expansion into international markets and partnerships with key industry players will also be viewed favorably. 

3. Leadership - How visionary and mission-driven is the startup's leadership team? Judges will assess if leaders have the technical knowledge, entrepreneurial experience, and passion for sustainability to succeed. A commitment to science-based solutions and ethically sound business practices that reduce environmental and social harm will also be judged favorably.

4. Market Opportunity - Is there a clear pathway for the startup to thrive in its target markets? Judging will evaluate the startup's marketing strategy, sales model, competitive advantages, and ability to overcome key barriers to entry in capital-intensive markets like energy, transportation and healthcare. Securing pilot customers, clients or partnerships will be viewed as a positive signal.

5. Funding and Resources - Does the startup have access to funding and resources required to support rapid growth? Judges will consider the total investment raised, available grant programs, partnerships, and other resources enabling the startup to scale, fulfill demand, and continue advancing its solution. Diverse investment from both impact investors and traditional sources may indicate opportunity for mainstream success.

6. Upside Potential - Ultimate judging will weigh the startup's vision, leadership team, solution and strategy against its total potential to contribute to global sustainability goals if hugely successful. Which startups demonstrate the most promising possibility for outsize, transformative impact on some of humanity's greatest challenges? Upside potential is difficult to quantify but will factor strongly in the final awards decision.