Judges announced for UNLEASH World Startup Award

15 August 2024 (Paris, France): UNLEASH World, the premier global HR conference and exhibition, has revealed the judging panel for the 2024 edition of its highly anticipated Startup Award.    

Innovative HR tech startups that advance to the final round of this year's competition will have the unique opportunity to present their groundbreaking solutions to the panel of judges in front of an audience at UNLEASH World 2024 in Paris.  

This year’s panel features distinguished leaders from HR, technology, and investment sectors, including:    

The final will be hosted by MC Rebecca Carr, Acting CEO and Chief Product Officer at SmartRecruiters.  

The global HR tech is currently valued at $40.45bn1, and this is set to increase to $81.84bn by 2032, fueled by increasing automation in HR operations. As more startups enter this rapidly expanding market, the UNLEASH Startup Award provides an invaluable opportunity for participants to connect with investors, HR and technology leaders.  

Commenting on the judging experience, Piyush Hemnani, former entrepreneur and now Principal at Mediahuis Ventures said: “It’s always a pleasure to be a judge at Unleash startup pitching competition, witnessing some of the most innovative startups in Future of Work. This year, I am hoping to see more European founders bringing research & innovation to the market!”

Finalists will deliver their pitches during UNLEASH World 2024 in Paris on 16 October, with the final winner announced on the same day.  Welcoming this year’s judges, Marc Coleman, founder of UNLEASH said: “The global HR tech market is going to be worth around $82bn in less than a decade, and we’ve assembled some formidable expertise and experience on this year’s panel to help discover the next generation of tools that will help shape the future of work.”

The winner of the UNLEASH Startup competition receives a coveted €50,000 UNLEASH Sponsorship package, which includes exhibition opportunities at UNLEASH events and access to UNLEASH Labs, our innovation hub. This prize is designed to provide invaluable support to accelerate growth. 

The Startup Award, sponsored by Mediahuis Ventures and Rubio Impact Ventures, is still open for entries. To qualify as a Startup, participating businesses must be exhibitors at UNLEASH World, be less than five years old, have fewer than 50 employees and be at an early funding stage (Series A maximum). Applications are open until 6 September. Interested companies must complete an online application and submit a compelling 2-minute video pitch showcasing their innovative solution. 

For more information or to request an application pack, contact Kennedy Cook, Startup and Investor Program Lead, at Kennedy@unleash.ai.  

ENDS 

About UNLEASH: UNLEASH is the go-to marketplace for human resources and breakthrough technologies that shape the future of work, and is an essential source of news, analysis and market trends that inspire and empower organisational leaders worldwide. UNLEASH is a platform to share ideas that work, network and do business, and its mission is to be the world's number one destination and marketplace for human resources, recruitment and learning leaders globally. UNLEASH is headquartered in London, UK with operations across Europe and the United States.