top of page

Stay ahead of
the innovation curve

Matchmaking startups with corporations and governments, to find the exact technologies needed to address business challenges.

Upcoming

Closed

  • Mon, Nov 04
    Zoom Event
    Nov 04, 2024, 6:00 PM EST – Nov 07, 2024, 8:00 PM EST
    Zoom Event
    Nov 04, 2024, 6:00 PM EST – Nov 07, 2024, 8:00 PM EST
    Zoom Event
    Opportunity for Startups: Partner with a Japanese Giant extracting protein from the silk and use as a new material to replace plastics
    Share
  • Mon, Oct 28
    Zoom Event
    Oct 28, 2024, 7:00 PM EDT – Oct 31, 2024, 9:00 PM EDT
    Zoom Event
    Oct 28, 2024, 7:00 PM EDT – Oct 31, 2024, 9:00 PM EDT
    Zoom Event
    Opportunity for Startups: Partner with a Century-Old Japanese Typographic Giant
    Share
  • Mon, Oct 28
    Zoom Event
    Oct 28, 2024, 7:00 PM EDT – Oct 31, 2024, 9:00 PM EDT
    Zoom Event
    Oct 28, 2024, 7:00 PM EDT – Oct 31, 2024, 9:00 PM EDT
    Zoom Event
    Collaborate or conduct a Proof of Concept (POC) with a global automotive leader, focused on enhancing in-cabin safety and comfort solutions for vehicles.
    Share
  • Wed, Sep 18
    Location is TBD
    Sep 18, 2024, 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
    Location is TBD
    Sep 18, 2024, 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
    Location is TBD
    Share
  • Wed, Jul 17
    Location is TBD
    Jul 17, 2024, 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
    Location is TBD
    Jul 17, 2024, 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
    Location is TBD
    Share
  • Thu, Jun 20
    Location is TBD
    Jun 20, 2024, 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
    Location is TBD
    Jun 20, 2024, 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
    Location is TBD
    Share
  • Wed, May 15
    New York
    May 15, 2024, 5:50 PM – 8:00 PM
    New York, 220 E 23rd St, New York, NY 10010, USA
    May 15, 2024, 5:50 PM – 8:00 PM
    New York, 220 E 23rd St, New York, NY 10010, USA
    Join us for an insightful panel discussion where top Corporate Venture Capital branches (CVCs) will explore the crucial link between corporate sustainability initiatives and their investment strategies.
    Share
  • Mon, Apr 22
    Upcoming
    Apr 22, 2024, 6:00 PM
    Upcoming
    Apr 22, 2024, 6:00 PM
    Upcoming
    Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal Startups creating solutions with ocean based carbon capture to restore climate and the ocean.
    Share
  • Thu, Apr 11
    New York
    Apr 11, 2024, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    New York, 220 E 23rd St suite 400, New York, NY 10010, USA
    Apr 11, 2024, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    New York, 220 E 23rd St suite 400, New York, NY 10010, USA
    Are you an extraordinary ability immigrant (EB-1 / NIW / O-1 recipient) making your mark in the U.S.?
    Share
  • Mon, Mar 11
    Virtual Event
    Mar 11, 2024, 7:00 PM – Mar 14, 2024, 7:00 PM
    Virtual Event
    Mar 11, 2024, 7:00 PM – Mar 14, 2024, 7:00 PM
    Virtual Event
    Japanese giants in materials related to ionic liquids for Carbon Capture and Utilization systems
    Share
  • Mon, Mar 11
    Virtual Event
    Mar 11, 2024, 7:00 PM – Mar 14, 2024, 7:00 PM
    Virtual Event
    Mar 11, 2024, 7:00 PM – Mar 14, 2024, 7:00 PM
    Virtual Event
    Japanese AI sensing platform interested in solving operational issues in mobility industry.
    Share
  • Mon, Mar 11
    Virtual Event
    Mar 11, 2024, 7:00 PM – Mar 14, 2024, 7:00 PM
    Virtual Event
    Mar 11, 2024, 7:00 PM – Mar 14, 2024, 7:00 PM
    Virtual Event
    Leading Japanese e-commerce conglomerate specializing in luxury goods auctions for B2B
    Share
  • Mon, Jan 15
    Elpis Labs
    Jan 15, 2024, 5:00 PM
    Elpis Labs, 220 E 23rd St suite 400, New York, NY 10010, USA
    Jan 15, 2024, 5:00 PM
    Elpis Labs, 220 E 23rd St suite 400, New York, NY 10010, USA
    Welcome to this exclusive event by Elpis Labs and Oracle! CVC representatives from retail industry leaders like Cencosud CVC and Nvidia CVC will participate in engaging fireside chats and attentively listen to pioneering startup pitches.
    Share
  • Mon, Dec 11
    Virtual Event
    Dec 11, 2023, 9:00 AM – Dec 12, 2023, 5:00 PM
    Virtual Event
    Dec 11, 2023, 9:00 AM – Dec 12, 2023, 5:00 PM
    Virtual Event
    Treeoma regenerates tropical forests to mitigate climate crisis, linking sustainable development with markets. They offer companies a carbon offset with the creation of forests. The challenge they propose is optimizing the traceability of their processes with technology, so their clients can follow
    Share
  • Tue, Dec 05
    Virtual Event
    Dec 05, 2023, 9:00 AM EST – Dec 06, 2023, 5:00 PM EST
    Virtual Event
    Dec 05, 2023, 9:00 AM EST – Dec 06, 2023, 5:00 PM EST
    Virtual Event
    Together with 840 Venture Partners, we explore this innovation challenge about the VC world and how to make scouting processes more effective. Applications will open soon for this innovation challenge.
    Share
  • Wed, Nov 15
    Virtual Event
    Nov 15, 2023, 9:00 AM EST – Nov 17, 2023, 5:00 PM EST
    Virtual Event
    Nov 15, 2023, 9:00 AM EST – Nov 17, 2023, 5:00 PM EST
    Virtual Event
    We partnered up with Oracle to bring you this Innovation Challenge focused on sales and technology for startups.
    Share
  • Fri, Sep 22
    Zoom
    Sep 22, 2023, 8:00 AM – Sep 23, 2023, 6:00 PM
    Zoom
    Sep 22, 2023, 8:00 AM – Sep 23, 2023, 6:00 PM
    Zoom
    In partnership with Fidelity Investments
    Share

What is an Innovation Challenge?

Its a industry-focused competition were we connect corporations and government institutions to the world's best startups to solve a proposed challenge.

We scout and validate startups, ensuring innovation teams find precisely the technologies they need to solve business problems, identify opportunities, and build new products. 

The challenge ends with a pitch contest where the top 3 ideas and winners get to start conversations on pilot projects, mergers & acquisitions, or investments.

Benefits

For Startups

Pilot opportunities. Find investors. Pitch to Fortune 500.

Elpis Female Founder

Get an opportunity to pitch your idea to Fortune 500 corporate partners and spark a pilot conversation. You can also present your own challenge to post-grad students, you might even find your next new hire! 😎

For Corporations

Set an innovation mindset. Find the technology you need to address your business challenge.

Founders Elpis Program Accelerator

Larger companies are often planning to build solutions that already exist and can be easily integrated or acquired instead. We help corporations find startup technologies and teams they will benefit from and accelerate their product development, saving time and money. 🚀

Real-world business problems. Possibility of an internship or job interview.

For Students

Korean Accelerator

Enrich your business education with a real-world business case. Dive into the startup universe and tackle actual challenges faced by companies today. Hone your problem-solving and presentation skills while working on a challenge, and then present your solution to a startup and a corporate partner. 🤓

Do you have a solution?

Are you a startup founder who can offer a solution to these challenges?
Join our network to learn how! 

How it Works

01

We identify a business challenge

We connect with a corporation or government institution that provides a challenge statement and specifies the requirements for the solution they seek.

02

We scout and validate best talent

We do an outreach process to find industry-related startups, receive and filter applications, and select the best ones to work on the proposed challenge. 

03

We host a business hackathon online

Selected applicants attend a two to five-day online event with workshops and coaching sessions, culminating in a presentation of their solutions. On the final day, corporate representatives choose the best solution and award the participants.

Santiago Meneses from Treeoma
“The Innovation Challenge allowed me to enter a world that tends to be very closed, especially as a Latin American founder. The team embraced me, guiding through each step to cultivate and captivate investors. This, combined with the chance to collaborate with people worldwide, forms the perfect cocktail for a unique experience.”

Santiago Meneses

COO Treoma

Innovation Challenge

Corporate Partners

University Network