Pitch Day 2024 applications are open

· Kick-off for the 12th edition of the competition under the motto "Joyning Your Journey"

· Six-week application period for German and international start-ups runs from today (1 August) until 12 September

· The final of the competition will take place on 15 October as part of the New Com Summit in Munich and will be streamed live on Joyn from 5 pm

· The jury features SevenVentures Managing Director Florian Weber, entrepreneur and influencer Saliha Özcan ("Sallys Welt"), flaconi Managing Director and CHRO Alexandra Szarmach, Mawave and New Com founder Jason Modemann and Oonique CEO Boris Hardi

Unterföhring, 01. August 2024. The SevenVentures Pitch Day is back! Once again, this year, young companies have the chance to win media budget worth three million euros and their own TV advert. According to Forbes Magazine, the SevenVentures Pitch Day is one of the most important events in the start-up scene worldwide, not least because of this highly endowed prize. Young companies can now apply online for this year's competition: www.commerceandventures.com/pitchday

Innovative start-ups with consumer-orientated products or services are encouraged to turn in their applications. They should already be at a stage of development where they can benefit sustainably from the advertising power of a moving image campaign and thus quickly scale their business model for a broad market. The competition, which this year takes place under the motto "Joyning Your Journey" in reference to ProSiebenSat.1's streaming platform Joyn, is primarily aimed at German-speaking B2C growth companies that want to gain a foothold in the domestic market, as well as international companies that are about to expand into the DACH region. The application phase runs until 12 September 2024.

Acknowledged jury and live pitch in the final

An experienced team of investment experts from SevenVentures will select the four finalists from all the applications, who will pitch live on stage at the Wappenhalle in Munich on 15 October in front of a top-class jury. Saliha Özcan (founder of Sallys Welt) and Boris Hardi (Managing Director of Oonique) are two experienced founders on the jury who know first-hand how important reach and branding are for the long-term success of a company. Also on the jury: Jason Modemann - he is co-founder and co-CEO of Mawave Marketing, one of Europe's fastest growing agencies for social outcomes according to the Financial Times. As Managing Director and CHRO of flaconi, Alexandra Szarmach not only has a trained eye for recruiting and developing qualified employees, but also knows her way around e-commerce thanks to her being part of one of Germany's leading online shops for beauty and perfume. This year's jury will once again be headed by SevenVentures Managing Director Florian Weber. Florian is hosting the Pitch Day for the third time and can draw on a wealth of experience in evaluating start-ups. As in previous years, the SevenVentures Pitch Day will be moderated by ProSieben presenter Steven Gätjen.

Florian Weber, Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer of SevenVentures: "As the long-standing jury host of the SevenVentures Pitch Day, I am once again looking forward to the exciting applications from the start-ups this year and, above all, to seeing the four finalists live on stage together with my appreciated jury colleagues. The live stream of the finale on Joyn is an absolute highlight for us, as it will allow even more people to watch this competition and the show live. And the winners can already get used to being on Joyn - after all, they can win their own TV and digital campaign worth millions."

Jason Modemann, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Mawave and Co-Founder of New Com: "The SevenVentures Pitch Day is the perfect conclusion to our first day at the New Com Summit: this is where great founders with innovative ideas meet experienced experts on the jury. True to the motto of this year's Pitch Day 'Joyning Your Journey', I am delighted to accompany ambitious start-ups on their journey. Past winners, such as Bears with Benefits, have already shown what a long-term effect winning the media budget can have on a company."

About the New Com Summit

The New Com Summit is the perfect opportunity for anyone who wants to learn from industry experts in e-commerce and marketing. Inspiring personalities, leading brands and innovative start-ups from the German marketing and e-commerce landscape will gather here on 15 and 16 October under the motto "The Consumer's Journey of Tomorrow". Exciting talks, panels and masterclasses with over 50 speakers on four different stages will provide insights into industry trends on topics such as commerce, communication and community and make the summit the perfect opportunity for networking. Speakers include Alisa Jahn (Co-Founder PURELEI), Markus Krätzschmar (Country Marketing Manager Duolingo, Germany) and Lena Jüngst (Co-Founder and Co-Investor Airup). In its third edition, the New Com Summit is supported by sponsors such as Meta, TikTok and American Express. The SevenVentures Pitch Day will be the highlight of the first day (15 October).