Golden Equator’s Pinnacle to bring World’s Largest Global Startup Competition to Brunei Darussalam

She Loves Tech is the world’s largest startup competition for female entrepreneurs and female-focused technology

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, 20 July 2022 – Pinnacle, the Learning arm of Golden Equator, today announced that it is bringing She Loves Tech Global Startup Competition 2022, the world’s largest accelerator platform and startup competition for women and tech, to Brunei Darussalam. Women-led and women-impact startups in Brunei are invited to be part this year’s competition, to gain access to extensive mentorship, the opportunity to pitch to global investors, and win up to US$100,000 investment.

Pinnacle is the Learning and Development business of Golden Equator who has been active in the local entrepreneurship scene since 2018, working with Darussalam Enterprise (DARe), Brunei’s national SME agency. Together with DARe, Golden Equator has facilitated 10 entrepreneurship bootcamps which have given help to more than 200 startups and microbusinesses in the country by equipping them with core business and financial skill sets, helping them raise more than US$1 million in investment, contributing to more than 20 tech products built, and generated more than 450 jobs locally.

She Loves Tech is a global platform committed to closing the funding gap for women entrepreneurs, since its inception in 2015. Operating in more than 70 countries, it is a globally recognised institution leading the world’s largest startup competition for female entrepreneurs and female-focused technology.

Adam Flinter, Managing Partner of International Markets at Golden Equator Group, said, “Since establishing our Brunei presence in 2018, it has always been our mission to be the bridge for Bruneian startups to access a global platform and community. That’s why we always put top Bruneian startups from our entrepreneurship bootcamps in front of international investors. We’re now thrilled to take it one step further by bringing She Loves Tech to Brunei, and we look forward to grooming Bruneian startups for this global platform.”

Pinnacle’s most recent Demo Day in March in Singapore with top startups from three cycles of entrepreneurship bootcamps as well as executives from Golden Equator, Pinnacle and Darussalam Enterprise.

Eligibility Criteria for She Loves Tech’s Global Startup Competition

Startups who fulfil the following criteria are invited to sign up for this year’s competition:

1. Early-stage startups seeking seed, angel, or series A round funding (under US$5 million) with at least a minimum viable product (past conceptual stage)
2. Technology startup fulfilling one of the following gender lenses:
   • Female founder
   • Majority female users
   • Majority female consumers
   • Technology impacting women positively

Competition Process

Registrations for this year’s competition have opened, with the sign-ups for the Asia Round closing on 14 August 2022.

• Shortlisted Bruneian startups will be invited for their local round of bootcamp and pitch day, where they will gain access to exclusive pitch preparation curriculum and mentorship sessions organised by Pinnacle

• The winning startup of each market will then be invited to the Global Round of the competition with a curated bootcamp
• The final Global Round will be held during the She Loves Tech Global Conference and will serve as an investor demo day for startups to pitch to investors directly for funding

She Loves Tech Co-Founders, Rhea See, Leanne Robers, and Virginia Tan, said, “In the 8th year running our flagship She Loves Tech Global Competition, we continue to think about how to increase our reach to better support talented women founders and technologies benefitting women, around the world. This year, we’re glad to be in Brunei for the first time partnering with Golden Equator and their Bruneian team who really understand the startup ecosystem in Brunei, and more importantly, who are aligned with our mission in supporting female-focused initiatives and funding.”

Founder and Group CEO of Golden Equator, Shirley Crystal Chua, is a mentor for She Loves Tech. As a female entrepreneur, investor and leader, Shirley invests in businesses led by female founders and is actively committed to helping younger female leaders and entrepreneurs thrive.

The 2022 instalment of the global startup competition promises an abundance of opportunities for startups, with the recently launched She Loves Tech Global Fund, and their extensive network of mentors and investors. Shortlisted startups who are invited to the Global Finals will be able to pitch to investors directly and win up to US$100,000 of investment and cash prizes, and co-investment opportunities from its affiliate funds.

Apply for She Loves Tech’s Global Startup Competition 2022: https://apply.shelovestech.org/