About a year ago we reported that Innovate!Europe was holding a workshop and networking event in Israel, through which one startup would be selected to participate in Guidewire STUDIO, an in-residence business accelerator in Silicon Valley.

Well, Innovate!Europe is coming back to Israel, but this time as the Innovate!2010 global competition. The goal of the competition is to identify and promote up-and-coming technology and media startups. They’re looking for early-stage companies that “have what it takes to be named one of the world’s most promising startups.”

Here’s more info from an email they sent around:

The top 100 companies will be featured in a prestigious list known as the Innovate!100 – and the best of the best will receive a share of prizes valued at nearly $250,000. In addition, every startup that applies will receive promotional exposure and free training designed to improve their chances of success.

Participating startups will be evaluated using Guidewire Group’s proprietary G/Score assessment methodology, which is based on our team’s experience vetting more than 20,000 startups for DEMO and Guidewire Group. Finalists will then be invited to deliver rapid-fire pitches in front of a panel of expert judges and audience members at one of our Innovate!2010 Pitch Slams.

We have scheduled Innovate!2010 Pitch Slams in over a dozen European cities between March 1 and March 29, and additional events will be held in the United States in the coming months. There will also be an online evaluation process for finalists that are not able to attend in person.

The Innovate!2010 Pitch Slams will be held in a bunch of cities, including Tel Aviv on March 15. To apply go to the Innovate!2010 application page. Here are some bits about the application stages according to that page:

Step 1: Startups apply online to receive:

• 2 tickets to an Innovate!2010 Pitch Slams (worth over $100 USD)
• Access to online pitch training
• Promotion to local journalists and through a network of over 5,000 news sites
• The chance to be chosen to pitch at a local Pitch Slam to win a place on the Innovate!100, cash and other prizes.

There is a $75 application fee – approximately €54 – which will not be charged until you complete the form.

Guidewire Group’s analysts will evaluate all applications and invite 10-15 Finalists to pitch at a local Pitch Slam.

Step 2: Local Pitch Slams take place

Startups invited to pitch at the Innovate! Pitch Slams will be notified by email 7-10 days before the event where:

• Each finalist pitches for 5 minutes
• Each company is evaluated by our team of expert judges and provided with a G-Score.
• The Most Promising Startup of the night is chosen.

Finalists who are not able to attend their Pitch Slam will be invited to participate in a web-based pitch session.

Step 3: Promotion of the Innovate!100

Pitch videos for all of the Innovate!100 Finalists will be used to promote pitching companies to local journalists and a network of over 5,000 news sites and via the Innovate! Connections Program.  Startups with the top G/Scores will be named to the Innovate!100 list for 2010 and the Innovate! Challenges prizes will be awarded.

I think this is a great opportunity for some early-stage startups to get the resources and support they may need to take their company to the next level.

Good luck to all the applicants!

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This is an amazing opportunity for Israeli startups. Innovate!Europe will be holding a free workshop and networking event in Israel, and one startup will be selected to participate in  Guidewire STUDIO, an in-residence business accelerator in the heart of Silicon Valley valued at over $30,000.

But the deadline is March 25, so better hurry! Please pass this on to people who you think might benefit from it.

Read on for more…

Innovate!Europe is a competition to indentify Europe and Israel’s most promising startups and accelerate their drive into global markets. During this unique program, startups receive mentoring, promotion and critical introductions while competing for an exclusive spot at Guidewire STUDIO, an in-residence business accelerator in the heart of Silicon Valley valued at over $30,000.

Click here to learn more about the Guidewire Studio.

Innovate!Europe and its partners are hosting a Going Global workshops and networking meetup in Tel Aviv on April 1st. During this workshop, Guidewire Group’s expert analyst team will give you feedback on your company’s competitive value proposition and market opportunity, and help you hone the pitching skills you need to effectively compete for partners and funding.

Best of all, there is no cost to apply or to participate in the Going Global workshops.

Start-ups in the workshops held so far have raved about the experience.

Conor O’Neill of Ireland’s LouderVoice, called it “pure gold” and said it was “the most impressive start-up workshop I have ever encountered.”

Here are the details for the Israel event. You can find out about the European events on their  calendar.

1 APRIL Tel Aviv, Israel (co-hosted by Orrick)

• Going Global workshop from 9:30 to 17:30: apply now
• Networking Meet-up at 18:30 – RSVP required

Note: You don’t need to be a workshop participant to join us at one of the networking meetups. The meetups are also open to investors, journalists and other members of the entrepreneurial community. However, an RSVP is required as space is limited.

If you want to participate in the competition but can¹t attend one of the workshops, apply anyway. If you’re selected, Guidewire Group’s analysts will conduct a telephone interview with you. And if you’re not a startup, but know any that you think should compete, forward this note to them.

If you want to follow the competition, learn about the competitors and connect with other members of the ecosystem, subscribe to the blog or join the Innovate!Europe’sFacebook and LinkedIn groups.

Good luck!

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A new group has been formed for Israeli women in the hi-tech and web industries. The group, F5 Refreshing (get it? F5 is the button your press to refresh your browser) is sponsored by Sun Microsystems’ Sun Startup Essentials department, and is organized by Liat Vardi.

The first event will take place on June 26 at a loft in Tel Aviv. The agenda includes dinner, networking, and a short lecture by yours truly on Using Blogs and SEO to Promote your Business.

For more information and to register, visit Liat’s blog here. You can also see the facebook event here.

Hope to see you there!

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