2022 Tech Trailblazers Awards open for entries News Posted by Jon Howell | 27/06/2022 Today sees the opening of the Tech Trailblazers Awards 2022, with the big news that the Sustainable Tech Trailblazers category is back after an 8-year break and that the Mobile Trailblazers award has been upgraded to be the more encompassing Telecoms Trailblazers, opening up entry to an even wider range of participants in the startup ecosystem. The Tech Trailblazers Awards, the first independent global awards program dedicated to enterprise tech startups, is open to companies less than six years old and at C-series funding or below. The awards recognize outstanding innovation in AI, big data, blockchain, cloud, containers, developer tools, fintech, IoT, mobile, networking, security and storage. Enter at www.techtrailblazers.com. Trailblazing technologies and the tech startup community wouldn’t be where they are without the people driving them, therefore the Female CxO and Male CxO categories recognize exceptional leadership. In addition, early-stage startups (up to three years old, without VC funding) are eligible for the Firestarter bursary, where they can apply to one tech category free of charge and will be entered automatically for the Firestarter Trailblazers award. New for 2022 In order to keep up with innovating startups and the ever-evolving tech space, for 2022 we have reintroduced the Sustainable Tech Trailblazers category and created a broader Telecoms Trailblazers award, to replace Mobile Trailblazers. The Sustainable Tech Trailblazers award is open to organizations within the enterprise tech startup ecosystem who are championing the reduction of environmental and ecological risks to create sustainable products. This could include areas such as energy management, energy efficiency, carbon neutral, cost reduction, cost avoidance, net zero, energy, carbon, water, green IT, green ICT, application efficiency, software efficiency, and holistic infrastructure management.The Telecoms Trailblazers award is open to all private companies who are innovating in the telecommunications space. Buzzwords of what may be considered hot and innovative include: BYOD, satellite, smartphone, apps, mobility, productivity, m-payment, personalization, geofencing, M2M, m-coupons, m-advertising, location based services (LBS), telecom expense management, unified communications, usage controls, mobile commerce, LTE, NGN, hetnets, SON and 5G. Rose Ross, Founder and Chief Trailblazer of the awards explained the rationale behind reintroducing the Sustainable Tech category: “Meeting the sustainability challenges of the future requires new thinking and that new way of looking at the problems we face is where many startups exhibit their superpowers. So in recognition of these innovative technologies, as well as the importance of finding these solutions, we are resurrecting the Sustainable Tech Trailblazers award.” Rose was also keen to describe the value that the awards offer to startups who might be hesitant to enter. “Since launching The Tech Trailblazers Awards in 2012, we’ve worked to champion startup growth and shone a spotlight on new, innovative technologies. The awards are an excellent opportunity to gain valuable exposure to our panel of industry experts, potential investors, and industry itself. Winning an award is a strong indicator of future success,” she said. Winners and runners-up are determined by a global judging panel, combined with a public vote. Entrants are assessed in the following areas: agility, diversity, leadership, go-to-market strategy, innovation, and demand for technology. Key information Dates for your diary: Early Bird deadline is August 4th at 23:59pm Pacific Time. Entries close on August 31st at 23:59pm Pacific Time. FREE: remember that early-stage startups (up to three years old, without VC funding) are eligible for the Firestarter bursary, where they can apply to one tech category free of charge and will be entered automatically for the Firestarter Trailblazers award. For more information, visit www.techtrailblazers.com, follow @techtrailblaze, or listen to the #OnFire podcasts.