Following the announcement that it has broken the Guinness World Record for the longest business pitch marathon, Virgin Media Business has announced the #Voom 2016 semi finalist and Pitchathon champs, which consists of 40 businesses.
Earlier this year, Virgin Media Business teamed up with reward-based crowdfunding platform Crowdfunder UK to launch its search for the most innovative and exciting businesses in the UK and Ireland. The funding platform revealed that with more than 600,000 UK start-ups created in the last year alone and VOOM 2016 offers British and Irish entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their ideas to Sir Richard Branson and win a prize fund worth over £1million.
#Voom 2016 had 158 businesses pitching back-to-back to a panel of judges over the course of 28 hour, 51 minute period. Virgin Media shared:
“Over a record-breaking 29 hours, we saw it all – mad scientists, judges running laps, folding scooters, eyebags, glowsticks, #VOOM-shaped glasses, bespoke superhero capes and more.”
The company added:
“The 40 pitchers who received the highest scores from the judges will come with us to Birmingham on 13th or 14th June. Through a series of workshops designed to put the entrepreneurs through their paces, our LinkedIn Professionals will help us determine which six will pitch to Richard at the Live Finale.”
Check out the full list of finalists here, and see some highlights of the businesses below.