The initial nomination process took place on the SA Innovation Summit's online platform and more than 80 entries were received. The entrants were then cut down to 50 and then shortlisted to 20, before the top 10 finalists were selected following the presentation of their respective solutions at the PwC Pitching Den at the SA Innovation Summit last week.
The top 10 companies will now enter into PwC's mentorship programme, taking place on September 30 and October 1. Each of the top 10 finalists will then follow to make their final presentations to the panel of judges at PwC. The presentations will be evaluated based on specific criteria which will include innovation, financial performance and strategic direction.
The top three winners, including the overall winner, will be announced at a separate Vision to Reality awards ceremony to be held in March next year. This gala event brings together entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, corporates and key stakeholders within this thriving ecosystem and will give the top 10 finalists the opportunity to network and gain access to leading advisors within the industry.
Says Walter Penfold, MD of Everlytic: "What an honour it is to be named as one of the top 10 finalists. To make it into the top 10, and knowing we're in the running for this award is an accolade in itself. We look forward to participating in the final mentorship programme, the final presentation to the judges and the prestigious awards gala."
