4YFN Award Finalists 2024

The GSMA Foundry spoke to the 2024 4YFN Awards Finalists about their experience in the awards, they also shared advice for up and coming start ups!

Bitsensing

Congratulations on being one of our 4YFN24 finalists! What was a pivotal moment at 4YFN24 that deeply influenced your startup’s direction? How did this experience shape your future or strategies?

Thank you! One of the pivotal moments at 4YFN24 was the valuable feedback we received from industry experts and potential partners, which helped validate our existing business expansion plans. While we already had a clear strategy for entering new markets, such as smart cities and healthcare, the interactions at 4YFN24 reinforced our approach and gave us fresh perspectives on how to prioritize these efforts. It was a great opportunity to solidify our strategy and accelerate our ongoing initiatives with greater confidence.

4YFN24 was rich with opportunities for innovation and networking. Can you share a connection or partnership formed at the event that has been particularly impactful for your startup? How has this relationship contributed to your progress?

At 4YFN24, we had the opportunity to engage with a wide and diverse audience, which was impactful in terms of increasing awareness of our technology. While we did not form any specific partnerships during the event, the exposure to different industries and the valuable conversations we had with potential customers, partners, and investors helped us better understand how our solutions resonate in different markets. These interactions gave us deeper insights into how we can further align our product offerings with the evolving needs of global industries.

Startups in the 4YFN ecosystem can tap into resources, mentorship, and funding opportunities through GSMA Foundry, how have the GSMA Foundry helped you?

GSMA Foundry has been instrumental in Bitsensing’s journey. Through their mentorship programs, we’ve gained access to industry veterans who provided critical guidance on scaling our business globally. Additionally, their network of investors opened up funding opportunities that have supported our growth.

Qilimanjaro

Being a finalist at 4YFN24 is a noteworthy milestone. How has your participation at 4YFN24 enhanced your startup’s visibility, recognition, or access to resources? What strategies would you recommend to future finalists to make the most out of their experience?

Participating in 4YFN24, even beyond being a finalist, is a remarkable opportunity to showcase your startup’s potential and immerse yourself in one of Barcelona’s most influential startup events. The event, closely tied to the Mobile World Congress (MWC) ecosystem, provides unparalleled exposure, bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders—from policymakers to investors—that can significantly elevate your startup’s visibility and recognition. We have been able to quantify the impact this has had, from an increased presence in the press to the generation of more leads interested in what we do. For future finalists, I strongly recommend fully embracing this experience. Take the time to refine your pitch—consider not just what you say, but how you say it. Analyze your audience, practice your delivery, and don’t shy away from recording yourself to perfect your tone and posture. This effort will pay off, as a well-crafted pitch is something you can leverage repeatedly in the future. Moreover, the event’s exceptional organization, supported by industry professionals, creates an ideal environment for showcasing your company. Bring as many team members as possible to maximize networking opportunities and to soak in the wealth of ideas from the various talks and panels. Ultimately, the key is to dive in wholeheartedly—this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that can set the stage for your startup’s future success, make the most out of it!

Startups in the 4YFN ecosystem can tap into resources, mentorship, and funding opportunities through GSMA Foundry, how have the GSMA Foundry helped you?

The GSMA Foundry has been an invaluable and amazing partner for Qilimanjaro since our journey at 4YFN that we are very proud of. They’ve provided us with numerous opportunities to showcase our project, from streaming live podcasts with us to crafting a case study on Qilimanjaro, significantly enhancing our visibility and presence within the tech ecosystem. Through their support, we’ve been able to connect with key players, gain critical exposure, and establish a stronger foothold in the industry. This partnership has only just begun, and we’re excited about the continued growth and opportunities that lie ahead with GSMA Foundry by our side. We’re already looking forward to what’s next at MWC & 4YFN 2025!

MICA AI

First, this is a great honor to be a finalist, pitch on the stage and meet so many market leaders. Also, the video of the pitch and the publication of case study at the GSMA network increased the visibility of MICA at the social network. I will suggest to future finalists to enjoy the process, walk from hall to hall and meet exhibitors and participants, since there are 10s of thousand people there, so look for your 1% of opportunity!

MICA AI has presented at the 2024 4YFN Award main stage the future of breast cancer screening – a GenAI platform that supports the doctor’s decision, increases the accuracy rate and precision and reduces double radiation, invasive procedures, pain, time and money. After the presentation, I met a lot of people (men and women) who told me how that touched them because of various reasons… And how important is to bring MICA’s innovative solution to the clinicians. This experience strengthened my understanding about 4YFN – 4 Years From Now MICA will be the standard of care for so many women around the globe!

Reflecting on your experience at 4YFN24, what were the most significant learnings or insights you gained? How have these insights influenced your approach to innovation and growth in the startup ecosystem?

I will say that the understanding that we are not alone… I mean, that startups all over the world, in any arena of activity and in any size, are struggling with challenges. So if you understand that those are challenges and not problems, you are in the half way to find the solution.

Whispp

Of course pitching on the 4YFN main stage was a very exciting personal experience with a lot of exposure. Part of being a finalist, we were also given the opportunity to pitch for and personally meet C-level executives from almost all GSMA members. My most important advice for future finalists is to come up with a very specific ask, a small proposal they just can’t refuse.

The nice thing about attending 4YFN is that many unexpected connections were made. We are now in contact with companies from all over the world, from the US, Asia and all over Europe. One interesting example is a telecom provider from Asia that develops a new app. Their input has been very valuable for our own product development.

Startups in the 4YFN ecosystem can tap into resources, mentorship, and funding opportunities through GSMA Foundry, how have the GSMA Foundry helped you?

We have been intensively in contact with GSMA Foundry and their added value has been tremendous. They know the telco ecosystem so well and they can make the most powerful connections you can ever imagine.

OceanEcoconstructers

By being finalist at 4Y4N24, we could show the world that we were a blue tech startup, fully focused on developing the latest technologies to restore marine life at scale. This differentiates us from any other competitor and sped up our development. It also provided us with access to new partners and technologies (AI, digitalisation, …) that are strengthening our value proposition, thus our impact.

Certainly, being a finalist provides you with enormous visibility, and what is more, it provides prestige and endorsement. This has been very helpful in setting up new partnerships and being better considered when speaking to potential customers and partners. It is very important to take advantage of this nomination and mention it in your connections; the 4Y4N award is very well known and is an amazing support for startups.

We are still learning from that. The most important aspect we got is understanding how important endorsement is when you are a startup, particularly in our case, as we are an impact startup focused on ocean regeneration. Additionally, we have learned that with this type of platform/stage, you can get access to other partners and technologies that can strengthen your product and open new opportunities for the future.