The Women in AV & Tech Startup Prize has been launched and is now open for submission, designed to identify and back early-stage founders in AV.
The competition, launched by Alex Kemanes and Dino Drimakis, aims to be built as a long term platform open to early-stage women founders.
The competition was announced during International Women’s month and supported by AVIXA Women’s Council.
Submissions opened on 8th March 2026, open to founders from anywhere in the world for entrants whether they’re involved directly with AV innovations or part of the AV ecosystem.
The criteria to be selected is based on solving a problem, market viability, and intent to build a lasting solution. Applicants can submit a pitch deck with a maximum of 20 slides and a short founder video, focussed on the problem and who it affects, what’s being built and why, who the customer is, how the business makes money, and what stage the concept is at, i.e. idea, prototype, pilots, users, and revenue.
The winner will receive a $15,000 cash prize, awarded, and announced on 22nd April 2026. Submissions will be collected via the official competition platform and undergo an initial eligibility and quality review.
Submissions will be collected via the official competition platform and undergo an initial eligibility and quality review. Shortlisted applications will be evaluated by an independent jury panel, with judging focussed on problem relevance, solution credibility, market understanding, founder insight, and execution potential.
Alex Kemanes, partner, Midwich Ignite and regional managing director, MESEA, Midwich Group, commented: “This is about taking action, not just having conversations.
“If we want to see more women leading and building in our industry, we have to create practical pathways for them. The Women in AV & Tech Startup Prize is one way we are doing that. At the same time, we are backing founders who can execute, people who understand their market, define real problems, and have a credible path to building sustainable businesses.”