18th July 2020: “World-scale problems need world-scale solutions that unite people from all over the planet. Innovation has gone global and great companies that could unlock a brighter future for all of us can come from anywhere now,” said Bill Tai. “This year’s theme is ‘Pitch for Hope’ and given what we see in the missions and talents of the XTC companies this year, along with the active collaboration of many of the world’s largest companies as participants and sponsors of XTC, there really is hope as everyone unites for our shared future.”
In the last few months, a microscopic virus has brought the world to its knees. The year 2020 brought all of us a new normal where for the first time the XTC competition was held virtually. The finals event kicked off in April 2020 with more than 2,400 world-changing startups from 87 countries showcasing their technologies at a time when their innovations and ideas have never mattered more. Out of the 2,400, 52 finalists were selected for the bootcamp and finally narrowed down to 7 outstanding category winners, which went on to compete in the Global Finals on July 15th. Saathi was honored to be selected as the Healthcare Category Winner.
“XTC is all about finding the next great disruptive startups that can address the world’s most pressing problems and have a meaningful impact on our planet,” said Young Sohn, Co-Founder of XTC, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Samsung Electronics and Chairman of the Board, HARMAN. “
Saathi was selected as the Category Winner due to the powerful combination of proprietary technology with a focus on the intersection of health and sustainability and the innate desire to do social good, which makes for a future-ready company. Saathi’s operations are based in India with 75% of Saathi employees being women, including an all-women staff made up of women from underprivileged areas who make their livelihood working with Saathi.
The Category Winners pitched in front of a panel of 6 of the world’s leading investors and business legends such as Yahoo! Co-Founder Jerry Yang; Young Sohn; Tim Draper, Founding Partner, Draper Associates; Philippe Botteri, Partner, Accel; Rafaèle Tordjman, Founder, Jeito Capital; and Bill Tai, Partner Emeritus, Charles River Ventures, and Co-Founder of XTC.
“We are thrilled to be selected as the Healthcare Category Winner and congratulate Genecis for being named the Global Winner. Sharing the stage with so many amazing startups was rewarding. Saathi aims to revolutionise the hygiene category via sustainable technology and a holistic approach.” – Kristin Kagetsu, Co-Founder of Saathi.
“The passion to help bridge the gap between rural and urban population in a sustainable way forms the backbone of our model. International recognition like this motivates us to aim high and achieve our goals! Thanks to XTC for a great virtual experience both in the bootcamp and at the finals.” – Tarun Bothra, Co-Founder of Saathi.