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Lithuanian Startup Traxlo Wins Regional Finals of the Startup World Cup in Prague – Aims for Silicon Valley and the $1 Million Grand Prize

by
Tom Cironis
October 31, 2024
The Startup World Cup regional finals have crowned a new champion. Lithuanian startup Traxlo, with its platform “Tasku.app” – a short-term gig work portal offering flexible tasks in local stores, has won the opportunity to represent Central and Eastern Europe in Silicon Valley’s grand finale and compete for the $1 million prize.

Traxlo outshone nine other finalists with its growth potential and its capability to redefine markets globally. “We currently operate in Sweden, Lithuania, and Poland, and the positive feedback from Tasku.app users validates our mission. Users can select tasks according to their schedule, work at their own pace, and earn per completed task. This flexible model offers extra income without the commitment of long-term employment,” says Paulius Vėželis, CEO of Traxlo.

This year’s Startup World Cup isn’t just about a trip to Silicon Valley. Participants in the regional finals competed for additional attractive prizes. Traxlo, alongside its advancement to the finals, also received a travel grant of 50,000 CZK provided by the contest partners, VISA, a global leader in digital payments, and Seed Starter by Česká spořitelna, which focuses on investments in value-creating innovations for the bank and its clients, nurturing the Czech startup scene.

DEPO Ventures also awarded an investment of 2.5 million CZK to Webout, one of the top 10 finalists, known for its software specializing in personalized marketing videos. “Webout has a unique, highly scalable technology. Though still early in their journey, they’ve already demonstrated impressive business potential with some very interesting clients,” said Jan Krahulík, Partner at DEPO Ventures.

“This year, we attracted top-tier tech firms, making it incredibly challenging to select only the top ten. The competition is gaining popularity, and we’re already negotiating for next year’s license,” said Eliška Vámošová, Director of the Engaged Investments conference.

Dozens of startups from Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltics entered the competition, judged by professional investment experts such as Adam Ďurica from 0100 Ventures, Beáta Bocskor from Lead Ventures, Michal Rokosz from Inovo Venture Partners, and Zuzana Ondřejová from J&T Ventures.

Next Stop: Silicon Valley

The Startup World Cup regional finals were part of a global series of over 100 competitions across six continents. Winning the competition not only brings Traxlo prestige but also provides access to international publicity and further growth. The founder gains a unique opportunity to pitch their project to top global investors at the finals in Silicon Valley next year.

On October 4, the global winner was announced: American startup EarthGrid PBC, which develops technology utilizing extremely hot ionized gas to drill tunnels quickly and efficiently. Investors see this technology as a key solution for modernizing electrical transmission networks and other critical infrastructure.

The Engaged Investments conference, where the competition took place, gathered over 400 participants, including investors and startups from across Europe. This fifth annual event, beyond investment topics, also focused on cybersecurity, space technology, artificial intelligence, and climate innovation. VISA, a global leader in digital payments, and Seed Starter by Česká spořitelna, were among the event’s main partners. The next conference is set for October 22–23, 2025.

Startup World Cup is a global competition organized by the American venture capital firm Pegasus Tech Ventures, which manages over $2 billion in assets and has companies like SpaceX, Airbnb, and Robinhood in its portfolio.

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