The Third Biennial Combating Terrorism Technology Startup Challenge (CTTSC3)

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Overview

Thanks to all the speakers, judges, audience members, exhibitors, and most especially startups who helped make CTTSC3 such a success!

  • Over 200 startups entered the $220K startup contest, including companies from virtually every continent and technology domain.
  • Over 800 people attended our innovation day, where they heard from former US Senator Joe Lieberman, Deputy Minister and best-selling author Michael Oren, Major Generals (Res) Amos Yadlin and Isaac Ben Israel,  International Program Manager, U.S. Department of Defense, CTTSO, Adam Tarsi, Editor in Chief of the MIT Technology Review Gideon Lichfield, and a slate of other security, business, and technology luminaries, as well as pitches by the year’s hottest counter-terrorism and security startups.
  • 40 breakthrough innovations exhibited and demonstrated at the innovation pavilion and simulated urban environment test-bed. 

CTTSC3, a joint initiative of the US Department of Defense (CTTSO), the Israel Ministry of Defense (MAFAT), and the MIT Enterprise Forum of Israel, identifies and rewards the startups, entrepreneurs, and innovators worldwide that are driving the next breakthroughs in technology for combating terrorism. 

Congratulations to CardioScale and Colugo who won the $100,000 first prize and $10,000 second prize respectively in the General Technologies track, and to Elbit and TrekAce our  $100,000 first prize and $10,000 second prize winners in the Navigation Technologies track.

Stay tuned for more updates on our winners and finalists and we look forward to seeing you at CTTSC4!

Terrorism is a constantly evolving worldwide threat.  As terrorists become more sophisticated, so too must the tools for detecting, preventing, and defeating them. 

CTTSC3 merges the dynamism and innovation of the startup ecosystem, and the experience and resources of the US and Israeli defense establishments, to deliver the next generation of game-changing technologies for combating terror.

CTTSC3 follows on the success of our inaugural CTTSC1 and CTTSC2  both of which identified and accelerated a number of promising  combating terrorism breakthroughs across a variety of technology domains.

The CTTSC contest is open to any startup, entrepreneur, developer, or researcher, in any field, with a breakthrough technology that can help fight terrorism.

Benefits:

  • 2 X $100K 1st prizes + 2 X $10K 2nd prizes  (Prizes are no-strings-attached)
  • Sponsored travel to demonstrate in Israel
  • Complimentary spots at the  Merage HLS Seminar 
  • Extensive exposure across the US and Israeli Governments

200+ startups from 19 countries entered round 1.  

23  finalists were selected to compete for the $220,000 prizes.  General Technology finalists presented live at the  CTTSC Conference and Innovation Day, while Navigation Track finalists were put through their paces in live technology trials in a simulated urban environment.  

 

The Conference and Innovation Day also featured

  •  Senator Joe Lieberman
  • Ambassador Michael Oren
  • Maj. Gen. (Res) Amos Yadlin
  •  Brig. Gen. (Res) Danny Gold
  • Yoram Schweitzer
  • Gideon Lichfield
  • and a slate of other technology, investment, security, and counter-terrorism luminaries. 

Along with a juried expo and demos of 40 selected startups working on some of the most challenging and critical unsolved problems in the combating terrorism landscape.   

Gallery

Conference and Demo Day

The Finals, Conference, and Startup Exhibition

The CTTSC3 Innovation Day was the largest yet, sold out days before the event and with close to 800 attending.

Innovation Day included:

  • The finals of the $220K Combating Terrorism Technology Startup Challenge  – the 10 General Technologies Track finalists, pitched live for the $100,000 and $10,000 1st and 2nd prizes.
  • A High-level conference on trends in terrorism, counter-terrorism, technology, and the opportunities for startups to put it all together.
  • A juried expo of 40 breakthrough innovations for combating terrorism (both cyber and physical).

The speaker panel featured Joe Lieberman, Michael Oren, Amos Yadlin, and a slate of other technology, business, and security luminaries.  For full agenda click the button.

Contest

Over 200 companies from 19 countries entered CTTSC3.  This is double the number that applied to CTTSC2 and five times the number that applied to our inaugural CTTSC1.

The entrants were evaluated by a panel of 80 experts from the US Departments of Defense, State, and Homeland Security, and the Israel Ministries of Defense and Internal Security.   

10 entrants from the General Technologies Track, and 13 from the Urban Navigation Technologies Track were selected as finalists.  

The General Technologies Track finalists pitched “live” at the Innovation Day and had in-depth close-door interviews with the judging panel.  

  > CardioScale won the $100,000 first prize for their automatic triage device for mass-casualty events, and 

  > Colugo won the $10,000 runners-up prize for their breakthrough loose-wing drone innovation.  

The Urban Navigation Technologies Track finalists conducted live technology trials at the Urban Navigation Festival,  held in a secure simulated urban environment in southern Israel.  Prizes were based on system performance in a simulated operation.  

  >  Elbit Systems Land & C4I  navigated their way to the $100,000 first prize with their SmarTrack solution, and 

  > TrekAce  Technologies and their hands-free intuitive navigation system took the $10,000 runner-up prize.  

Congratulations to our four prize-winners and to all the CTTSC3 finalists!

Speakers

Gideon Lichfield

Editor-in-Chief MIT Technology Review

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman

Senior Counsel Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP

Dr. Michael Oren

Deputy Minister Prime Minister’s Office

Adam Tarsi

International Program Manager Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO)

Major General (rat.) Amos Yadlin

Director, Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) Tel Aviv University

In the Media

Click on the logos below for articles about CTTSC3

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Hebrew:

Partners and Sponsors

Key Dates

Friday January 19

$220,000 Startup Challenge opens

Sunday February 25 (optional)

If you are in Israel, join us for the "How to Win" meetup at Oracle Accelerator, Sarona Market at 18:00

Friday March 16

Deadline for $220,000 Startup Challenge entries

Monday May 28

Finalists announced

Sunday June 17

CTTSC3 conference, $220,000 Startup Challenge Finals, and Combating Terrorism Innovation Exhibition

Sunday October 21

Urban Navigation Festival (for Track 2 Finalists)

Thursday October 25

Track 2 winners announced, and close of CTTSC3

Contact