Christina Villa had a simple launch plan for Cledara: do it at the SaaStock Startup stage on October 16th, 2018. She had quit her job four months earlier and incorporated the company in London. Cledara was going to solve the problem of companies having too many SaaS subscriptions that were increasingly difficult to keep track of. Cledara would serve as their home and the payment hub powered through a digital Mastercard.

Having applied for the SaaStock Startup Program, she was in a race against time – the platform needed to be functioning by the time she got on the stage to pitch. She had employed a dev studio that worked relentlessly through August and September to get the platform up and running. During that time Cristina had to get the Mastercard approved in record time – in two months instead of what could sometimes take 18 months.

They all made it.

Cledara had a functioning MVP and was associated with a digital Mastercard by October. The feat was so impressive that Cristina ended up winning the SaaStock ‘Best SaaS Startup of 2018’ competition. The exposure that gave her helped her sign users for it. The money and the supporters that came with the title has helped her keep building the company, bringing in a technical Co-Founder. We are one of them.

That’s the story fairytales are made of. And our desire to help young SaaS entrepreneurs find their fairytale opportunity led us to create the Startup Program. We had seen how SaaS companies could benefit from something specifically tailored to them even before Cledara with another success story – TravelPerk.

After taking part in SaaStock17 TravelPerk had capitalized on 20 leads which had been added to their pipeline, and in the following year, they were recognized by both Gartner and G2 Crowd as Europe’s fastest growing SaaS company of 2018. Their development has been truly astounding, and we feel that during their time at SaaStock, the content they absorbed, the pitch platform they enjoyed, and the people they met, all assisted in providing them with both the refined knowledge and skills needed to grow their business.

While with TravelPerk that had happened by chance, with Cledara it was very much by design. And it was the proof we were on the right track.

The Startup Program will return to our flagship event in Dublin, plus we have decided to extend its reach to each of our global series events. We have the perfect partner for that journey: Zendesk.

One of the first cities the Startup Program is going to hit is Hong Kong for SaaStock Asia, where the global SaaS community will meet for three days.

From May 14-16, we’ll be bringing 20 of the most exciting SaaS startups and empowering them with unparalleled industry education, connections, and demo opportunities. Between our carefully-curated program and the burgeoning SaaS ecosystem in Asia, we wholeheartedly believe that the SaaStock Asia Startup Program is not only primed to foster the growth of its participants but that of the whole regional SaaS ecosystem.

The Program: SaaStock Asia

The SaaStock Asia Startup Program is custom-built for B2B SaaS startups seeking to gain traction and growth. The program consists of a full 2 days packed with added benefits including a pre-event day when the Startup Day dedicated to startup content, networking and the start of a pitch competition takes place.

It’s also an opportunity for them to meet fellow startup peers and serves as a direct introduction to conference partners with offerings relevant to their business. Day 2 of the main conference is an opportunity for startups to showcase their products to 200 SaaS leaders and investors at the exhibition, have one-to-one meetings and meet our major event partners.

The Startup Program Day

In collaboration with our Global Startup Partner, Zendesk, the Startup Program Day at SaaStock Asia will occur on the day prior to the official conference. Packed incredible content from established entrepreneurs, the Startup Day is set to include multiple practical workshops on issues affecting the growth of your SaaS, office hours with our partners and experts, a networking lunch and happy hour with partners, and a masterclass/headline bootcamp session.

Last year, the masterclass was one of the highlights of the Startup Day, as we had Dan Martell and Michael Litt run our master growth session.

During the Conference

Throughout days 2 and 3 of SaaStock Asia, all Startup Program participants have the unique opportunity to pitch their product to attendees from their designated booths. Throughout the day, there is an opportunity to arrange one-to-one meetings with both investors and conference attendees. Following the Startup Day, it’s the final for the pitch competition to announce the winner on the main stage. Furthermore, there is the opportunity to network and connect during the closing happy hour.

The Pitch Competition

In the SaaStock Asia Pitch Competition, we hope to sift through the plentiful SaaS talent of Asia, recognize ventures that are head-and-shoulders above the rest, and provide them with the recognition they deserve. In a flourishing environment of developing SaaS startups, we’re looking to involve our partners in the process of locating and accelerating the most promising startups in the area, through a multiple round, traditional pitch competition format.

All Startup Program participants will have the opportunity to pitch in front of a judging panel during the Startup Day. It’s an opportunity to not just pitch your product to industry experts but get their valuable feedback. Prior to the pitch, there will be an opportunity for participants to get pitch coaching and polish their skills. The top 6 companies will be shortlisted to present their pitch on the largest SaaStock Asia conference stage. All participants will be able to demo their product to an attentive audience, receive valuable feedback, and establish themselves as the most prominent, up-and-coming SaaS startups in Asia.

The winners of the SaaStock Asia Program will win a fast-track ticket to the finals of our Global Pitch Competition at SaaStock19, where they will have the opportunity to compete for the coveted title of “The Best SaaS Startup of 2019”.  Our 2018 winner Cledara, founded by Cristina Vila, received a $25,000 prize and a feature on the podcast, SaaS Revolution Hub with SaaStock’s Founder and CEO, Alex Theuma.

Apply now for what is undoubtedly the best way to dial your SaaS up to eleven. If you are still unsure if this opportunity is for you, you can listen to our podcast featuring Cristina Vila where she talks about the experience of the SaaStock Startup competition. Then act fast as there are only 20 spaces available and they are filling fast.