Dale Academy takes the win at the SiGMA Pitch South America
The SIGMA Group’s Pitch South America Competition, held at the BiS SiGMA South America Summit in São Paulo and sponsored by SOFTSWISS, was held on April 9, 2015, at the Jardins Stage, and culminated in a decisive victory for Dale Academy, whose focus is to develop talent for the gaming industry.
Fellipe Fraga accepted the award and presented the winning presentation, marking a major milestone for the company and the larger movement of developing talent in Latin America.
A competitive stage
The SiGMA Pitch has become a means for accelerating the launch of emerging businesses by connecting them with investors and business persons and those with decision-making authority. The South America Edition of The SiGMA Pitch accomplished this same goal by narrowing down more than 100 applicants to 6 finalist companies and having them present their ideas live in front of an expert panel of judges.
Mark Borg acted as an emcee during this event and helped create a very entertaining and smooth experience for the attendees as well as for the participants in the competition.
The 6 finalists were evaluated on their innovative ideas, ability to grow quickly, fit their respective products into existing markets, and prove their ability to execute their plans. The continuing sophistication of the startup ecosystem in South America is demonstrated by how these criteria were utilized in evaluating the finalists.
Judges driving the decision
The judging panel consisted of various backgrounds of Investors and Industry Experts, all bringing their own specialisation to the evaluation process. The Judges are as follows:
- Vinícius Moraes De Carvalho
- Solene Feuillu
- Charles Herisson
- Harmen Brenninkmeijer
- Alexandre Ludolf
As a group, their overall decision was that Dale Academy presented the best opportunity from both a commercial perspective, as well as relevance within a dynamic and changing regulatory and operational environment.
A prize with strategic weight
In addition to the benefits that winners receive, SiGMA Pitch also has one of the most comprehensive prize packages in the industry for developing start-ups across multiple offices through investment and/or sponsorship that supports the growth of the three verticals (Gaming, iGaming and Technology).
In particular, the following services are provided through this ecosystem of support to every winning company:
- A marketing/sales/advertising package valued at €21,300 for your start-up.
- Access to cloud-based infrastructure via AWS Activate: €10,000.
- A package of growth-enabling services for blockchain companies valued at €100,000.
- Technology credits of as much as €400,000 provided by partners, including Nvidia and DigitalOcean.
- Corporate brand development through education and finding the right talent for your start-up, as well as assistance in setting up your company.
In addition, winning companies have access to exclusive opportunities for executive-level networking, including attending high-level events with investors interested in the same industry as your products/services.
Overall, SiGMA’s all-encompassing prize structure further establishes SiGMA as an ecosystem enabler for all start-up companies, rather than just an events organiser.
Education as a market differentiator
The success of Dale Academy emphasises the shift in priorities in the industry. There is an increasing focus on creating a highly-skilled labour force that will ultimately support sustainability through long-term growth, in addition to the fact that continuing to advance product innovation is still important.
Fraga’s presentation highlighted the gaps that exist within the Latin American market, particularly as it pertains to the lack of structured training, specific to the industry and job requirements and compliance with government regulations. By establishing education as a key growth driver, Dale Academy was able to deliver a message that resonated strongly with both the judges and the stakeholders.
The focus of the platform on certification, training, and professional development correlates to the trends in the region that are indicative of growth, formalisation, and regulatory compliance because of both time sensitivity and strategic relevance.
A signal for the LATAM ecosystem
If you want the best chance of winning, you should enter these competitions. This year’s SiGMA Pitch South America has shown how mature markets are becoming, with the fundamental building blocks of a competitive edge: talent, compliance, and infrastructure.
The success of Dale Academy as a winner in this year’s competition highlights the focus on sustainability of business models well into the future compared to focusing only on short-term disruptions. In addition, it strengthens the idea that business models must align to regulatory and operational realities across all of Latin America.
Thus, SiGMA has shown this year that it is serving as a bridge to innovation, connecting startups and capital, allowing for the advancement of industries through collaboration.
In order to be part of the next generation of industry leaders, initiatives such as SiGMA Pitch will continue to help perpetuate these leaders in Latin America while allowing SiGMA to continue to expand its geographical reach within the region.
For more insights, event highlights, and industry developments, visit the official SiGMA website: https://staging.sigma.world/
