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Our Startup of the Year Award Gets a Name
Al-Iskander is a name of Persian and Arabic origin, derived from the Greek Alexander, meaning “defender of men” or “protector of mankind,” and associated with Alexander the Great. It also carries the meaning of “king.”
So our “king” startup of the year in AI & Web3 will receive the Al-Iskander Award.
Personal Meaning of the Award
It’s also my father’s name — and my patronymic. From him, I inherited a sense of humor, curiosity, intelligence, and the ability not to give a f*ck about anything. He held a PhD in Electrical Engineering and the rank of colonel. In his later off-duty years, he trained officers around the world to use AI for helicopter maintenance.
I miss him, especially when I want to run a joke by him or share a story.
How to get nominated?
Nomination is automatic for all 1st-place winners of our pitch competitions — roughly 34 startups will be in contention.
The last chance to enter the award race is to win our Miami pitch competition.
We currently have $47,000 in services from sponsors for the Miami winner.
If you’re going to be in Miami during Art Basel, please buy a ticket while early-bird pricing is still available.
Who won the award in 2024?
Klink Finance is quickly becoming a real player at the crossroads of Web3 and fintech. In just a few months, they’ve pulled in 100,000+ “Klinkers” and built not just a product but an ecosystem for simple, accessible crypto wealth creation. Their Tap-to-Earn Telegram Mini App turns micro-tasks into real rewards — fun, fast, and actually useful.
Backed by a $500K pre-seed round from BlackAlpha, Taisu Ventures, Blockchain Founders Fund and others, the team is scaling fast on both the tech and business sides.
Klink Finance receiving its award in Dubai during Token2049 in 2025
Rules of the Pitch Competition
We have 10 spots to pitch:
5 decided upfront by community voting (you must have a ticket to vote)
3 decided upfront by judges
2 chosen randomly at the pitch competition
Additional rules:
The startup with the majority of judges’ votes wins
Winners receive the title + prizes from sponsors
You can’t pitch twice within 6 months
Pitching is in person only
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