Make it to the top 6 of Create @ Alibaba Cloud Startup Contest and walk home with Alibaba Cloud credits of $10,000.

What If we told you that one of the world’s top three Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) providers (according to Gartner) could help you scale your startup to the next level?

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of the Alibaba Group, is looking for innovative startups from India to participate in the Create @ Alibaba Cloud Startup Contest.

Every year, Alibaba Cloud brings together the best minds in the industry, including well-known investors and eminent decision-makers, as part of its annual Global Startup Contest. It’s the same this year too.

There will be three preliminary rounds to be held across India in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. A total of six teams, comprising the top two winning teams from each city, will then get a chance to travel to Tai Yuan in China for the City Battle round, with the organisers taking care of the participants’ travel and accommodation expenses.*

The winning teams from the City Battle rounds across the globe will compete in the Global Final to be held in Hangzhou, China, in October, 2018.

The winners will be selected based on the following parameters:

• Existence of a minimum viable product (MVP)
• Initial signs of traction
• Use of innovative technology or proprietary solutions

Why you should apply

Apart from the association with a globally renowned name like Alibaba Cloud, there are several other benefits in store for the winners. It will be a great opportunity for them to connect with top investors and industry experts from around the world.

Each of the six winners of the preliminary rounds in India will win $10,000 worth Alibaba Cloud credits. If the team secures 1st or 2nd position in the City Battle round, the credits will go up to $50,000, since the top 2 teams in this round are eligible to win Alibaba cloud credits worth $50,000 valid for two years. The teams in 3rd and 4th positions in the City Battle will win $10,000 worth Alibaba Cloud credits ($833 per month, valid for a month, for a period of 12 months). The remaining city battle participants will get $10,000 USD Alibaba Cloud coupons ($833 per month, valid for a month, for 12 months in total).

Who can participate?

This contest is open to companies or organizations that have developed innovative products, applications or solutions in the following technology domains:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Big Data
• Cyber Security
• Digital Services
• Immersive Media (Augmented Reality (AR) / Virtual Reality (VR)
• Internet of Things (IoT)

Further, the participating startups should also meet the following criteria:

• They should be registered in India
• They should be officially registered as a company for no more than three years
• Their annual revenue should be less than $500,000
• They should not be a publicly listed company
• They should have a clear business model, innovative products and potential to grow
• They should not have participated in any earlier editions of the Alibaba Cloud startup programme.

The Alibaba Cloud advantage

• Alibaba Cloud provides a comprehensive suite of high-performance, elastic cloud computing services which makes it easier for companies to do business globally in a seamless manner. The services include data storage, relational databases, big-data processing, Anti-DDoS protection and content delivery networks (CDN).
• Globally, Alibaba Cloud in one of the top names in this space. As of June 2017, Gartner placed Alibaba Cloud in the Visionaries' quadrant of its Magic Quadrant for Cloud Infrastructure as a Service.
• Access to Alibaba Cloud gives companies the option to deploy globally using its international network of 18 data center regions and 43 availability zones, including access to China, from a single global account. The provider also assures its users of the highest international levels of compliance for data protection and privacy.

Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity. Apply today for the Create @Alibaba Cloud Startup Contest.

Hurry, the last date to apply is July 20, 2018.

* Conditions apply, travel & accommodation costs will be sponsored for one team member from each startup.