Prime Minister of the Netherlands highlights importance of Get in the Ring in South-Africa

Tuesday 17th of November 2015 the Dutch Trade Delegation came together to discuss the topic of the trade mission was to Co-create South Africa in the House of Future. Before the reception started, Get in the Ring got the chance to show their concept to over 200 visitors which consisted of: Mark Rutte (The Prime Minister of the Netherlands), Antoine van der Laan (TomTom Global), Jean-Francois Boxmeer (CEO Heineken), Marissa Gerards (Ambassador Dutch Embassy in South Africa) and the Deputy Mayor of Johannesburg.

Jochem Cuppen, Director of Get in the Ring Foundation, gave an introduction of our global pitching concept. Active in over 80 countries, the goal of Get in the Ring is to connect promising startups to the resources they need, such as talent and expertise. The pitching battles are something that really sets Get in the Ring apart from other competitions, and Jochem explained how the pitch format works. Our collaborations with local partners like Real Success Network, North-West University Faculty of Economic Sciences and Innovation Hub make Get in the Ring a great example of Co-creating in South Africa.

After the introduction of Get in the Ring it was time to get in the actual Ring. The crowd got really excited when the two startups Umoyair and Adfire Creative Media were pitching their concept with a lot of conviction. Adfire Creative Media offers mind-blowing 3D illusions as well as conventional advertising channels and design media. His competitoir was from Umoyair: An app with a cross network, free call platform with user and advertiser incentives.

The Prime Minister Mark Rutte was enthusiastic about the pitches and had a few good questions for the startups in the Ring. Although Prime Minister Rutte had a small preference who the winner of this battle was, we had to wait one more day for the National Final of Get in the Ring South Africa for the real outcome of the winner.

In his speech, at the opening of the trade-reception, Rutte continued to use Get in the Ring as an example for promoting entrepreneurship and startups. Mark Rutte emphasized that Get in the Ring is a great podium for promoting entrepreneurship by providing a platform for startups. He explained the importance of the startup ecosystem in the Netherlands and South Africa, and how the Netherlands with StartupDelta does provide international opportunities for them.