
Why this Challenge?
The next decade will be defined by “value in motion” - a period where advanced technologies, climate imperatives, and evolving business models will reconfigure industry value chains and create new growth domains.
Organizations that continuously reinvent their business, operating, and energy models will be best positioned to capture emerging value pools and outperform competitors.

Our Startup Challenge

Reinvent Operations
The Startup Challenge's context:
To mark this new edition, we invite startups to accelerate this “value in motion” approach by bringing forward innovative solutions that help organizations improve their operations at large (e.g. product development, industrialization, manufacturing, procurement, supply chain…).
• Optimize operations
- Product development, time to market optimization and disruptive innovation enablement;
- Improvement of manufacturing and logistic efficiency, cost, quality;
- Process automation, e.g. robotics, intelligent orchestration.
• Strengthen resilience
- Disruption forecasting, flow optimization, real-time visibility;
- Risk anticipation, Cyber, flexibility…
• Accelerate digitalization & Data & Insights for Performance
- AI, automation, data-driven decision-making;
- Predictive analytics, real-time dashboards, applied generative AI.
• Embed sustainability into operational processes
- Solutions to reduce carbon footprint, optimize energy or water consumption.
• Adapt to new challenges with agility
- Shift business focus, enable augmented workforce efficiency.
What we are looking for:
Jury will prioritize solutions that demonstrate the ability to unlock new sources of value, build resilience, enable sustainable growth and thrive in this era of constant transformation. We seek pragmatic, scalable solutions that:
• Deliver measurable operational impact.
• Are applicable across multiple industries and functions.
• Are easy to integrate with existing systems and processes.
• Demonstrate technological and business model innovation.
• Support responsible growth and ESG objectives.
The challenge is industry-agnostic and focuses on innovations that can enhance operational performance across multiple sectors. These include industrial services, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy & utilities, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, and agrifood, among others.
Selection Criteria
Value proposition
The startup value proposition should fit at least one of the topics mentioned in the challenge.
Regulation compliance
and Security, must be at the heart of the solution to fit in the Corporate’s organization.
Business potential
with PwC business lines and/or with our clients’ issues.
Geography
Solution based in EMEA & the US.
Maturity
Post-MVP stage to growth and scale-up with at least 2 existing clients in their portfolio.
Technology
Deep tech and low tech will be considered.
Rewards
Timeline
Jury









Value in motion
FAQ
Who can apply?
Can I apply for more than one Startup Challenge/Award?
What is the difference between a Startup Challenge and an Award?
Is applying for an Award or Startup Challenge free?








