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GWS opens new wellness tech innovation competition, winner will be crowned at 2020 Summit

09 Sep 2020 The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), has announced that a “Call for Wellness Innovations” contest, as well as a dedicated Tech Innovation Pavilion, will be unveiled at the 2020 conference.

The contest, which opened on 8 September, calls on all companies worldwide within the wellness technology space to submit their innovative idea – to enter, click here.

It will be judged by a group of 15 international CEOs, business leaders and VCs in the wellness space, including Six Senses wellness pioneer, Anna Bjurstam – see the full list of judges below.

The winner will present their concept to delegates at the Summit and receive the first “Global Wellness Summit Prize”.

Applications will first be screened by Welltech1’s advisory board and founders. Semifinalists will then present to the judging panel made up of international executives and VCs on virtual Demo Days, on 15 and 22 October.

“COVID-19 has turbocharged the migration of wellness solutions online and consumer adoption of all kinds of digital wellness,” said Nancy Davis, GWS chief creative officer and executive director. “Analysts agree that health and wellness technologies – whether in mental wellness or digital fitness – have now emerged as the hottest investment category.”

“With this historic rush of creativity and investment, the 2020 Summit is putting a stake in the ground in this fascinating space, and we want to give global exposure to the companies, products and services that are reimagining wellness through technology.”

The new contest and Tech Pavilion are all part of a conference that will focus on tech innovations that are shaking up the wellness market, featuring keynotes from leaders and investors across this booming space.

Each day of the Summit, the Tech Innovation Pavilion will showcase companies that have been recently devoting their energy and resources to innovate products and services in the wellness arena – whether seed-stage start-ups or established companies.

All of this programming is being realised in partnership with Welltech1, a wellness fund and innovation hub in Tel Aviv, Israel, who is the first Marquis Sponsor of the Pavilion.

The GWS Summit is being held 8-11 November at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida.

The judges
Amir Alroy, co-founder, Welltech1,
Anna Bjurstam, wellness pioneer at Six Senses,
Craig Cogut, founder, chair and CEO of Pegasus Capital Advisors
Ivo Facianof, managing partner at MindSpring Capital and founder of global online marketing and advertising solution, Velis
Ofir Frank, CTO of Maccabi Tel Aviv BC, a world-leading sports club
Galit Horovitz, co-founder at Welltech1
Ian James, founder and CEO of The Ideation Lab, LLC, and incubator and accelerator of hemp CBD and cannabinoid products
Victor Koo, chair at Heyi Holdings and co-founder of Tianren Culture, a next-generation social platform that supports social enterprises
Stephen Letourneau, chief brand officer, Green Light Acquisitions and Cannuka
Dr BK Modi, founder and chair of Smart Group, Singapore and chair of Indian business conglomerate, Spice Global
Hadas Spektor, head of the Lifestyle and Wellness vertical at Facebook Israel, Facebook’s business arm dedicated to supporting growth for Israel’s wellness start-up ecosystem
Laurie Racine, entrepreneur and president of Racine Strategy, an advisory focused on the intersection of social responsibility, learning, media and technology
Paul Scialla, founder and CEO of Delos, a company merging real estate with wellness
Josh Todd, CMO of Mindbody, technolo