The European iGaming Congress & Expo (EiG) announces fifth EiG LaunchPad and judging panel

LONDON and BARCELONA -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- The European I-Gaming Congress & Expo (EIG) has now opened submissions for its fifth annual LaunchPad, taking place on 16-18 October 2012, at the Fira de Barcelona Granvia, Spain.

During EiG’s highly competitive LaunchPad initiative, startups seeking to gain exposure and thrive in this multibillion-dollar industry will have the opportunity to display their wares and connect with 1,700-plus high-level delegates, gaming executives, regulators, investors, and a select panel of judges whose vote will evaluate their outcome. The finalist participants also have the chance to showcase their company at the Startup Zone with a stand on the EiG Expo floor.

This year’s judging panel is comprised of a mix of investors and industry veterans on the hunt for ‘the next big thing’ in gaming. It includes Edward Pfeiffenberger, Managing Director of Venatus Interactive and investor in the LaunchPad 2010 winner, Passoker; Phil Cronin, industry veteran and founder of one of the most successful bingo sites, Tombola; Uri Levy, VP for Business Development of Playtech, responsible for the company’s M&A activities; and Mark Blandford, founder of Sportingbet and a known investor in the iGaming space.

“Several of my investments came about as a result of connections made at EiG. The start-up LaunchPad is the best industry opportunity for me to spot new trends and interesting companies,” Mark Blandford commented on his continuing involvement in the Startup LaunchPad.

The Startup LaunchPad was first created five years ago to spotlight innovation in European iGaming and has successfully expanded its global editions with the recent successful foray into the heart of Silicon Valley at Clarion’s North American event, GiGse. With the support of the LaunchPad partner NVPR, even savvier VCs and investors took note of the LaunchPad’s relevance in the marketplace.

The addition of the format received widespread press in the U.S., ranging from social media press luminaries like Mashable and VentureBeat, to the esteemed business outlet Reuters, and many other publications in between.

Additionally, Startup LaunchPad participants receive press attention and garner mindshare. Three of the four past EiG winners have either raised the capital they were seeking, or partnered with industry giants shortly after winning. This was not just true exclusively for the winners: Crowd Park, which was just a runner-up at EiG 2011, for example, also raised capital shortly after participating at LaunchPad.

The EiG LaunchPad is open to all gaming startups that offer innovative solutions to the iGaming sector, whether on the B2B or B2C basis, including, but not limited to, areas such as game software, mobile and the sought-after social gaming.

Applications to the LaunchPad must be received before Friday, September 7, 2012 at 4:59 p.m. GMT. Interested startups can submit their applications at www.eigexpo.com.