What are the entry categories for SXSW Pitch 2021? – SXSW Support

To apply to SXSW Pitch, entrants must fit into one or more of the following categories:

Artificial Intelligence, Robotics & Voice

Technologies related to machine-simulated intelligence, consciousness, empathy, or speech. These technologies may also cover Internet of Things and smart devices, or a machine's ability to perform, anticipate, and streamline tasks without human assistance. These startups seek to address a wide variety of issues.

Enterprise & Smart Data

Technologies that increase productivity for businesses and/or individuals by simplifying informational data through new workflows and analytics. These startups may have applications in data collection, management, analysis, presentation, interpretation, security, and augmentation across industries such as business, finance, advertising, and more.

Entertainment, Gaming & Content

Technologies and applications that are reinventing the ways humans find enjoyment through areas such as leisure, education, and entertainment. Industries these technologies address may include gaming, music, film, television, video, arts, news and publishing, streaming, and digital storytelling. These startups may also deploy new and hybrid entertainment delivery models such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and other novel visualization technologies.

Future of Work

Technologies that enable, empower, change, and expand capabilities in the future of work and the working experience. These technologies may find applications in the gig economy, remote working and connectivity, business communications, project management, workforce incentives and benefits, payments, manufacturing, human resources, education and skills training, recruiting, and others.

Health, Wearable & Wellbeing

Technologies focused on human-centric applications that advance health and connect individuals with health systems and facilities, care teams, providers, insurance, corporate and personal wellness services, and public health & social services. These startups may also include applications in aging and geriatrics, general wellness, diagnosis, genetics, exercise, home fitness, nutrition, sleep, sports, and wearable technologies.

Innovative World Technologies

This category is for any creative and innovative application, product, or service that does not fit in another SXSW Pitch category, as well as technologies that act as the infrastructure that new technologies are built on. Examples that might fit into this category include (but are not limited to) payments and financial technologies, blockchain, space and aerospace, biotechnology and nanotechnology, agriculture and natural resources, pet tech, cannabusiness, sustainability, drones, home refinancing, quantum computing and computer chip technology, energy, and others.

Social & Culture

Technologies that explore and expand the boundaries of how humans experience life as individuals, as communities, and as global citizens. Examples of such sectors include but are not limited to social media and networking, dating and friendship, travel and hospitality, environment and climate change, home, and fashion. This category also covers social enterprise technologies that aim to solve social or societal problems, impact positive change, and improve the lives of individuals and groups.