Hey, women of VR: Check out Women Who Tech’s fourth Women Startup Challenge

D.C.’s Women Who Tech launched its fourth Women Startup Challenge this week, and this one is all about virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence.
For those unfamiliar, the Women Startup Challenge is all about showcasing and finding funding for women-led startups — all about turning around those dismal investor numbers. Previous Challenges, like the one held in San Francisco in June, didn’t have quite as strong a subject-area theme as this upcoming one does. But, as Women Who Tech founder Allyson Kapin explained, VR, AR and AI are collectively an important-enough area to warrant the focus.
“VR, AR, and AI are the new frontier in tech and it’s vitally important that women and their companies get funded so that their perspective on these life changing products is brought to market,” she said in a statement. “It’s estimated that there will be 170 million VR users by 2018. Every major tech company is investing heavily in AI, and it’s critical that women-led ventures claim their stake in the space.”
Once again, the Challenge is presented in partnership with Craig Newmark of Craigslist fame. And, though the final competition will be held in New York, judges include #dctech folks Sibyl Edwards and Adam Zuckerman, as well as other subject-matter experts.
Are you, or do you know, an awesome female founder working in VR, AR or AI? Get those applications in by Dec. 12. There’s $50,000 in cash, and other services, on the line.
Women Who Tech reports that, since the Women Startup Challenge’s inception in June 2015, over 1,000 startups have participated and nearly $1 million in cash and other prizes has been awarded.