The competition for startups in the cultural and creative sectors is organised by Culture Venture together with Malta Enterprise as the lead partner.
YouRun, a creative startup mixing the warmth of casual games with the excitement of competitive ones, won the first edition of Creative Business Cup Malta. YouRun will represent Malta in the Global Finals this June and participate in BRIGHT where worldwide creatives and entrepreneurship enthusiasts meet for a blast of inspiration, networking and innovative solutions.
‘The first edition of the competition was a celebration of creativity, market potential and business execution by creative start-ups, which in-spite of a global pandemic continue to demonstrate resilience and success’, said Toni Attard, Founder and CEO of Culture Venture, Malta’s partner for the Creative Business Cup.
Malta Enterprise CEO Kurt Farrugia stated that ‘we are proud that as Malta Enterprise we provided our support to Creative Cup as this falls in line with our strategy; that of leading startups to start and grow in Malta. The creative sector has a lot of potential for startups, entrepreneurs and business opportunities to come together. Our support goes beyond, through our various financial incentives and soft services as also indicated on startinmalta.com.’
With regards to the winner, Farrugia explained that ‘We are also very happy to see that YouRun is the winner of the Creative Cup. YouRun had come to Malta through Malta Enterprise efforts and has been a success story since then.’
Eight finalists competed for the coveted title during an online pitching event to an international jury. YouRun’s pitch by CEO and Founder Walid Sultan Midni, impressed the judges with their game Warshmallows, a couch and online multiplayer game that wants to bring back the fun of spending quality time with family and friends while playing intense matches casually in front of the screen.
The second place was awarded to Sorġi, a start-up by Anna Horvath creating opportunities for the recycling of construction waste. The company’s first project is an outdoor furniture collection suited for public spaces that questions the dynamics of the booming construction industry in Malta. Third place was awarded to Frank Wrap, presented by Adriana Frank, offering durable alternatives to single-use plastic cling film with biodegradable wrapping that helps to keep food fresh for longer. The product is made out of cotton, beeswax, pine resin and jojoba oil.
The international jury was composed of Morgan Parnis, CEO and Managing Partner of Business Leaders Malta, Sabrina Mulligan, Head of Brand Growth at ICE Malta, Cain Grech, Head of Business Development at Malta Enterprise, Rasmus Wiinstedt Tscherning, Managing Director at Creative Business Network and Sevay Ipek Aydin, Creative Business Cup Turkey.
Culture Venture is the national partner of the Creative Business Cup. The lead partner of the national competition is Malta Enterprise. The event is supported by PwC Malta and Arts Council.