Palmki selected for Slush 2021! – Setting the scene for an international expansion.

Palmki is delighted to announce it is selected for Slush 2021. Slush is ‘the world’s leading start up event’, and will take place on December 1 & 2 in Helsinki (Finland). As a Belgian startup in Biometric authentication technologies (with hand geometry), a selection for Slush is a major step in the business development of  Palmki.

“It shows Palmki is considered to be an innovating startup that offers a high tech Biometric palm solution for the security needs of today”, says Palmki Managing Director Wim Van De Putte in this interview.

Congratulations, Wim. But, first of all: what is Slush?

Slush is one of the biggest startup events in the world. Over two days, around 25.000 people will attend this event. It’s the place to be for each startup that matters. That means it’s the perfect platform for a startup to meet and connect with peers and other startups, but.. also with business angels and investors.

So actually Slush is the biggest event of creatives in the tech sector. And what makes it extra special for us: it’s very difficult to get invited to slush (the only way to get in for a startup).

How did Palmki get that selection?

In Flanders, it’s the government institution Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT) that oversees the procedure. They have a stand at slush and can nominate Flemish startups to be part of the event. As a startup you need to file an application to be selected by FIT.

In that application you need to present your company and product. They do a check of the team that is working for the startup, and you need to show where you as a company can make the difference.

Once that is done, FIT chooses the companies they believe most in. So, we see it as a huge compliment. Flanders Investment and Trade is a big and trustworthy label in Flanders. They stand for quality. It is a great recognition when they select you as one of the startups that can join.

Why is Slush so important for startups?

It’s different. It’s not “just a tech fair”. It’s big scale, but still very intimate. They create a platform where you don’t need to do a big sales pitch, but where you can present your product in a very qualitative manner.

However.. out of all the selected companies, the 100 most promising startups will be selected by a slush jury. They get the opportunity to do a more elaborate pitch. Out of those 100, another 20 will be selected. They can do that pitch on the big slush stage, in front of those 25.000 visitors. And out of those 20 the jury will chose 3 finalists, that can pitch in front of the investors and business angels.

So, it’s more than just a fair. You get mentoring and feedback. It’s a great opportunity. And you can get a rocket start if you have a promising startup.

What is Palmki planning to do and show at Slush?

We will be part of the Flanders Investment and Trade stand. We can use one of their demo boots. So we will be presenting our demo box and more information. We will get a spot that offers us the chance to show how our biometric recognition of the hand works.

The timing is perfect for us. We have been working very hard to create a demo box that easily shows how Palmki works. We can use it to take interested people through the whole (very easy) Palmki hand scan procedure. We will scan visitors hand palm vein pattern and register them, so they can use their hand palm to open a lock only seconds later.

Palmki is the most comfortable, easy and trustworthy biometric technology. We already see now that it’s easier to explain potential clients how our biometric identification system works. People need to experience it, before they can believe it. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Why is this so important for Palmki?

Because running a startup is like being a missionary. You need to gain trust and convince people that your product is innovative and that it works. Too often people hesitate to use innovations, because they are not used to them yet. Definitely for us this is a challenge; we work (safely) with biometric information. That biometric data is stored in a biometric database. It’s hash-coded and impossible to duplicate (and GDPR compliant), but that message only comes across when people can experience the easiness of our biometric system for access controls themselves.

That’s what we expect from Slush: meeting people, letting them experience our product. Showing that there is a good reason to be interested in Palmki. We want to show them Palmki is not just a technology, it’s an all in solution.

And of course, besides giving lots of people the pudding to eat, the marketing value of getting in the final stages of the jury selection is incredible. So we really need to try to make the difference.

At this moment Palmki is mainly active in Belgium. Is this the sign to go international?

Well, the stage at slush indeed is very international. The 25.000 visitors come from countries all over the world.

But it indeed is part of our strategy. Together with #NotOnlyIdeas (a European Business accelerator) we have been building an international approach. This partnership is focused on exploring the international possibilities for Palmki. The goal is to grow in Europe first. For us it was already a recognition that a partner like #NotOnlyIdeas believes in the future of our Biometric Authentication System.

So indeed, we are exploring our options outside of Belgium. And therefore this Slush event comes at the perfect timing!

Get a taste and watch the Slush 2019 aftermovie!