Update from John Battelle’s searchblog: Launch Pad companies are reviewed and judged by leadings VCs (Khosla Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventures, NEA, Omidyar Network, Panorama Capital, and Sequoia Capital), but there is no requirement of a “funding need.”

The goal is to honor six great private companies, not six great private companies who need funding.

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For those who may not know, Web 2.0 Summit is our thought-leadership conference, focusing on industry challenges and opportunities, highlighting in particular the business models and leaders driving the Internet economy.

In this period of global environmental concern, economic chaos, and impactful political decision-making, it’s important to understand the value we as individuals, and as innovators, can add to the world today… and to all of our future tomorrows.

So this year, conference chairs Tim O’Reilly and John Battelle (and team) are making a point to take the conversation beyond the Web, to ask the questions: How can we tap the Webits technologies, its values, and its cultureto address the world’s most pressing limits? How do we use the Web to create opportunities for a better tomorrow?

Web 2.0 Summit is the host to the original Launch Pad startup competition that we replicated at Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco 2008. This year Web 2.0 Summit announced a revised theme for Launch Pad: Fourth Edition - Web Meets World.

What does that mean?

On November 6th, six startups will get the opportunity to pitch their company in front of the Web 2.0 Summit audiencethe top executives, financiers, press, and analysts in the Internet industry. This will take place on the Summit main stage alongside a panel of esteemed VC judges, with real-time VC and audience feedback.

The focus will be twofold:

First, on startups in the fields of alternative energies, social entreprenuerialism, microfinance, developing economies, political action, renewable technologies, and the like.

And secondly, we’re interested in companies addressing where the Web literally meets the world: mobility, mapping and geolocation, sensor networks - anything where the Web and the real world intersect.

Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, October 1st.

Note: Please do take time to consider if you truly fit the category before presenting your submission.

There is no fee for companies involved, instead, our VC panel will be sponsoring the program.

Tags: launch pad, web2summit

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