Last Updated on: 10th October 2025, 05:23 pm
$400,000 prize pool for innovative product ideas at CoCreate Europe event on 14 November
Alibaba.com has announced that Rio Ferdinand OBE and Sara Davies MBE will lead the judging panel at CoCreate Pitch, a new international competition to support emerging product-based start-ups. The event will take place in London on 14 November as part of Alibaba.com’s first CoCreate Europe conference.
Ferdinand, a former Manchester United player turned entrepreneur, and Davies, known for her role on Dragons’ Den, will join a panel that includes representatives from the UK, Germany, France and the US. Everette Taylor, CEO of Kickstarter, will also sit on the judging panel. Kickstarter is the official crowdfunding partner of the competition.
Thirty finalists will present their ideas live to the judges, with ten winners receiving up to $20,000 in prizes. One overall winner will receive $200,000 to support the development of their product, with a total prize pool of $400,000 available.
The London edition marks the first time Alibaba.com’s CoCreate event will be held in Europe. The competition has previously taken place in Las Vegas, bringing together small and medium-sized enterprises from around the world.
Ferdinand said: “On the pitch I learnt the value of ambition, fresh ideas and determination, and those same qualities have guided me in building a successful business career. As a judge at CoCreate Pitch, I’m looking forward to sharing those experiences and supporting the next generation of product-based start-ups in Europe.”
Davies added: “I’ve spent several years spotting new business ideas and helping to turn them into a reality, so being asked to judge Alibaba.com’s CoCreate Pitch competition felt like a perfect fit. There is a lot of untapped potential amongst Europe’s entrepreneurs, and I’m keen to hear fresh product ideas and help to kickstart new businesses.”
Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Rio and Sara as judges to CoCreate Pitch at the inaugural CoCreate Europe conference in London in November. We look forward to welcoming SMEs from across the continent to join us in person at the event, and are excited to bring this conference to Europe for the first time.”
The event will feature keynote sessions, panel discussions and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs, manufacturers and investors. Attendees will also gain access to Alibaba.com’s supplier network, sourcing tools and trade assurance services, designed to support SMEs in building reliable supply chains and expanding internationally.
More information is available at https://www.alibabacocreate.com/.
