Keep in mind after we stated the prize bundle for this 12 months’s EU-Startups Summit Pitch Competitors was price greater than €622k? Effectively, since then, we have now added new companions, extra credit, and extra alternatives, pushing the entire prize worth to over €1 million.
Sure, you learn that proper!
Because the EU-Startups Summit 2026 approaches, happening on Might 7 and eight in Malta, the competitors to safe one of many fifteen finalist spots is heating up. With greater than 1,600 purposes anticipated, this 12 months’s Pitch Competitors is shaping as much as be essentially the most aggressive one we have now ever hosted! And with an excellent stronger prize bundle now on the desk, the incentives for early-stage founders simply obtained considerably greater.
A reminder of what’s at stake
The successful startup will profit from, amongst different issues:
- €250k Funding Alternative with Look AI Ventures. The winner will get fast-tracked and invited to pitch straight in entrance of Look AI Ventures‘ funding committee, and after the due diligence course of, there will probably be a funding alternative of as much as €250k.
- $220k Funding Alternative with Techstars. The winner will probably be fast-tracked for a precedence interview to hitch Techstars. This ensures that the startups’ marketing strategy will probably be reviewed by the Techstars funding workforce and essentially the most related program managing director. Following a constructive due diligence course of, the startup could have the chance to hitch a Techstars accelerator programme, together with a $220k funding.
- As much as €434k in Funding from Malta Venture Capital, matching the funding of Look AI Ventures and/or Techstars, if the successful startup is both based mostly in Malta, open to relocate to Malta or contemplating a subsidiary in Malta.
- As much as €100k in Cloud Credit from IONOS to help your startups’ internet hosting and scaling wants with a trusted European cloud supplier.
- $24k in Credit from Cyscale. The successful startup will obtain cloud safety credit to observe and safe its cloud setting, serving to to detect misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and potential threats.
- $24k Draper University scholarship (as much as 2 co-founders, $12k per founder), together with a assured interview with the Draper College choice committee and funding fund and, upon choice, a full scholarship protecting the programme prices, with lodging and co-working house within the coronary heart of Silicon Valley. Flights, visas, and private bills not included.
- $12k in Credit from LUA AI to construct an AI agent that helps automate duties and interactions.
- Achieve €12k in worth at Make, together with €6k in Credit (Make Groups, 3.6m credit) and €6k in session providers, to construct no-code automated workflows utilizing Make’s visible automation platform.
- As much as $12k in Credit from Notion (6 months free Enterprise Plan with limitless AI), entry to Notion Perks (unique reductions on different software program) and to Notion Champions Community.
- 90% low cost on HubSpot for Startups Professional Suite (price as much as $25k), together with entry to HubSpot’s Free CRM and Gross sales, Advertising, and Operations instruments. The prize additionally features a $1,000 matched credit score for LinkedIn and Google Advertisements through HubSpot, in addition to as much as $150,000 in financial savings from HubSpot partners. T&C apply.
- €10k in JetBrains licenses for important improvement and workforce instruments, together with award-winning instruments similar to IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, and JetBrains AI, trusted by 50,000+ startups worldwide.
- €10k in Remote Credit to help worldwide hiring and assist groups entry world expertise. Credit legitimate for 12 months.
- €9,900 D-ID Video Maker Enterprise plan, 5-user bundle with one 12 months of free use.
- €5k in worth for an exhibition desk on the EU-Startups Summit 2027, together with 3 occasion tickets, and a 3-year CLUB membership.
Who can apply?
- Startups in pre-Seed or Seed stage
- Lower than 3 years outdated, with no or lower than €750k enterprise capital raised
- Based mostly in Europe (EU or UK, Norway, Switzerland, and so forth.)
Fifteen finalists will probably be chosen to pitch reside on the primary stage in Malta, in entrance of an skilled investor jury and a big viewers of founders, traders, corporates, and media.
Take part
You can apply via this link. After that, we are going to fastidiously sift by means of all the purposes and hand-pick the finalists who will be part of us on the primary stage at this 12 months’s EU-Startups Summit on Might 7-8 in Malta, the place they may pitch for 3 minutes in entrance of our jury and an enormous viewers of traders, media, and startup fanatics. Purposes shut on 8 February, so make sure that to use in time!
OUR EVENT SPONSORS

Malta Enterprise is Malta’s financial improvement company, facilitating financial development, funding, and innovation by providing a variety of help providers for native and overseas enterprises establishing a productive presence in Malta. As a key participant in Malta’s financial panorama, it contributes to the nation’s prosperity by attracting investments, supporting companies, and driving innovation, thereby reinforcing Malta’s place as a horny vacation spot for entrepreneurs and traders alike. Malta Enterprise actively cultivates a vibrant startup ecosystem, taking part in a pivotal function in fostering a conducive setting for startups and providing tailor-made help and incentives to empower rising companies.

M. Demajo Group is a number one enterprise participant in Malta, with a profitable historical past spanning 115 years. The Group’s development and diversification have resulted in a large protection of enterprise sectors by means of a dedication to long-term outcomes.
M. Demajo Group’s workforce is 500 sturdy, and their numerous actions have been developed by means of natural development, acquisitions, partnerships, and startups. Its sturdy monetary scenario and moral requirements, its enterprise status, and its famend observe document as a enterprise accomplice are all key elements in its continued enlargement.

The IONOS Cloud Start-up Program offers younger corporations with as much as €100,000 in cloud credit for as much as 5 years after their founding. Begin-ups profit from a sovereign IT infrastructure “Made in Germany,” providing 100% GDPR compliance and full authorized certainty. IONOS Cloud ensures technological freedom with out vendor lock-in. Lengthy-term help can be ensured: unique reductions after the primary 12 months allow a seamless transition into the IONOS Cloud ISV Associate Program. On this method, digital sovereignty turns into a strategic aggressive benefit from founding to scaling.

