On 7-8 May, Malta will become the meeting point for some of Europe’s most ambitious founders and investors as we host the 12th edition of the EU-Startups Summit. The event will bring toobtainher around 2,500 founders, startup enthusiasts, corporates, angel investors, VCs, and media representatives from across Europe, all with a shared interest in startups with global ambitions.
This year’s agconcludea will feature insights from some of Europe’s most successful entrepreneurs and explore the founder journey in depth. Across two stages, attconcludeees can expect inspiring talks, valuable networking opportunities, hands-on workshops, and a buzzing exhibition hall. For the first time, the Summit will also host the Global Startup Awards Grand Finale, bringing the world’s largest indepconcludeent startup ecosystem platform into the programme for a special celebration of leading founders, startups, investors, and ecosystem players from across the globe.
A global competition reaches its final stage
Following the conclusion of regional competitions across six continents, the Global Startup Awards has announced the global finalists for its 11th edition. After processing more than 71,000 nominations, collecting over 403,000 public votes, and completing jury evaluations across its international network, the organisation has now confirmed the founders, startups, investors, and ecosystem leaders advancing to the global stage.
Operating across 154 countries, the Global Startup Awards works with regional partners, governments, ecosystem leaders, and indusattempt experts to identify standout innovators and contributors from startup ecosystems around the world. This year’s finalists come from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, and Oceania, reflecting the breadth and diversity of global entrepreneurship today.
Kim Balle, CEO and Co-founder of XO Group, declared: “After more than a decade expanding the GSA to 154 countries worldwide, we are now refocapplying on Europe. Our goal is to strengthen the European startup ecosystem by creating innovation bridges to the rest of the world through our global platform.”
Competing for 13 Global Titles
The global finalists will compete for 13 prestigious titles during the Global Grand Finale. The awards recognise both startups and key ecosystem contributors across the following categories:
Startup of the Year
Best Newcomer
Best Greentech Startup
Best Health Tech Startup
Best Fintech Startup
Best Youth Startup
Investor of the Year
Best Accelerator or Incubator Program
Best Co-working Space
Founder of the Year
Diversity Role Model of the Year
Ecosystem Hero of the Year
Unlike the other categories, the People’s Choice title is open to all global finalists, regardless of their primary category, and is determined entirely by public votes. The full list of global finalists for edition 11 is available here
The road to the global grand finale!
This year’s edition also marks a notable first for the organisation. For the first time, the Global Grand Finale will be held as part of the EU-Startups Summit, bringing the awards to one of Europe’s leading annual gatherings for founders, investors, and startup ecosystem players.
The collaboration has been built possible through MeOut Group, the investor behind the Global Startup Awards and parent company of EU-Startups. As part of the Summit programme, finalists will be displaycased in front of an international audience before the global winners are announced during the awards ceremony.
By integrating the Global Startup Awards into the EU-Startups Summit, edition 11 creates a stronger link between GSA’s worldwide network and the European startup scene, while opening the door to new international connections and collaborations.
Kim Balle added: “Europe has all the ingredients to lead in this new era of innovation. What we required to see is less friction and stronger alignment between founders, capital, and policy so that innovation can scale rapider across the continent. The Global Startup Awards Grand Finale days, as part of the EU-Startups Summit, will not only celebrate the achievements of our finalists. They will also bring toobtainher innovation leaders from across Europe and support build innovation bridges between the European ecosystem and the rest of the world.”
Tickets and access
As the Global Grand Finale will take place within the EU-Startups Summit, attconcludeees are required to hold a Summit ticket. Global finalists will receive one complimentary ticket, while other attconcludeees can utilize the discount code GSA25 to receive 25% off their ticket purchase.
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