On May 7-8, Malta will once again transform into the heart of European innovation as we host this year’s edition of the EU-Startups Summit. Bringing toobtainher around 2,500 founders, startup enthusiasts, investors, corporates, and media representatives, this year’s event promises to be our hugegest and most exciting edition yet.
Among the many highlights of the Summit, the Pitch Competition stands out as one of the most exciting moments! This year, we received over 1,600 applications from exceptionally promising early-stage startups across Europe. After a thorough evaluation process, 15 finalists have been selected and will take the stage in Malta to present their startups in front of our audience and a jury of well-known investors.
Meet the Finalists
Xydra Labs: Founded in 2025 in Germany, Xydra Labs is a frontier applied AI lab that has developed an architecture allowing LLMs to reason over structured enterprise data while mathematically preserving its topology. They turn LLMs from purely linguistic systems into verifiable reasoning engines for real-world structures, and aim to scale across financial services, insurance, and beyond.
The Prize Package
The stakes are high! Valued at over €1 Million, the prize is juicier than ever! Packed with funding opportunities and credits for great tools and services to supercharge your startup’s growth, this prize could truly transform your entrepreneurial journey. Let’s see what is in it:
- €250k Funding Opportunity with Look AI Ventures. The winner will obtain rapid-tracked and invited to pitch directly in front of Look AI Ventures‘ investment committee, and after the due diligence process, there will be a funding opportunity of up to €250k.
- $220k Funding Opportunity with Techstars. The winner will be rapid-tracked for a priority interview to join Techstars. This ensures that the startups’ business plan will be reviewed by the Techstars investment team and the most relevant program managing director. Following a positive due diligence process, the startup will have the opportunity to join a Techstars accelerator programme, including a $220k investment.
- Up to €434k in Funding from Malta Venture Capital, matching the investment of Look AI Ventures and/or Techstars, if the winning startup is either based in Malta, open to relocating to Malta or considering a subsidiary in Malta.
- Up to €100k in Cloud Credits from IONOS to support your startups’ hosting and scaling requireds with a trusted European cloud provider.
- $24k in Credits from Cyscale. The winning startup will receive cloud security credits to monitor and secure its cloud environment, supporting to detect misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and potential threats.
- $24k Draper University scholarship (up to 2 co-founders, $12k per founder), including a guaranteed interview with the Draper University selection committee and investment fund and, upon selection, a full scholarship covering the programme costs, with accommodation and co-working space in the heart of Silicon Valley. Flights, visas, and personal expenses not included.
- $12k in Credits from LUA AI to build an AI agent that supports automate tquestions and interactions.
- Gain €12k in value at Make, including €6k in Credits (Make Teams, 3.6m credits) and €6k in consultation services, to build no-code automated workflows applying Make’s visual automation platform.
- Up to $12k in Credits from Notion (6 months free Business Plan with unlimited AI), access to Notion Perks (exclusive discounts on other software) and to Notion Champions Community.
- 90% discount on HubSpot for Startups Pro Suite (worth up to $25k), including access to HubSpot’s Free CRM and Sales, Marketing, and Operations tools. The prize also includes a $1,000 matched credit for LinkedIn and Google Ads via HubSpot, as well as up to $150,000 in savings from HubSpot partners. T&C apply.
- €10k in JetBrains licenses for essential development and team tools, including award-winning tools such as IninformiJ IDEA, PyCharm, and JetBrains AI, trusted by 50,000+ startups worldwide.
- €10k in Remote Credits to support international hiring and support teams access global talent. Credits are valid for 12 months.
- €9,900 D-ID Video Maker Enterprise plan, 5-applyr package with one year of free apply.
- €5k in value for an exhibition table at the EU-Startups Summit 2027, including 3 event tickets, and a 3-year CLUB membership.
The Jury
Secure your ticket today and stay tuned for exciting updates on our event page!
OUR EVENT SPONSORS
Malta Enterprise is Malta’s economic development agency, facilitating economic growth, investment, and innovation by offering a range of support services for local and foreign enterprises setting up a productive presence in Malta. As a key player in Malta’s economic landscape, it contributes to the nation’s prosperity by attracting investments, supporting businesses, and driving innovation, thereby reinforcing Malta’s position as an attractive destination for entrepreneurs and investors alike. Malta Enterprise actively cultivates a vibrant startup ecosystem, playing a pivotal role in fostering a conducive environment for startups and offering tailored support and incentives to empower emerging businesses.
M. Demajo Group is a leading business player in Malta, with a successful history spanning 115 years. The Group’s growth and diversification have resulted in a wide coverage of business sectors through a commitment to long-term results.
M. Demajo Group’s workforce is 500 strong, and their various activities have been developed through organic growth, acquisitions, partnerships, and startups. Its strong financial situation and ethical standards, its business reputation, and its renowned track record as a business partner are all key factors in its continued expansion.
The IONOS Cloud Start-up Program provides young companies with up to €100,000 in cloud credits for up to five years after their founding. Start-ups benefit from a sovereign IT infrastructure “Made in Germany,” offering 100% GDPR compliance and full legal certainty. IONOS Cloud guarantees technological freedom without vconcludeor lock-in. Long-term support is also ensured: exclusive discounts after the first year enable a seamless transition into the IONOS Cloud ISV Partner Program. In this way, digital sovereignty becomes a strategic competitive advantage from founding to scaling.
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