Estonia is ready to open 2025 with a traditional startup gathering, sTARTup Day. This means early-stage startups seeking to accelerate their growth have a compelling opportunity ahead: the sTARTUp Pitching competition, which offers over €550,000 in investments and prizes.
The competition, which takes place in Tartu, South Estonia, will showcase innovative startups in front of more than 3,500 attendees, including investors, potential clients, partners, and international media. And now is the time to apply.
Investment opportunities
The competition features three major investment prizes:
- Up to €200,000 from an EstBAN-led angel syndicate, which has previously invested €2.7M in successful startups like VSight, Jeff App, and Fractory
- Up to €200,000 deep tech investment from Baltic Sandbox Ventures, targeting innovations in DeepTech and Life Science
- A guaranteed €140,000 investment from Opus11, known for backing promising companies like Katana, VOOL, and Clean Kitchen
Beyond direct investments, selected startups can win:
- €10,000 equity-free cash from Swedbank
- €10,000 in legal support from Sorainen, an award-winning international law firm
- Up to €100,000 in cloud services from OVHcloud’s Startup Program
- €6,000 in legal support and pitch deck legal proofing from Triniti
Who should apply
The competition welcomes startups from all verticals, including DeepTech products (Estonia’s new booming sector!), banking industry innovations, hardware solutions, and sustainability-focused ventures.
Ideal candidates should have a live product with demonstrated traction or feedback, supported by a strong team and investment readiness. However, startups not yet ready for investment are still encouraged to apply, as they can compete for other valuable prizes.
Selected TOP30 teams will receive professional pitching training from David Beckett before the competition, ensuring they can present their ventures effectively.
Competition Timeline
- Application Deadline: December 17, 2024
- TOP30 Announcement: December 23, 2024
- Pitching Training: Early January 2025
- Preliminary Pitching: January 30, 2025
- Finals and Winner Announcement: January 31, 2025
Ready to invest instead? Fill out our e-Consulting form, and one of our investment advisors will get in touch.
