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Best 30 Startup Pitch Competitions in 2021 – Selected

Looking for the best pitch competitions in 2022? Check it out here


She Loves Tech Global Startup Competition 2021

#women#technology #innovation

Deadline: Passed
Prize: Providing strategic resources
Criteria: Early stage women-led or women-impact technology startups

The European Startup Prize for mobility 2021

#europe #sustainablility #mobility #innovation

Application Start: September 30, 2021
Deadline: November 30, 2021
Prize: Gold Awards winners will receive a Top Business & Legal mentoring powered by Boston Consulting Group and additional 3 millions APIs credits from TomTom.

The EUSP is an annual acceleration program that supports the 10 best European startups developing sustainable mobility innovations, with the aim of giving them the resources necessary to scale up in Europe.

Get in the ring – Global Startup Competition

#global #cleanenergy #healthtech #impact #workforce #augmentation

Deadline: Passed
Prize: A 1-year business development support with expenses covered; an investment offer up to 500K€.

One of the coolest startup competitions out there, Get in the Ring hosts different challenges across different cities starting in May, leading up to the finals, which take place on a boxing ring – literally.

Global Startup Awards 2021

#global #innovation #technology #web

Deadline: April 28, 2021
Prize: Various prizes

Global Startup Awards is the biggest independent startup ecosystem competition with the mission to find, recognize and connect the future-shapers of the digital age from all around the globe. Moreover, Global Startup Awards organizes six regional startup awards.

Central European Startup Awards 2021

#central #eastern #europe #innovation #technology

Deadline: April 28, 2021
Prize: Various prizes

Regional startup competition for startups from the following countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

South Europe Startup Awards 2021

#south #europe #innovation #technology

Deadline: April 28, 2021
Prize: Various prizes

Regional startup competition for startups from the following countries:Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain.

Nordic Startup Awards 2021

#nordics #europe #innovation #technology

Deadline: April 28, 2021
Prize: Various prizes

Regional startup competition for startups from the following countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

EuroAsian Startup Awards

#europe #asia #innovation #technology

Deadline: April 28, 2021
Prize: Various prizes

Regional startup competition for startups from the following countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine.

Southern Africa Startup Awards 2021

#southern #africa #innovation #technology

Deadline: April 28, 2021
Prize: Various prizes

Regional startup competition for startups from the following countries: Zimbabwe, Angola, Swaziland, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Botswana, Madagascar, Mauritius, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Seychelles and DRC.

Asean Startup Awards 2021

#southeast #asia #innovation #technology

Deadline: February 2, 2021
Prize: Various prizes

Regional startup competition for startups from the following countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.


EVENT COMPETITIONS

Wild Digital’s Startup Disruptor Arena 2021

#indonesia #technology #innovation

Deadline: July 30, 2021
Prize: Various Benefits
Criteria: Companies headquartered in Indonesia, in any tech-related sector and at any stage (only Founders or CEOs to present)

Infoshare Startup Contest 2021

#poland #technology #innovation

Deadline: July 31, 2021
Prize: 20K€
Criteria: Seed-stage or early-stage

Slingshot 2021

#asia #deeptech #innovation

Deadline: August 1, 2021
Prize: S$1.1M (US $800,000)
Criteria: Looking for startups in four emerging challenge sectors: Digital Technologies, Health & Wellness, Smart Cities and Sustainability, to showcase game-changing solutions and products

Slingshot is the startup competition of SWITCH 2021.

Mastermind Competition 2021

Deadline: August 9, 2021
Prize: Money & in-kind prize
Criteria: Startups in the category FinTech, DeepTech and NewSpace

Mastermind Summit is a 1-day conference taking place on the 15th of September.

Web Summit PITCH 2021

#global #technology #deeptech #innovation

Deadline: Passed
Prize: exposure to a worldwide influential audience
Criteria: PITCH is open to all startup program attendees that have received less than €3 million in funding to date and that have not discernibly changed their business model in the last three years.

PITCH is Web Summit’s startup competition, pitting the world’s leading startups head-to-head in a series of online pitching battles.

Oslo Innovation Week 100 Pitches 2021

#europe #innovation #sustainability #SDG

Deadline: August 15, 2021
Prize: Visibility and Audience
Criteria: Your startup is tackling one (or more) of the UN SDG

OIW 100 Pitches connects investors, VC’s, corporates and partners with startups working towards the UN 17 sustainable development goals.

Startup Avalanche 2021

#innovation #DeepTech #technology

Deadline: September 6, 2021
Prize: 75K€ Investment
Criteria: Early-stage startups

Powered by Techsylvania in partnership with Risky Business, Startup Avalanche is a launching platform connecting ambitious early-stage startups with experienced international VCs and investors.

Startup Avalanche is not just another pitching competition. The credo is “show, don’t (just) tell”. Whether it’s AI, SaaS, IoT, Medtech/E-health, Agritech, Ecotech, Security, VR, Legal tech, Logistics or an emerging vertical, the rules are simple: it has to prove traction, scalability, value.

Emerging Tech Pitch 2021

#malta #deeptech #innovation

Deadline: October 15, 2021
Prize: Various supporting services
Criteria: Startups based in AI, Blockchain, Quantum Tech, Big Data, and IoT

The Emerging Tech Pitch is the startup competition of the AIBC Summit in Malta. Over 100 startups will be selected to showcase their products and initiatives throughout the event.

Startups based in AI, Blockchain, Quantum Tech, Big Data, and IoT will each have a small booth at AIBC Summit Malta surrounded by investors and mentors, being invited to networking dinners as well as benefitting from online exposure.

However, the Startup pitch is only open to startups and the judges’ top ten will make it to the pitch stage during the final leg of the Summit. Increase your chance of being one of the top 100 by providing a 3-minute video-introduction upon participation.


PAST EVENT COMPETITIONS

BOOM21 Conference

#innovation #healthtech #education #media #finance #entertainment

Deadline: January 29, 2021
Prize: Top BOOM21 disruptors will be revealed on Wild Digital’s newsletter, website, media and events across Asia.
Criteria: Must be based in Southeast Asia

BOOM21 stands for Bold, Original, Outstanding Minds – in reference to Wild Digital’s vision to highlight the region’s best and to provide a platform for further dialogue and engagement.

EU-Startup Summit 2021

#europe #innovation #technology  

Deadline: March 15, 2021
Prize: Prize package with a value of roughly 85K€ and featured by EU-Startups and other publications
Criteria: Pre-seed or seed stage

4YFN Impact Awards 2021

#global #positive #impact #digital #technology #SDG

Deadline: March 17, 2021
Prize: Media coverage and onsite visibility
Criteria: Early-stage, any sector, related with digital technologies and solving one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals.

GLOMO Awards 2021

#global #mobile #technology #innovation

Deadline: March 17, 2021
Prize: Media coverage and onsite visibility
Criteria: Open to all eligible mobile industry and supporting industry companies in the broad eco-system

The GSMA’s Global Mobile Awards (GLOMO Awards) recognise and celebrate all contributions made to the evolving and developing mobile industry. Companies and organisations from all over the world are welcome to enter in the wide range of categories covering broad aspects of the mobile industry. These awards encourage and support entries which grow and enhance the mobile eco-system and advance the value of mobile communications with noticeable benefits to the wider industry.

The LVMH Innovation Award 2021

#europe #customer #journey #retail

Deadline: March 15, 2021
Prize: Media coverage and onsite visibility (VivaTech 2021)
Criteria: You are able to answer to the challenge : “The Future of Customer Experience is here”, you are a startup from early stage to growth and scale-up and your solution can be operated at a global scale.

LVMH has a profound attachment to innovation since it was founded. While the COVID-19 pandemic truly is a world-changing event, it is also a driver for digitalization and innovation. The Group strongly believes that this crisis can be turned into a stimulating environment fostering change and that the LVMH Innovation Award remains a great opportunity for startups to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit in an unpredicted economic context for them.

Fifty Founders Battle

#baltic #europe #technology #innovation

Deadline: April 1, 2021
Prize: 10K€ (Cash prize) + other valuable prizes
Criteria: All early stage startups related to FinTech, B2B, AI&ML, Sustainability, Hardware, IoT, and Robotics. No country restrictions.

Fifty Founders Battle is TechChill’s annual pitch competition. This year the main focus is on FinTech, B2B, AI&ML, Sustainability, Hardware, IoT and Robotics fields.

Network Sustainability Award 2021

#europe #technology #sustainability #energy #network

Deadline: April 5, 2021
Prize: 1st Prize: 25K€, 2nd Prize: 15K€, 3rd Prize: 10K€ (cash prizes)
Criteria: Solutions need to be on TRL (technology readiness level) 6-7 and electricity needs to be the main form of energy.

hubraum, the tech incubator of Deutsche Telekom, is looking for solutions for renewable energy production & storage and network management.

So whether you’re part of a startup, a company, or you’re simply an individual launching your own developed solution focused on network sustainability, submit your application for your chance to win the award, along with some cash prizes (the top three winners will take home 50K between them) and the opportunity to develop a proof of concept or prototype with Deutsche Telekom and its partners.

South Summit Competition 2021

#global #innovation #technology  

Deadline: April 27, 2021
Prize: $1,000,000 in Silicon Valley funding
Criteria: Any stage, industry and country

South Summit Competition brings together the most innovative startups regardless their industry, development stage and country. The competition is an excellent showcase to provide more visibility to your project, get new clients, funding, or achieve strategic partnerships. The most promising ideas and teams will be found in this edition’s pitching session.

TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2021

#global #technology #innovation #disruption

Deadline: May 13, 2021
Prize: $100K (no-equity cash prize)
Criteria: Early-stage startups

Startup Battlefield brings the world’s top early stage startups together on one stage to compete for equity free prize money, and the attention of media and investors world wide. The judges include TechCrunch editors as well as top VCs and entrepreneurs, and past winners include names like Vurb, Dropbox, Mint, Yammer and many more. Participation is entirely free and open.

Hello Tomorrow Challenge 2021

#global #DeepTech #science #challenge

Deadline: June 21, 2021
Prize: 100K€ Grand Prize for the best early-stage deep tech project & 10K€ Prize for each industry track winner
Criteria: Early-stage startups

Opportunity to pitch or showcase in front of a curated audience of renowned industry leaders & investors. Get spotted by international media, with interview opportunities.

Collision PITCH 2021

#global #technology #deeptech #innovation

Deadline: April
Prize: Visibility and Audience
Criteria: Early-stage startups

PITCH is the startup competition at Collision that brings together the world’s leading startups for an online pitching battle.

sTARTUp Day Pitching 2021

#technology #innovation

Deadline: May 31, 2021
Prize: Various prizes
Criteria: Early-stage to scale-up startups

The applications for sTARTUp Pitching Powered by EstBAN have been extended due to the festival being postponed to August 25–27, 2021. More information TBA soon.

Latitude59 Pitching Competition

#digital #technology

Deadline: July 27, 2021
Prize: 200K€ (Investment)
Criteria: Early-stage startups

EIT Digital Challenge 2021

#europe #digital #technology #health #city #finance #industry

Deadline: May 10, 2021
Prize: 100K€ (Cash prize)
Criteria: Fast-growing European technology startup that offers digital tech applied to industry, cities, wellbeing, infrastructure and finance

Startup Village 2021

#russia #technology #DeepTech

Deadline: Passed
Prize: 33K€ (Cash prize) + Prizes for the second and third place
Criteria: Technological Innovation, Competitive advantage, Quality of the Business model

IdeaLab! Pitch Battle 2021

#europe #innovation #technology #students

Deadline: Passed
Prize: Various prizes
Criteria: Pre-Seed to Series A

IdeaLab! is Europe’s premier student-led startup conference designed to connect young founders with top-tier investors and startup-interested students with forward-thinking companies.

Startups can purchase a ticket to pitch in front of the investors. After, the 8 most promising startups will be picked and have the chance to win the pitchbattle.

Cybershark Startup Competition 2021

#europe #AI #DeepTech

Deadline: Passed
Prize: $5k Oracle Cloud credits (includes 70% discount from day 1) and Startup stand at the InspiredMinds! summit of your choice (virtual or physical)
Criteria: Early stage startup in AI

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London fintech Outpost raises $17.5M Series A led by Ribbit Capital to scale its AI-powered merchant-of-record platform, simplifying cross-border payments, tax, and compliance for global merchants.

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The European fintech sector continues to attract early-stage capital, with AI-powered financial modelling emerging as a particularly active frontier for investor interest. As finance teams across high-growth organisations grapple with the limitations of static spreadsheets and fragmented planning tools, a new generation of startups is building intelligent infrastructure to replace legacy workflows. Stockholm-based Galdera Labs has now entered this space with a €1.5 million pre-seed round to develop an AI-native financial modelling platform designed for growth-stage finance teams. The funding will support platform development, reasoning infrastructure buildout, and an initial customer rollout targeting fast-growing companies with complex financial operations. Galdera’s platform combines a high-performance calculation engine with a semantic memory layer that links financial data directly to underlying business context, assumptions, and strategic decisions — enabling finance teams to query models in natural language and simulate complex scenarios in minutes rather than weeks. Klarna Veterans Back AI Financial Modelling Vision The pre-seed round was led by J12 Ventures, with participation from Antler and a roster of angel investors drawn from notable European technology companies including Klarna, DeepL, Stripe, and Plata. The investor composition reflects strong confidence in the founding team’s pedigree and the market opportunity for intelligent financial planning infrastructure. Galdera’s three co-founders — Evan Rumpza (CEO), Mattia Scolari (CFO), and Giovanni Casula (CTO) — met at Klarna during the fintech giant’s most intensive growth phase. Responsible for financial planning across 26 markets, the team experienced first-hand how manual processes and fragmented Excel models struggled to keep pace as business conditions shifted faster than traditional models could be rebuilt. To manage the complexity, they built an internal system at Klarna that replaced the static planning cycle with a continuously updated model — enabling what previously required large analyst teams to be handled by just three people, supporting the company through both capital raises and IPO preparations. The lessons learned from that experience became the foundation for Galdera Labs. “We’ve personally sat with 50 spreadsheets at two in the morning using tools that were supposed to solve the problem but didn’t. That is the infrastructure we are building with Galdera,” said Evan Rumpza, CEO and co-founder of Galdera Labs. Building AI Finance Tools for the Next Generation of CFOs The market for AI finance tools and financial modelling software is evolving rapidly as organisations demand more dynamic planning capabilities. Traditional spreadsheet-based approaches, while flexible, often create fragmented workflows where assumptions become outdated and institutional knowledge is lost between budget cycles. Galdera’s platform addresses this gap with a two-layer architecture: a powerful calculation engine capable of handling large data volumes, paired with a semantic memory layer that preserves the reasoning behind financial decisions over time. The platform is designed to function as an always-on financial forecast that automatically updates as business conditions change. Users configure scenarios once, and the model recalculates impacts across revenue, costs, margins, and other key metrics in real time. This approach positions Galdera within a growing wave of European fintech startups applying artificial intelligence not merely as an overlay on existing tools, but as a foundational redesign of how financial planning operates. With the launch, Galdera is opening its platform to its first customers: fast-growing companies and organisations with complex operations where the pace of decision-making has outgrown the tools finance teams traditionally rely on. Early adopters already include companies such as DeasyLabs, Unify, and Counsel. The pre-seed round positions Galdera Labs at an early but promising stage in a sector where demand for intelligent, context-aware financial infrastructure is accelerating across European markets. As AI continues to reshape enterprise workflows, the intersection of financial modelling and machine reasoning represents a significant opportunity for startups capable of delivering genuine operational value to scaling businesses. Summary

AevoLoop circular plastics recycling technology funding announcement with plastic waste processing
Fundraising 2 days ago

The sustainable consumer goods sector is witnessing growing investor appetite as environmentally conscious brands prove they can combine purpose with profitability. East London-based Allday Goods, the cult kitchen knife brand that transforms plastic waste into chef-quality blades, has raised £765,000 in a seed round led by FIGR Ventures to scale its operations from artisan favourite to mainstream kitchen staple. Founded in 2021 by ex-chef Hugo Worsley, Allday Goods manufactures kitchen knives with handles crafted entirely from recycled plastic waste — sourced from Maldon Salt buckets, milk bottle handles, discarded plant containers, and fishing nets washed up on British shores. The brand, which started in Worsley’s parents’ shed using a repurposed toastie maker, has already achieved profitability with minimal external investment. Products consistently sell out within minutes during online drops, and queues have formed at London pop-ups, reflecting a level of consumer demand that few sustainable brands can match at this stage. FIGR Ventures Leads Seed Round with Sustainability-Focused Backers The £765,000 round was led by FIGR Ventures, with participation from Anotherway Ventures, Machroes Holdings — the family office of Lord Mervyn Davies — and angel investor Tom Gozney, founder of the premium pizza oven brand Gozney. The investor mix signals confidence in Allday Goods’ ability to bridge the gap between sustainable manufacturing and scalable consumer product design. Allday Goods’ knives pair handles made from 100% recycled food-grade polypropylene with British and Japanese steel blades. The company collects, cleans, shreds, and remoulds plastic waste into distinctive, colourful handles that carry visible traces of their former lives — a design choice that has become central to the brand’s identity. Each knife effectively diverts plastic from landfill whilst delivering professional-grade performance. Worsley commented on the raise, noting that the team had built the brand slowly and intentionally, and that securing backing from investors they genuinely admire represents a significant milestone for the next chapter of growth. From Cult Following to Mainstream Market Opportunity Allday Goods has already demonstrated significant commercial traction without substantial marketing spend. The brand’s high-profile collaborations with Ottolenghi, Soho House, Maldon Salt, Kerrygold, and Paul Smith have positioned it at the intersection of culinary craftsmanship and design culture. Features in The World of Interiors and Esquire have further cemented its reputation among discerning consumers who value both aesthetics and environmental responsibility. The fresh capital will be deployed to scale production capacity, expand the product range, and accelerate the transition from limited-edition drops to consistent retail availability. The challenge for Allday Goods will be maintaining the artisan quality and brand mystique that fuelled its cult status whilst meeting the demands of a broader consumer base — a tension that many direct-to-consumer brands have struggled to navigate. The broader sustainable kitchenware market continues to attract both consumer interest and investor capital across Europe. As regulatory pressure on single-use plastics intensifies and consumers increasingly seek products that align with their environmental values, brands like Allday Goods that demonstrate genuine circularity in their manufacturing processes are well-positioned to capture meaningful market share. Summary Company: Allday GoodsHeadquarters: East London, United KingdomFounded: 2021Founder: Hugo WorsleyRound: SeedAmount: £765,000Lead Investor: FIGR VenturesOther Investors: Anotherway Ventures, Machroes Holdings, Tom GozneyUse of Funds: Scale production, expand product range, transition to mainstream retail availability

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