And that’s a wrap! The 2026 edition of the EU-Startups Summit has officially come to a close. Over two action-packed days in Malta, and about 2,400 founders, investors, and startup enthusiasts came together to exchange ideas, find inspiration, and make meaningful connections.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us in sunny Malta – your energy and enthusiasm made this our biggest and most exciting edition yet!
The Pitch Competition received over 1,600 applications from some of the most promising early-stage startups in Europe. After a thorough and competitive selection process, 15 exceptional finalists were invited to pitch on our main stage for a chance to win a prize package worth over €1 million (wow!) and the coveted title of Pitch Competition Champion.
The Prize Package
This year’s stakes were high! Valued at over €1 million, the prize was juicier than ever! Packed with funding opportunities and credits for great tools and services to supercharge a startup’s growth, this prize was set to transform the winner’s entrepreneurial journey. Let’s see what was in it:
- €250k Funding Opportunity with Look AI Ventures. The winner will get fast-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 fast-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 needs 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, helping 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 helps automate tasks 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 using 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 IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, and JetBrains AI, trusted by 50,000+ startups worldwide.
- €10k in Remote Credits to support international hiring and help teams access global talent. Credits are valid for 12 months.
- €9,900 D-ID Video Maker Enterprise plan, 5-user package with one year of free use.
- €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
The selected teams received valuable feedback from a jury of well-known venture capital investors. This year’s judging panel included:
Pitching on the Main Stage
From CleanTech and DroneTech to HealthTech and AI, the 15 finalists represented the diverse, bold future of European innovation.
The startups that took the stage were: Agilica, Agnia Aerospace, AlterEcho, Arclight Aerospace, Asvel, Cooled Motors, DAITABLE, eMomentum, Entrelacs, Muun Health, Snoika, Systellar Space, Vecify, Warden Machinery, and Xydra Labs.
Each pitch delivered unique ideas, powerful missions, and scalable solutions, making the jury’s decision harder than ever. The level of competition was sky-high, and the Maltese sun wasn’t the only thing generating heat!
And the winner is … AlterEcho!
Founded in 2025 in Denmark, AlterEcho is developing a robotic embodiment platform for the life sciences sector, combining robotic avatars and AI agents to support remote work in cleanrooms and hazardous environments. Its technology aims to remove the risk of human contamination from pharmaceutical and medical settings, helping operators carry out complex procedures with dexterity, spatial awareness, and zero physical presence inside controlled environments.
AlterEcho enables skilled professionals to control robotic avatars from outside cleanrooms through immersive interfaces. The platform supports tasks such as pipetting, plate handling, microscopy preparation, sterile compounding, and hazardous sample preparation, while integrating common laboratory tools, fixtures, and task-specific end-effectors where needed.
Rather than replacing human operators, AlterEcho changes how they work. Operators remain in control from a console, with the ability to oversee and take over procedures instantly. The system records commands, motions, images, timings, and robot observations, allowing repeated procedures to gain assistive automation over time and creating a path towards increasingly autonomous workflows.
The company serves pharmaceutical manufacturers, specialty laboratories, and clinical settings working in aseptic processing, radiopharma, infectious disease, vaccine R&D, sterile compounding, and ATMPs. Founded by a team with experience building FDA-approved robotics and AI at Novo Nordisk, AlterEcho is backed by Techstars and Innovation Fund Denmark and was also the winner of the SXSW Pitch Competition 2026.
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 vendor 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.
