The Road to START Summit is the annual pitch event presented by START Lisbon, a dynamic platform that brings together students, innovative startups, and visionary investors.
Apply for the Pitch Competition
The Road to START Summit (RtSS) is START Lisbon’s annual flagship startup pitching competition, bringing together some of Lisbon’s most promising early-stage startups for a high-energy showcase of innovation and ambition. Whether you’re a founder, investor, industry leader, or aspiring entrepreneur, RtSS offers the perfect stage to discover bold ideas, connect with the startup ecosystem, and celebrate the next generation of European startups.
As part of the START Network tradition, every chapter hosts its own RtSS, where selected startups compete for the opportunity to pitch at START Summit 2027 in St. Gallen (18-19 2027), alongside thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators from across Europe. The winning startup will also earn the opportunity to compete at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco for a chance to win a $1 million investment prize.
START Lisbon will be the stage for the second edition in Lisbon of the Startup World Cup, organized by START Lisbon.
‍Startup World Cup is a global competition between startups that seeks to connect ecosystems around the world and boost the most outstanding entrepreneurs. It is a startup pitch competition, in which 10 finalists will be selected, who will be able to give their presentation on the main stage of START Lisbon in front of the jury.
The winner will have the right to participate in the semi-final competition which will be held on 6 November 2027 in San Francisco (USA). There, you can pitch again and compete to advance to the final and win the Startup World Cup with a prize of $1 million in investment!
Visit the Startup World Cup website.
The Road to START Summit is a series of events organized by START chapters throughout the Globe. These events serve as warm-up gatherings leading up to the START Summit, which will be held in St. Gallen on March 20 and 21, 2025. The goal of these events is to identify a promising startup that will represent START Lisbon at the START Summit and pitch their startup in St. Gallen.
We are happy to connect with students passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship of all backgrounds, as well as partners open to collaboration with driven students and looking for stellar talent in Lisbon’s ecosystem.
