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Road to
STARTÂ SUMMIT 2026
The future belongs to those bold enough to build it.
Apply for the Pitch Competition
The future belongs to those bold enough to build it.
Apply for the Pitch Competition
The Road to START Summit (RtSS) is START Lisbon’s annual flagship startup pitching competition, bringing together 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 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 (March 18-19, 2027).
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START Lisbon will be the stage for the second edition in Lisbon of the Startup World Cup. The Startup World Cup is a global competition between startups that seeks to connect ecosystems around the world and boost the most outstanding entrepreneurs. 10 finalists will be selected, who will pitch 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 November 6, 2027 in San Francisco. There, you will pitch again and compete to win the Startup World Cup with a prize of $1mn  in investment!
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Building a great startup is only half the journey.
The right people, conversations, and opportunities can make all the difference.
Road to START Summit gives you a chance to put your venture in front of people who can challenge your thinking, open doors, and help you move faster. Get meaningful feedback from experienced experts, connect with investors and potential partners, sharpen your pitch, and build relationships with a community that understands what it takes to turn an ambitious idea into a real business.
If you’re ready to take your startup seriously, this is a room worth being in.
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There are three conditions to be able to participate: Â
a) It has to be profitable
b) It must be a legal entity (an incorporated company Â
c) Â It may have received investment or not, but it may not have gone public (it may be in the pre-IPO stage)
There are no other conditions, apart from these three mentioned above.  There are no restrictions on the industry in which it is operating. By “startup” we mean the concept commonly used in the United States: a technology-based or innovative company (not just in IT), in its early-stage or scale-up phase, with high scalability potential and rapid development dynamics. It is expected to be an operational company with ambitions for expansion.
No, applying to Road to START Summit is free. Simply complete the application form and submit your startup for consideration.
Complete the form at this link. Please note that you must complete the form and provide all information in English.
Below you can find the details of the registration form, with the questions you must answer (download here).
You can find a pitch guide at this link.
Additionally, you can find guidance on recommended topics to cover in your pitch in this video. Â
All information included in the registration must be in English. The product demo or presentation video is optional and should not exceed 4 minutes. The video aims to improve understanding of the company or product, especially if it is difficult to explain. Adding a video does not increase the chances of being selected.
Around 10 startups will be selected to pitch at the Road to START Summit.
Each startup will have approximately 4 minutes to pitch and 2 minutes for Q&A.
The winner gets to pitch at START Summit in St. Gallen (18–19 March 2027) and compete at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco (6 November 2027) for a chance to win a $1 million investment prize.
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.
