The most founder-focused event on the planet

We know building companies is hard work. That’s why we’ve dedicated our event to making it just a little bit easier for you. Whether you’re looking for investor meetings, on-stage visibility, or founder friends to vent with, we’ve got you covered.

At Slush, you can pack months worth of VC meetings, sales calls, and growth efforts into just three days—leaving you more time back in the office to focus on building. Join Slush, and you’ll be able to clear out your event calendar for all of Q4.

Activities

Slush 100 – €500,000 equity free

The largest equity-free amount in a startup competition, ever. Free runway, money to experiment, no strings attached, no reporting burden, no ties, but win in front of 10,000 people and return to Slush 2027 as a main stage speaker.

Slush 2026 bets on the best startup.

Learn more and apply.

Slush 20U20

Together with Index Ventures, Anthropic, and Sifted, we’re launching Slush 20 Under 20.

This November 16–19, we’ll bring together 20 young outliers with the potential to shake up the world.

Flights, accommodation, and unprecedented access are on us.

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Know an outlier? Put them on our map by Sep 7: nominations here.

Day 0 for Founders

Slush Week for founders starts already on Day 0 (Nov 17). Here's what we have for you the day before the Main Event.
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Hardware Foundry

Our flagship event for builders and backers in hardware. Taking place on Day 0 from 10 AM - 1 PM, Hardware Foundry brings together founders and investors for product demos, curated stage talks, and conversations on building the next generation of European hardware.

Founder Dawn

Early-stage founder? We've got you covered. Taking place on Day 0 from 6 - 9 PM, Founder Dawn brings together early-stage founders for an evening of practical advice with in-depth Q&As, industry-specific networking, and founder-to-founder support.

Sauna & Ice-dipping

It doesn’t get more Slushy than this. Start your Day 0 week with founders & investors plunging into ice-cold water, and then warm up with a Finnish sauna.

360º Pitching

Life science founders, we've got something special for you. 360º pitching is your unique opportunity to pitch to life science investors in Helsinki SkyWheel, followed by an hour of networking.

Founders Party

There's no Day 0 without a party. Taking place in the evening of Day 0 from 9 PM - 12 AM, Founders Party is the largest founder-only gathering during Slush Week. Expect good music, better energy, and the best company.
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Registrations now open on the Slush Platform!

Investor Office Hours

Want to meet a VC fund? Spots are open to Slush ticket holders, and they’re filling up fast.

These 75-minute sessions are hosted by VCs and offer an easy way to meet investors and learn from experienced founders in an intimate, closed-door setting during the Slush Main Event on Nov 18–19.

Learn more and register on the Slush Platform!

Matchmaking Sprints

Get in front of VCs and CVCs year-round on the Slush Platform.

Startups that apply to the Matchmaking Sprint become visible to participating investors in a dedicated tab on the Slush Platform. We also promote participating startups to investors via email.

Investors then handpick the startups they’d like to meet. Slush schedules the calls and sends the final meeting invites for 15-minute 1:1 meetings.

Please note that Slush does not control the investor selection or handle rescheduling if a meeting needs to be changed.

Learn more and apply

Startup Booths

5 m² exhibition space in the prime spot in front of Startup Stage to showcase your product and generate leads. We’ve had actual deals closed at the Startup Booth.

Booths are priced €1,500 for one day and €3,000 for two. Any startup at Series A or earlier can apply. Applications are non-binding, and the deadline to apply is Aug 31.

We'll be in touch with all applicants by the end of September.

Applications are up on Slush Platform!

Startup Stage

We have an entire stage for the most promising early-stage founders from Seed to Series A. Anton Osika launched Lovable on this stage in 2024, similar to how Markus Villig pitched Bolt in their early days. We give future unicorns 10 minutes to pitch, demo, or do both.

Apply by Aug 31 here.

Speaker Mentoring

Our speakers are some of the most accomplished founders, operators, and investors in the startup ecosystem. Speaking at Slush, they're giving back to the ecosystem and helping the next generation of founders. On top of speaking on stage, they host 30–45 minute Q&A mentoring sessions for founders.

More information on sessions hosted and how to get involved to come in the fall.

Science to Scale

Built for researchers taking their first steps from lab to company. Free with a Slush Pass. Hosted Day 2 morning at the largest side event venue.

The agenda brings everything that matters into one session. The launch of the European Spinout Report 2026, a curated panel discussion (tbd), pitches from proof-of-concept research projects, and networking between research teams, universities, research centers, deep tech investors, and spinouts.

Participants are carefully selected to ensure every person in the room is worth meeting.

Want to suggest a research project to pitch on stage? Reach out to philipp.cordes@slush.org.

Female Founder Breakfast

A curated gathering of female founders for peer support, honest conversations, and good breakfast on Day 2 (Nov 19).

Registration opening in the fall.

360° Pitching

A high-impact Day 0 (Nov 17) side event for Life Science founders to pitch directly to leading VCs from the Helsinki SkyWheel, with the city skyline as your backdrop. The pitches are followed by networking at the adjacent restaurant.

Learn more and apply on the Slush Platform!