Key facts
- Type
- Competition
- Deadline
- 12/17/2026
In short
Startup Day Pitching is an early-stage startup competition in Estonia with significant investment and prize opportunities. Applications close November 7, 2026.
Startup Day
CompetitionAccepting applications nowApply by 12/17/202652 days left
Up to €200,000 EstBAN-led syndicate investment
Investment Opportunity
Up to €200,000 deep tech investment from BSV
Investment Opportunity
€10,000 equity-free cash from Swedbank
Cash Prize
€10,000 legal support from Sorainen
Legal Support
Pitch deck legal proofing & €6,000 legal support from Triniti
Legal Support
Up to $25k in AWS credits for finalists, and AWS credits for all applicants from Spendbase
Cloud Services
Annual license for DataVie GDPR Compliance Tool (worth up to €5,000)
Tool Access
Mentorship and advisory worth €120k from Values360Ventures
Mentorship
Pitching training for TOP30 teams
Training
Opportunity to pitch in front of 3000 attendees including investors, clients, partners, and media
Visibility
Overview
sTARTUp Pitching is a key event at sTARTUp Day, a business festival designed to connect early-stage startups with potential investors, clients, partners, and international media. The competition seeks out promising startups ready to advance their fundraising goals for 2026. Participants gain visibility and the opportunity to be recognized among leading startups in the region. The competition is open to startups across all verticals, including DeepTech, banking, hardware, and those focused on achieving Sustainable Development Goals. While investment-ready startups with a live product, traction, or feedback and a strong team are ideal candidates for investment prizes, startups not yet investment-ready are still encouraged to apply for other valuable prizes. The application process consists of two rounds. The initial round requires startups to self-assess their development status across six areas using The KTH Innovation Readiness Level™ model: Customer Readiness Level (CRL), Technology Readiness Level (TRL), Business Model Readiness Level (BRL), IPR Readiness Level (IPRL), Team Readiness Level (TMRL), and Funding Readiness Level (FRL). This assessment provides investors with a realistic overview of the startup's current state. Following the initial assessment, the second round involves additional questions that a jury will use to select the TOP30 startups. These top teams will receive pitching training and the chance to present their ideas on the sTARTUp Day Pitching Stage. The final TOP 5 will then pitch on the main stage, where winners will be decided and announced.
Prizes
Top investable startup
EstBAN-led syndicate investment
Up to €200,000
Top deep tech startup
Deep tech investment from BSV
Up to €200,000
Selected team
Equity-free cash from Swedbank
€10,000
Selected team
Legal support from Sorainen
€10,000
Selected TOP startups
Legal support from Triniti
Up to €6,000
All TOP30 startups
Pitch deck legal proofing from Triniti
Finalists
AWS credits from Spendbase
Up to $25,000
All applicants
AWS credits from Spendbase
Selected startup
DataVie GDPR Compliance Tool - Annual License
Up to €5,000
One winner
Mentorship and advisory from Values360Ventures
Worth €120,000
TOP30 teams
Intense pitching training
Key dates
- Applications open2026-10-06
- Applications close2026-11-07
- Announcing to startups who proceed to Round II2026-11-14
- Deadline for submitting Round II information2026-11-23
- Announcing the TOP302026-12-09
- TOP30 pitching at the sTARTUp Day Pitching Stage2027-01-29
- TOP 5 pitching at the sTARTUp Day main stage, jury decision and winner announcement2027-01-30
How to enter
- Assess your startup’s current development status on a scale of 1-9 across six areas using The KTH Innovation Readiness Level™ model: Customer Readiness Level (CRL), Technology Readiness Level (TRL), Business Model Readiness Level (BRL), IPR Readiness Level (IPRL), Team Readiness Level (TMRL), and Funding Readiness Level (FRL).
- Submit your initial application.
- If selected for the second round, answer additional questions.
Submission requirements
- Early-stage startup
- Live product with traction or feedback (preferred for investment prizes)
- Formidable team (preferred for investment prizes)
- Readiness for investment (preferred for investment prizes)
Judging criteria
- Startup's current development status based on KTH Innovation Readiness Level™ model (CRL, TRL, BRL, IPRL, TMRL, FRL)
- Responses to additional questions in Round II
Sponsors & partners
EstBANBSVSwedbankSorainenTrinitiSpendbaseDataVieValues360Ventures