Applications for Startup Challenge 2026 are now open worldwide, with no fee to apply or participate for selected startups in the impact-focused programme.
The initiative targets early-stage and scaling ventures in 5 sectors—climate, mobility, healthcare, food systems and social innovation—seeking to speed market adoption of solutions with measurable social or environmental impact.
Selected teams will pitch on international platforms and meet investors, corporations and strategic partners through curated networking designed to produce funding and collaboration opportunities.
The programme positions itself as a European ecosystem gateway, using a competitive review process to shortlist finalists and winners while encouraging cross-border scaling beyond Europe.