Startup Competition

Applications are officially open for the WMF Startup Competition in Thessaloniki, Greece, scheduled for November 2026!

As a certified International Trade Fair and leading global hub for entrepreneurship, WMF connects innovators, investors, and corporate leaders to unlock international business opportunities. At the heart of the event is the World Startup Fest, a landmark gathering for the global startup ecosystem drawing over 75,000 attendees from 90 countries and 3,000+ startups and investors.

A centerpiece of the festival is the International Startup Competition, where top ventures compete on a global stage. Founders join through WMF’s main open call or by qualifying through local pitch sessions during the WMF International Roadshow.

At the Thessaloniki stop, local startups will present their projects, competing for the chance to participate in WMF - We Make Future (June 10–12, 2027 in Bologna, Italy). The selected startup will unlock three days of prime visibility, business matching, and growth opportunities, connecting directly with global investors, corporate open innovation arms, and top accelerators.

Apply now by filling the form below!

After applications close and evaluations are complete, the WMF Innovation Team will announce the startups selected to pitch live before the jury and attendees at the local event. Each team will have a 3-minute pitch to present their venture, followed by a 2-minute Q&A with the investor jury. The winner will be determined by a final jury vote at the end of the session.

The top three startups will receive full team passes to WMF 2027 and the following awards:

• 1st Place: A dedicated desk in the WMF 2027 Startup District, access to B2B investor meetings, exclusive open innovation side events, and a pitching slot on the Startup Stage. Additionally, the winning team may be selected to advance directly to the Grand Finale on the WMF Mainstage, pitching before an audience of 75,000+ attendees.

• 2nd Place: A dedicated desk in the WMF 2027 Startup District, along with full access to B2B meetings and open innovation side events.

• 3rd Place: A dedicated desk in the WMF 2027 Startup District.

The call is dedicated to startups and businesses - made up of individuals or teams - with innovative projects or ideas regarding the, AI, digital and technological sector. Innovative projects aimed at generating a positive impact on territories and society will be considered with particular interest. Applicants will be selected according to the following criteria:

• Skills of the team, knowledge of the sector, the feasibility of the project;

• The development stage of the product/service;

• Degree of innovation and its defensibility;

• Positioning in relation to competitors;

• Consistency with market and customers’ needs and potential outreach;

• The business potential of the idea;

• Completeness of the documentation presented.

The elevator pitch is a brief presentation where you describe your business venture in a nutshell. A solid elevator pitch needs to convey the business idea in a concise manner, so as to attract the audience's attention quickly.

> Download the support material

> Watch the winning pitches from past editions of WMF

Apply now: fill the form below