Top 25 Startup Competitions for AI Startups in Europe in 2025
In 2025, Europe will witness dynamic growth in the AI startup ecosystem through various competitions designed to nurture innovation, offer funding opportunities, and spotlight emerging talent. Here’s a comprehensive list of the Top 25 Startup Competitions for AI Startups in Europe for 2025, complete with details on eligibility, prize money, application deadlines, and links to their official websites.
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1. EIC Accelerator & STEP Scale Up (European Innovation Council)
Prize Money: Up to €10 million in investments
Eligibility: Startups and SMEs with disruptive innovations
Focus Areas: Deep tech including AI
Application Process: Through EIC Work Programme, ongoing calls
2. Meta AI Startup Program (with Hugging Face and Scaleway)
Prize Money: Not specified
Eligibility: European startups at MVP or product stage
Focus Areas: Open-source foundation models integration
Timeline: Applications open until August 16, 2024; program from September 2024 to February 2025
3. EU-Startups Summit Pitch Competition
Prize Money: €750,000 package including €250k from Look AI Ventures
Eligibility: Pre-seed or seed-stage startups based in Europe, founded in the last three years
Deadline: January 31, 2025
Event Date: April 24-25, 2025, in Malta
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4. SAP Innovation Awards
Prize Money: Recognition awards
Eligibility: Organizations using SAP products
Focus Areas: AI and other SAP technologies
Submission Timeline: Started January 13, 2025
5. DIGITALEUROPE's Future Unicorn Award
Prize Money: Recognition at Masters of Digital event
Eligibility: Must be nominated by National Trade Associations
Focus Areas: Scale-ups with digital dual-use technologies including AI
Event Date: February 20, 2025
6. Impact CEE (Impact Arena)
Prize Money: Not specified
Eligibility: Startups focusing on innovation
Focus Areas: AI, digital innovation, mental health
Event Date: May 14-15, 2025, in Poland
7. ViennaUP
Prize Money: Not specified
Eligibility: Startups, investors, corporates in AI and deep tech
Focus Areas: AI & Deeptech, Sustainable Societies, Growth & Venture
Event Date: June 19-20, 2025, in Vienna
8. 4YFN (4 Years From Now) Awards
Prize Money: Recognition awards
Eligibility: Startups across various sectors
Focus Areas: AI in digital health, green tech, fintech
Timeline: Top 20 AI startups to watch announced January 7, 2025
9. World AI Cannes
Prize Money: Not specified
Eligibility: AI startups looking for exposure
Focus Areas: Business and society impact through AI
Event Date: February 13-15, 2025, in Cannes
10. Slush 100 Startup Competition
Prize Money: Equity investment from leading funds
Eligibility: Early-stage companies
Focus Areas: Various sectors including deep tech and AI
Event Date: To be announced for 2025
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11. TechCrunch Disrupt
Prize Money: $100,000
Eligibility: Startups under 2 years old
Focus Areas: Tech innovation in AI and more
Event Date: September 2025, San Francisco (with European participants)
12. Startup World Cup Europe Regional
Prize Money: $500,000 investment prize
Eligibility: AI startups based in Europe
Focus Areas: All sectors including AI
Event Date: April 2025
13. Pitch at the Palace
Prize Money: Funding and mentoring opportunities
Eligibility: UK and Commonwealth startups, including AI
Focus Areas: Various sectors including AI
Event Date: December 2025
14. Nordic Startup Awards
Prize Money: Local and regional recognition
Eligibility: Startups based in Nordic countries
Focus Areas: Technology, including AI
Event Date: October 2025
15. Conhackathon
Prize Money: €50,000 for the best AI solution
Eligibility: Teams of developers
Focus Areas: Hack, AI solutions
Event Date: March 2025
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16. Startup Fest
Prize Money: Not specified
Eligibility: Early-stage startups
Focus Areas: Tech innovation, including AI
Event Date: July 2025
17. Slovak Startup Awards
Prize Money: Award trophy and promotional opportunities
Eligibility: Slovak startups with AI solutions
Focus Areas: Technology innovation
Event Date: May 2025
18. Rising Stars Competition
Prize Money: Potential funding packages
Eligibility: Startups in various stages
Focus Areas: All tech sectors including AI
Event Date: July 2025
19. CyberTech Europe
Prize Money: Recognition in tech security innovations
Eligibility: Innovative startups in security, AI included
Focus Areas: Cybersecurity and technology
Event Date: March 2025
20. Founders Forum
Prize Money: Not specified
Eligibility: Invitation-only for top entrepreneurs
Focus Areas: Emerging technologies including AI
Event Date: June 2025
21. Launchpad
Prize Money: Funding and mentorship
Eligibility: Early-stage startups
Focus Areas: Health tech, fintech, AI
Event Date: October 2025
22. Innovation Awards
Prize Money: Recognition and potential investment
Eligibility: Any European startup
Focus Areas: Innovations across sectors including AI
Event Date: April 2025
23. AngelHack Global Hackathon
Prize Money: Potential investment and mentorship
Eligibility: Startups formed during the hackathon
Focus Areas: AI, blockchain, and IoT innovations
Event Date: Multiple events throughout 2025
24. Startup World Cup
Prize Money: $1 million investment prize
Eligibility: Startups from all sectors including AI
Focus Areas: Various sectors across AI, health, and fintech
Event Date: Grand final in 2025
25. Women in Tech Global Awards
Prize Money: Awards for recognition in various categories
Eligibility: Women-led startups
Focus Areas: AI innovations from female founders
Event Date: October 2025
This list features notable startup competitions that can provide significant opportunities for AI startups seeking funding, mentorship, and recognition in Europe in 2025. It is essential to check the official websites for the most current information as details may change.
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FAQ
Q: What funding opportunities are available for AI startups in Europe?
A: The EIC Accelerator offers grants up to €2.5 million and investments from €0.5 to €10 million for startups focused on disruptive innovations like AI. Learn more about EIC Accelerator.
Q: How can AI startups benefit from the Meta AI Startup Program?
A: The Meta AI Startup Program, in collaboration with Hugging Face, provides technical mentoring, resources, and access to computing power for European startups integrating open foundation models. Discover Meta AI Startup Program.
Q: What is the prize for participating in the EU-Startups Summit Pitch Competition?
A: The EU-Startups Summit Pitch Competition offers a prize package worth €750,000, including funding opportunities and Google Cloud credits. Read more about EU-Startups Summit Pitch Competition.
Q: What types of organizations are eligible for the SAP Innovation Awards?
A: Organizations that utilize SAP products innovatively are eligible for the SAP Innovation Awards, which recognize excellence in AI and other technology applications. Find out more about SAP Innovation Awards.
Q: How does the DIGITALEUROPE's Future Unicorn Award recognize startups?
A: The Future Unicorn Award acknowledges European scale-ups, including those in AI, with potential to become unicorns, promoting their voices in EU policy-making circles. Learn about DIGITALEUROPE's Future Unicorn Award.
Q: When is the Impact Arena startup competition?
A: The Impact Arena startup competition will take place during the Impact CEE event scheduled for May 14-15, 2025. Check details on Impact Arena.
Q: What themes will be discussed at ViennaUP?
A: ViennaUP will focus on themes such as "AI & Deeptech", "Sustainable Societies," and "Growth & Venture", attracting founders and investors alike. Explore ViennaUP.
Q: What areas do the 4YFN Awards focus on?
A: The 4YFN Awards celebrate AI innovators in sectors like digital health, green tech, and fintech, showcasing category leaders that leverage AI for growth. More information on 4YFN Awards.
Q: Where will the World AI Cannes event be held?
A: The World AI Cannes event, focusing on AI's impact on business and society, will take place in Cannes, France, from February 13-15, 2025. Read more about World AI Cannes.
Q: What opportunities does the Slush 100 Startup Competition provide?
A: The Slush 100 Startup Competition offers mentorship and exposure to top investors, aimed at early-stage AI and deep tech startups. Find out about Slush 100.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.
