START Summit in St. Gallen runs a set of pitching competitions that sort early-stage applicants into thematic tracks: deeptech and frontier science, AI-first or AI-enabled ventures, healthtech and longevity, and robotics and autonomous hardware. Applicants buy a startup ticket and apply through the event app.
Prizes differ by track: CHF 50,000 for the Swiss Sustainable Impact Award, which is limited to Swiss-based teams; CHF 10,000 plus 250k in credits for START Summiteer DeepTech; CHF 10,000 for the INSPIRED Digital Competition; a scale-up masterclass for HealthTech & Longevity; three months of Bluelion all-access for Robotics; and ecosystem access for AI Innovation. A Shark Tank format adds a live stage pitch for early-stage teams. No equity is taken.
Applications for the most recent edition are closed, and no opening date has been published for the 18-19 March 2027 summit.
What it actually costs you
START Summit in St. Gallen, Switzerland sorts early-stage applicants into thematic tracks covering deeptech and frontier science, AI-first ventures, healthtech and longevity, and robotics and autonomous hardware, with entry via a startup ticket and the event app. Prizes vary by track, from CHF 50,000 for the Swiss Sustainable Impact Award, restricted to Swiss-based teams, down to credits, masterclasses and ecosystem access. A Shark Tank format adds live stage pitching. No equity taken.