Deadline Date: July 08, 2026
The HEIPowered Startup Pitch Competition offers early-stage startups an opportunity to showcase their ventures and compete for funding and mentorship support.
The focus areas, of the competition include startup growth acceleration, market readiness, business scalability, long-term sustainability, entrepreneurship development, innovation promotion, access to funding, mentorship support, venture visibility, and strengthening the European entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.
The competition is organised by EIT Urban Mobility and provides an opportunity for early-stage startups to showcase their ventures and compete for funding and mentoring support. It is intended to help startups strengthen their business potential and expand their visibility within the innovation ecosystem.
The competition consists of two stages. In the first stage, applicants submit an online proposal that includes a pitch deck presentation. Following evaluation, the five highest-ranked startups are selected to participate in the second stage, an in-person startup pitch competition scheduled to take place in a European city during the fourth quarter of 2026.
During the final stage, shortlisted startups present their ventures through live pitches. Three winners are selected and awarded cash prizes of 15,000 euros for first place, 10,000 euros for second place, and 5,000 euros for third place. The total funding allocated to the competition is 30,000 euros.
The three winning startups each receive eight hours of individualised mentoring from expert mentors. The remaining two finalists also receive three hours of individualised mentoring support.
Eligible applicants are startups that were created or supported through projects funded by the EIT Higher Education Initiative and officially reported by their respective projects. Applicants must be registered legal entities in a European Union Member State or a country associated with Horizon Europe, possess a proof of concept, prototype, or minimum viable product, and must not have been among the top three winners of the first edition of the competition.
For more information, visit EIT Urban Mobility.
