South Summit

AI Quick Summary

What the South Summit Startup Competition is  South Summit’s Startup Competition is the flagship selection + pitching program that brings together high-potential startups and gives them a high-visibility platform to connect with investors, corporates, media, and ecosystem leaders. Each edition typically selects a curated cohort from thousands of applications to pitch and compete for category awards.  Scope & eligibility (who can apply) Global & sector-agnostic: startups can apply from any country and any industry.  Stage-agnostic: applications are open regardless of development stage (from early to more mature companies).  Key benefits for startups (why it’s worth it) Commonly highlighted benefits include: Pitch on stage in front of investors, media, and large corporations (e.g., a 3-minute on-stage pitch format is used in some editions).  1:1 meetings with investors and corporates. Mentorship & pitch training (positioned as global mentorship / training sessions).  Visibility and credibility: being a finalist is positioned as a strong trust signal for partners, clients, and investors.  Tickets/perks: some editions include complimentary tickets for finalists and access to premium networking spaces.  The process  While details vary by edition/location, the structure usually looks like this: Application/registration (open call) Expert/jury review and finalist selection (often described as a rigorous selection from thousands of applicants)  Finalists announcement Mentoring/training (pitch prep)  Live pitches at the event in front of a jury + ecosystem audience  Vertical winners’ announcement, which is a selection of a group of startups that goes to the Final Round. Award Ceremony  Awards  Global Winner Most Sustainable Most Scalable Most Disruptive Best Team  Scale & reach  Useful credibility stats that are often cited around the competition: In South Summit Madrid 2025, 100 finalists were selected from 4,500+ applications, with 80% of applications coming from outside Spain and 23 countries represented among finalists.  Across editions, South Summit reports 1,518 finalist startups and that former finalists have raised $19B+ after participating.  80%+ survival rate among selected finalists and a large aggregate amount of funding facilitated/raised over the program’s history.    Apply: https://www.competition.southsummit.io/calls/south_summit_2026

Event Metadata

• Event Name: South Summit
• Date: 2/3/2026 8:45:34 AM
• Administrators:

Event Description

What the South Summit Startup Competition is 

South Summit’s Startup Competition is the flagship selection + pitching program that brings together high-potential startups and gives them a high-visibility platform to connect with investors, corporates, media, and ecosystem leaders. Each edition typically selects a curated cohort from thousands of applications to pitch and compete for category awards. 

Scope & eligibility (who can apply)

• Global & sector-agnostic: startups can apply from any country and any industry. 

• Stage-agnostic: applications are open regardless of development stage (from early to more mature companies). 

Key benefits for startups (why it’s worth it)

Commonly highlighted benefits include:

• Pitch on stage in front of investors, media, and large corporations (e.g., a 3-minute on-stage pitch format is used in some editions). 

• 1:1 meetings with investors and corporates.

• Mentorship & pitch training (positioned as global mentorship / training sessions). 

• Visibility and credibility: being a finalist is positioned as a strong trust signal for partners, clients, and investors. 

• Tickets/perks: some editions include complimentary tickets for finalists and access to premium networking spaces. 

The process 

While details vary by edition/location, the structure usually looks like this:

1. Application/registration (open call)

2. Expert/jury review and finalist selection (often described as a rigorous selection from thousands of applicants) 

3. Finalists announcement

4. Mentoring/training (pitch prep) 

5. Live pitches at the event in front of a jury + ecosystem audience 

6. Vertical winners’ announcement, which is a selection of a group of startups that goes to the Final Round.

7. Award Ceremony 

Awards 

• Global Winner

• Most Sustainable

• Most Scalable

• Most Disruptive

• Best Team 

Scale & reach 

Useful credibility stats that are often cited around the competition:

• In South Summit Madrid 2025, 100 finalists were selected from 4,500+ applications, with 80% of applications coming from outside Spain and 23 countries represented among finalists. 

• Across editions, South Summit reports 1,518 finalist startups and that former finalists have raised $19B+ after participating. 

• 80%+ survival rate among selected finalists and a large aggregate amount of funding facilitated/raised over the program’s history. 

Apply: https://www.competition.southsummit.io/calls/south_summit_2026