Startup World Cup Greece builds on the success of Startup World Cup Cyprus to strengthen the Southeast European startup community. Credit: Courtesy of Panis Pieri
Startup World Cup, the world’s largest start-up competition that brings together the top startups, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and world-class tech CEOs, will be hosting an event in Greece for the first time on September 10.
The landmark event, which is already sold out, will take place at the new SuiHub in the heart of Greece’s capital, Athens. It will offer Greek founders the chance to compete for a one million dollar investment prize at the San Francisco Grand Finale later this year.
“We’re not just bringing a competition to Greece—we’re creating a launchpad for the next generation of global tech leaders,” comments Dmitry Dosov, General Partner at Aivitam Ventures, who is organizing the Greek finals.
According to co-organizer Panis Pieri, these events create a bridge for startups to connect with global investors and scale beyond local markets.
Founders from Greece and Cyprus join Startup World Cup
The Startup World Cup Greece event will showcase ten leading startups across AI, fintech, edtech, healthtech, retail, and sustainable technology. Each team will pitch directly to experienced venture capitalists and industry leaders, aiming to secure a place on the global stage while also gaining access to top-tier investors and corporate partners.
The evening will also feature keynote presentations, live start-up pitches, and panel discussions with investors from Sui, Metavallon, Apeiron VC, and Startup Greece among others.
Athens is building on the success of Startup World Cup Cyprus, during which Calspak, a clean-tech startup from Zurich, Switzerland, won the 2025 regional finals and advanced to Silicon Valley for the world final.
The Cyprus competitions attracted more than 150 investors, founders, and executives, establishing Southeast Europe as a rising hub in the global tech ecosystem. Hence, the Athens edition is expected to continue this momentum, bringing together more than seventy industry leaders, founders, and decision-makers.
“As co-organizer of Startup World Cup Greece 2025, I expect to see a strong exchange of talent, ideas, networking and investment opportunities between our two countries,” says Cypriot Panis Pieri, a start-up businessman himself.
“I look forward to seeing more cross-border collaborations that will strengthen the Southeast European startup community and the Cyprus-Greece community globally,” he confides to Greek Reporter.