Startup
events
Startup content, connections and energy right in the regions. If you want to be part of the Slovak startup ecosystem, this is where you’ll meet it face to face.
Your entry point into the startup ecosystem
SASK startup events are public startup events, meetups and community formats that connect founders, investors, experts, partners and people who want to enter the startup ecosystem throughout the year.
If you want to get to know the community, gain contacts, inspiration and a better overview of how Startup Awards Slovakia works, this is the best entry point.
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You’ll meet founders, investors and people who really move the Slovak startup ecosystem.
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You’ll get practical insights on products, growth, fundraising and mistakes worth not repeating after others.
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You’ll find out whether your next step is a meetup, a hackathon, an application to SASK or networking with the community.
What not to miss this year
SASK Speedrun
12. 09. 2026 | Bratislava
Do you have an idea, an MVP or a product in progress and feel you need one solid day to kick you forward? SASK Speedrun is an intensive one-day format for students and young professionals who don’t just want to talk about startups, but want to really work on their project.
For 12 hours, you and your team will tackle whatever is holding you back the most – whether it’s a customer, product, validation, AI, go-to-market, sales or pitch problem. You won’t be alone. Mentors with real-world experience will be on site to help you name your blind spots, sort out your priorities and show you what they would tackle as the next step in your place.
We also definitely recommend Speedrun to those who are only an unpolished prototype, MVP or a few last question marks about their product away from applying to SASK. This is exactly the place to fill in the gaps, test, tidy things up and leave with a much stronger application.
Come if you’re a student or young professional who doesn’t just want to talk about startups, but finally wants to try it first-hand.
What will you take away?
A clearer problem, a better understood customer, a more concrete product direction, a more practical pitch and a plan for what to do next. Ideally also the feeling that your project moved further in one day than in the last few weeks.
Who will you meet?
At Speedrun you’ll meet people you want to be in touch with – mentors in product, AI, UX/UI, data, sales, go-to-market, investment and pitching. We’ll announce the specific names of mentors, workshop leaders and judges soon.
How will it work?
Between 8:30 – 20:30 you can look forward to a day packed with work on your project, feedback, mentoring and practical content.
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Program kick-off
We’ll introduce the concept of the day, the mentors, the rules and the AI tools you’ll be able to use during Speedrun. -
Practical workshops
Workshops on topics such as product, go-to-market, sales and pitching await you. -
Build sprints + mentoring
You’ll spend most of the day working on your project and consulting specific challenges with experienced mentors. -
Startup Expo
Teams show how far they’ve come during the day, and participants rate each other’s projects with the greatest potential. -
Final demos
Up to 6 teams present their progress to the jury.
Speedrun mentors
Already happened in 2026
SASK x Forbes
Business Fest
Bratislava
04. 06. 2026 | Bratislava
We kicked off the new wave of startup applications for 2026 in style: on 4 June we were part of the Forbes Business Fest in Bratislava.
Together with Forbes, we selected 16 startups that tried car pitching directly with investors – pitching an idea during a car ride.
SASK Startup
Meetups
16. 06. 2026 | Tabačka Kulturfabrik
17. 06. 2026 | Nová Synagóga
Meetups bring together the people you want to be in touch with – startups, investors and people from the ecosystem.
These are evenings where we talk openly about how things really are, what worked for founders, what they messed up and what they would do differently today. You can ask about anything – from first customers and pricing to fundraising and investors.
In one room you’ll meet young talent, teams at different stages, people from tech companies, startup ecosystem partners, angels and investors. Meetups build bridges between them: they connect communities, business programs and students, and bring concrete discussions, real stories and contacts that can help you take the next step with your startup.
Why is it worth coming “just to a meetup”?
Lukáš Řezanina, CEO of Nordics.io, came to a SASK meetup in Košice in 2024 just as a visitor — to see what it was all about and get to know the community.
A year later, he was back. In the meantime, he applied, fought his way into the TOP startups, won the SASK 2024 Finals in the Digital category and visited Silicon Valley with SASK. In 2025, he returned to Košice on stage as a speaker — and in 2026, Nordics.io raised 2.5 million euros.
This is exactly what our events are about: you don’t need to come with a finished startup, just come curious. Sometimes the whole story starts with one meetup and one beer. Maybe the next one will be yours.
If you feel that SASK 2026 is “your” year, the side events are the best way into the startup world.
Come and take a look, meet people, ask the questions that bother you and find out whether SASK can help you take your startup all the way to global ambitions.