Local roots,
Global ambitions
The Startup Awards event has become a phenomenon and a platform that has a strong positive impact on the innovation environment and the Slovak economy.
Slovakia has talent, ideas and ambitious funders. At the same time, many start-ups face limits at home that slow them down or push them to think about going abroad.
This is where SASK has a role to play – it’s where the Slovak startup ecosystem connects and where a community of funders, investors, partners and experts help startups grow faster at home and abroad.
What is SASK?
SASK is not just a competition or a single night on the calendar. It’s a platform with a year-round program that delivers meetups, bootcamps, finals and a trip to Silicon Valley throughout the year – and connects startups with the people who can really help them grow
SASK in numbers
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13
years of the competition
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175
startups participating in the bootcamp
-
350 000 000 €
of inflated capital by the finalists of the competition
-
> 1 000 000 000 €
in the valuation of companies that competed in SASK
Why we do it
Slovak startups want to grow, but the environment doesn’t make it easy for them. Slovakia is ranked 60th in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index and according to the Startup Report Slovakia 2025, a quarter of founders are considering going abroad.
This is why SASK was created. We are building a place that connects the ecosystem, strengthens the community, makes entrepreneurial stories more visible and helps create an environment where Slovak startups have a better chance to succeed without having to leave.
The report, which was created in cooperation with Slovenska Sporitelna, is part of the broader mission of SASK: not only to connect the community, but also to name what needs to change in order to build strong startups with international impact in Slovakia.
SASK 2026
SASK 2026 is the current path for startups that want to get feedback, contacts, more visibility and get closer to investors and new opportunities. Meetups, education, bootcamp, finals and Silicon Valley build on each other so that the startup gains something concrete at each stage.
If you have a product, a team and the ambition to move forward, SASK 2026 is the place to start. Or accelerate it.
Submit your startup
SASK 2026 registration opens on 4 June
Come to the Startup Awards Slovakia 2026 Final
Tickets for SASK Finals
2026 will go on sale in autumn
The final of Startup Awards Slovakia 2026 will take place on 25 November in the Jazdiarnia of Bratislava Castle.
Important dates for SASK 2026:
04. 06.
Submit your startup to SASK
Opening of applications
04. 06.
Forbes Bratislava x SASK
Launch of startup applications
16. 06.
Startup Meetup
Košice
17. 06.
Startup Meetup
Žilina
20. 09.
Closure of registration
17. – 19. 10.
Bootcamp
X-Bionic, Šamorín
25. 11.
Finale
Winter Riding Hall Bratislava Castle
March
The road to Silicon Valley
The stories that started this
SASK is not just about the winners, but about everyone who found new contacts, feedback or the next step for their startup through the community, meetups and programs. That’s the power of it: connecting people before they become “success stories”.
That’s why we give space to alumni, founders and role models who show that building a strong company from Slovakia is not a naive ambition, but a realistic path.
Povedali o nás
Peter Komorník
Slido, SASK alumni 2012
“Startup Awards je kľúčovým prostriedkom na spájanie ekosystému a budovanie komunity.”
Dnes môže Startup Awards pomôcť ľuďom s nápadom najmä tým, že môžu získať veľmi cenný feedback, môžu získať príležitosť vidieť, čo iní ľudia riešia a naozaj overiť si ten svoj nápad s ľuďmi z komunity, s mentormi, a posunúť sa veľmi rýchlo niekam, kde by inde strávili mesiace hľadaním toho feedbacku.
Richard Malovič
Whalebone, SASK alumni
“SASK bootcamp patria medzi moje top životné zážitky.”
Makal som na bootcampe v podstate 48 hodín vkuse a urobil som mentálny progres, ktorý by inak trval pol roka. A zároveň som prvýkrát získal prehľad o tom, čo znamená svet tech-kapitálu.
Pavol Čekan
MultiplexDX, SASK alumni 2016
“Účasť v súťaži Startup Awards mi dala do života veľkú zmenu.”
Začal som premýšľať o našom produkte, našej inovácii – diagnostickej metóde, ako o niečom, čo má obrovský biznisový potenciál.Ak sa chcete ako firma prihlásiť na Startup Awards, čaká vás bootcamp, čaká vás rešerš vášho nápadu, mnohé aj ťažké otázky pod kožu, ale všetky vám môžu pomôcť, aby ste sa zamysleli nad vaším produktom a nad tým, ako s ním uspieť nielen v súťaži, ale aj po nej vo svete.
Martin Basila
Sensoneo, SASK alumni 2016 a 2017
“Účasť na Startup Awards nám dala veľmi veľmi veľa.”
Pochopili sme, že ten trh je globálny, pochopili sme, ako nám môže pomôcť externý venture kapitál pri tom, ako škálovať našu firmu a produkty do zahraničia, dala nám veľa mentoringu z rôznych oblastí. Hlavne nám to dalo vizibilitu, zrazu sme boli známi na Slovensku, ľahšie sa nám prijímali ľudia. Ja to každému odporúčam.
Questions and answers
You’ll gain visibility, invaluable feedback from experienced mentors and investors, a cash prize, a trip to Silicon Valley and the opportunity to negotiate a €250,000 investment.
The presentation at the final will be in Slovak.
If selected as a semi-finalist, participation in the bootcamp (17-19 October 2025) and attendance at the finals (27 November 2025) is required.
Time spent at the bootcamp, which will be held in Šamorín and travel costs (accommodation and meals are provided by us), preparation for the finals and time at the gala dinner.
For companies established in any EU country or the USA, where at least one of the founders is Slovak and has an investment of up to EUR 1 million.
