Let’s raise the flag
of Slovak
innovation
SASK 2026 is a year-round platform – from the application through the bootcamp and finals to a week in Silicon Valley – where you get feedback, mentors, investors and contacts that will help you scale your business beyond Slovakia.
Watch the SASK 2025 Finals
Startup Awards 2026 – a platform for Slovak startups
Startup Awards is a platform that has been helping Slovak startups grow, connect with investors and gain visibility at home and abroad since 2011.
We’re not just one gala evening – throughout the year we organize meetups, a bootcamp, the finals and a trip to Silicon Valley, so that at every stage you get concrete value for your team and product.
Who is SASK for?
SASK 2026 is for innovative teams that don’t want to leave their idea on paper.
For early-stage startups that want to validate their product, get feedback and their first investors.
For student teams and young founders who want to turn a school project into a real business.
For startups that already have a product and first customers and want to prepare for growth and fundraising.
How SASK 2026 works
SASK 2026 is a series of connected steps – from the online application all the way to the trip to Silicon Valley. At every step you get something concrete: product feedback, mentoring from top experts, media visibility and direct contact with investors.
An online form where you describe the problem, solution, market, traction, team and fundraising, and attach your pitch deck.
Based on the applications, our jury selects the 25 best startups that advance to the Bootcamp.
A three-day intensive bootcamp that connects the most promising Slovak startups with top mentors from among founders, investors and ecosystem partners. It culminates in the selection of the finalists.
Webinars, workshop sessions and a 2.5-hour “Perfect Pitch” consultation for each team to help fine-tune their presentation for the finals evening.
9 finalists take the stage with a pitch and Q&A in front of the jury and the audience – the winner takes home investment negotiations, a trip to Silicon Valley and a package of services.
The SASK 2026 winners will spend a week in the Bay Area, visiting VC funds and portfolio companies and enjoying networking and dinners with the Slovak diaspora.
SASK in numbers
years of the competition
Startup Awards
Slovakia
startups
that took part in
bootcamps
euros raised
in capital by
the competition’s finalists
euros in valuation of companies
that competed in SASK
Key dates
Here are the key milestones to help you plan your startup year.
*Exact information, registrations and all detailed conditions can be found on the individual subpages for each milestone.
Where to next?
Choose your next step based on where you are right now.
Come to
side
events
Meetups, hackathons and community events where the Slovak startup ecosystem meets.
Apply with your
startup
Have a product and a team? Fill in the application for Startup Awards Slovakia 2026 and start your journey from feedback all the way to Silicon Valley.
Ready to take your project further?
Do you have a team, a product and the ambition to grow beyond Slovakia? Startup Awards Slovakia 2026 is the place where you get feedback, mentors, contacts and your own stage.