Startup Greece Week 2026 – From Ideas to Opportunity

As part of Startup Greece Week 2026, JOIST Innovation Park is hosting an open event dedicated to entrepreneurship and innovation, bringing together emerging business ideas, products and solutions from across industries, alongside professionals and key players from the broader innovation ecosystem.

Up to 7 selected teams will have the opportunity to present their business concept, product or solution through a 5-minute pitch or product demo, in English, before a live audience and an Evaluation Committee. Each presentation will be followed by focused questions from the Committee, exploring the business proposition, market positioning, growth potential and overall maturity of the concept.

The event welcomes business ideas and solutions from all industries and fields, with no specific sector or thematic focus required.

The initiative aims to provide promising teams with a platform to showcase their work, receive meaningful feedback from experienced professionals and connect with investors, business executives, mentors and organisations supporting entrepreneurship and innovation.

Proposal Structure

Proposals must be submitted in PowerPoint (.pptx) format, with a maximum of 12 slides. Teams may also submit an optional supporting Word document of up to 500 words to provide additional information or clarification.

Presentations should cover the following areas:

• The need or problem the proposal aims to address.
• Existing solutions and the current market landscape.
• The proposed solution, product or service.
• Budget.
• Team presentation.
• Expected outcomes and key risks – Risk Analysis.

The pitch before the Evaluation Committee must be delivered in English and should not exceed 5 minutes.

Participation Requirements

• Teams may consist of two (2) to five (5) members.
• Participants must be 18 years of age or older.
• A maximum of seven (7) teams will be selected to participate. If the number of applications exceeds the available places, proposals will undergo a selection process based on the event’s evaluation criteria.
• Applications are open to teams of researchers or students (undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral), business professionals, startup founders and team members, as well as teams developing a business idea, product or service.
• Each individual may participate in one team only.
• Selected teams must have a physical presence at JOIST Innovation Park on the day of the event, with at least one representative from each team attending in person.

Evaluation Committee

The pitches will be assessed by a Committee of professionals with experience across investment, entrepreneurship, innovation and funding:

• Henry Umunnakwe, Platform & Ecosystem Lead, Metavallon VC
• Giannis Kaltsis, Senior Innovation Officer, HDB
• Thomas Chalatsis, Head of Project Management, iED
• Andreas Klapsis, Head of Growth, Startup Greece

Evaluation Process & Criteria

Each selected team will present its proposal before the Evaluation Committee, followed by a focused Q&A session with Committee members.

Proposals will be assessed based on the following criteria:

• Team composition and profile.
• Maturity of the business proposition.
• Clarity and relevance of the need or problem being addressed.
• Differentiation and added value of the proposed solution.
• Feasibility and potential for implementation and growth.
• Overall quality and clarity of the pitch.

Audience Participation & Live Voting

The event is open to professionals, business executives, investors, students, aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone interested in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Attendees will have the opportunity to discover teams working across different industries, follow the presentation and evaluation of new business concepts, and gain first-hand insight into emerging products, services and business models.

Register for Free

Attendance is free of charge. Registration is required.

Register for Startup Greece Week 2026 – From Ideas to Opportunity

The audience will also play an active role in the event, taking part in an online vote on the pitches presented during the session. The results will be revealed during the event, bringing the audience’s perspective into the overall experience alongside the Evaluation Committee’s assessment.

Following the pitches and awards, the event will continue with an open networking session, creating opportunities for direct interaction among participating teams, Committee members, investors, business professionals, mentors and attendees.

Open Call | Apply to Pitch

Teams interested in presenting their business idea, product or solution can submit their application by 13 October 2026 by emailing info@joistpark.eu with:

• Team details.
• A brief description of their business activity or idea.
• The proposal they wish to present, submitted in PowerPoint (.pptx) format and following the structure outlined above.

Up to 7 teams will be selected from the applications received. JOIST will contact the selected teams directly to confirm their participation and provide the final guidelines and technical specifications for their pitch or product demo.

Awards & Benefits

The three highest-scoring teams will receive a package of benefits from the JOIST ecosystem, designed to support the next steps in their entrepreneurial development.

1st Place | Perfect Pitch Package

The highest-scoring team will receive:

• 50% discount for all team members on two selected JOIST Academy training programmes.
• One month of free access to one Coworking Space desk at JOIST Innovation Park.
• One lunch at enJOIST Café Frourio, valued at €15, for each team member.
• One 1-to-1 Mentoring Session with an experienced professional from the ecosystem.
• 3 hours of complimentary access to the JOIST YouTube Room.
• Visibility through JOIST’s communication channels, including social media exposure and the opportunity to be featured in a podcast.

2nd & 3rd Place

The second and third highest-scoring teams will receive:

• 30% discount for all team members on two selected JOIST Academy training programmes.
• 15 days of free access to one Coworking Space desk at JOIST Innovation Park.
• One lunch at enJOIST Café Frourio, valued at €15, for each team member.
• 3 hours of complimentary access to the JOIST YouTube Room.
• Visibility through JOIST’s social media channels as part of the event’s communication coverage.

Validity of benefits: All benefits listed above may be redeemed until 31 October 2027.

The event, including all pitches, Q&A sessions and discussions, will be conducted in English.

Protection of Original Content

Teams submitting proposals retain full ownership of the intellectual property and proprietary rights associated with the original content they submit. No part of a proposal may be reproduced, distributed, published, modified or otherwise used without the prior written consent of the respective team.

As the event organiser, JOIST Innovation Park will collect and retain submitted proposals solely for the purposes of selecting participants, evaluating submissions and delivering this specific initiative within the framework of Startup Greece Week 2026. Proposal content will not be disclosed, used or otherwise exploited for any other purpose without the prior written permission of the respective rights holders.