Startup Spotlight at BIO-Europe
This exciting competition offers entrepreneurs an affordable opportunity to engage with top-tier investors and other important players in the biotech industry to take their business to the next level.
Deadline to apply: Friday August 29, 2025
All applications submitted on or before August 29 will receive a notification about their application on Monday, September 15
Applications are now open!
Applications for the Startup Spotlight at BIO-Europe are now open! Application deadline is August 29, 2025.
Please note: all applicants that applied before the first early bird deadline of July 25 will receive the early bird registration rate for both the Young Innovator Registration Rate and Pre-Revenue Registration Rate in their notification email regardless if they are chosen as a finalist in the competition.
Finalists selected to pitch will receive one complimentary registration to attend the event. If you have already paid for your registration prior to being selected as a finalist, we will process a full refund of your registration fee.
2025 Startup Spotlight Supporter
Presenting Details
Selected companies will have the opportunity to make a 6-minute pitch and participate in a live feedback session with a panel of judges of leading investors, pharma dealmakers, and biotech business key opinion leaders who will evaluate the pitches and select the winner onsite in Vienna, Austria.
Pitching Benefits
Benefits:
- Generate interest among the global life science audience attending BIO-Europe.
- Receive direct feedback from the Startup Spotlight judges, representing investors, pharma, and experienced industry executives.
- Access personalized 1:1 coaching with industry expert Simon Fagg during an exclusive onsite training session in Vienna on Monday, November 3rd, 2025.
Winner, selected by the judges will receive the following:
A complimentary registration to attend a future EBD event of their choice
Access to one digital EBD Academy course of their choice
Pitching Criteria & Fee
Applications can be submitted by companies that meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Company created in the past three years, or innovation incubated within a company for a maximum of three years
- Developing new therapeutic solutions, technology and digital platforms
- Aggregate funding of €10 million or less
- Company with less than 25 employees
Pitch fee: €195.00*
*Qualifying criteria must be met for this rate
Your Pitch Fee Includes:
- A complimentary BIO-Europe registration
- A 6-minute pitch slot in the Startup Spotlight session onsite in Vienna, Austria
Last Years Startup Spotlight Winner
Congratulations to the Startup Spotlight at BIO-Europe 2024 winner, Kadence Bio
Kadence Bio is a clinical stage therapeutics company whose mission is to develop innovative therapeutics to address critical unmet needs in sexual and mental health.
Thank you to Bayer for sponsoring the 2024 competition, and to all our other finalists and entries.
How has the Startup Spotlight impacted previous winners?
Hear from former Startup Spotlight winner Yemi Onakunle, Founder & CEO of Mabswitch, as he talks about what he is up to now since taking home the gold.
Hear from the 2025 BIO-Europe Spring Startup Spotlight winner
Hear from Carolina Pola, CEO of STAb Therapeutics, who took home the winning prize for the Startup Spotlight pitch competition at BIO-Europe Spring in Milan this year. Carolina highlights the benefits and value of pitching to the judges and global life science audience.
2025 Startup Spotlight Judges
2024 Startup Spotlight Finalists
Previous Startup Spotlight Sponsors
