INNOVA STARTUP COMPETITION SERIES

AaIto University Amphitheater

Espoo,
Finland
2026

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About INNOVA Europe

INNOVA Europe is a pan-European university coalition bringing together students, alumni, and partner institutions committed to responsible, impact-driven entrepreneurship.

Each year, selected teams from member universities are identified through national initiatives and invited to take part in the INNOVA Europe Summit, the coalition’s annual in-person gathering. The Summit provides a shared European space for presenting early-stage ideas, exchanging perspectives, and learning across university entrepreneurship ecosystems.

The INNOVA Europe Summit 2026 will take place on 4-5 June 2026 at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland.

IDEA STAGE

The Idea Stage is designed for visionary entrepreneurs in the early conceptual phase. It is intended for creators and innovators developing new solutions who are still shaping their core idea and direction.

Teams are expected to:

  • present a clear vision for their idea

  • outline the problem they aim to address and the target group

  • define a distinctive value proposition

  • explore potential societal and environmental impact

  • outline an initial roadmap towards further development

Timeline

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    Grand Final 2026

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    2026 Focus Areas

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    Person holding a framed award certificate that reads "Winner 2024 INNOVA EUROPE" with a person wearing a watch and a light blue shirt.
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    Winning INNOVA Europe was a great challenge for us and it was an achievement of months of work. It was a great recognition as it was a fierce and serious competition among the best innovation centres in Europe.

    Aziz Kaouech, Co-Founder & CEO of DOODA, 2023 INNOVA Winner

    It was super impressive to see the impact that all the startups that joined will have on society and the future of our generations. The INNOVA Challenge was really motivating and inspiring.

    Hendrik Stotz, INNOVA Young Hopes Winner 2024, from ESMT Berlin

    I feel responsible, I feel proud, and I feel privileged to hold this prize and implement this in my project.

    Mariia Alipatova, CEO Tova Industries, INNOVA Rising Stars Winner 2024, from Kyiv Schools of Economics

    This whole journey ending at INNOVA has shown me how relatively easy it is to acquire all the skills necessary to get to a point where you have the confidence to be able to go out and say “I’m gonna start my company”.

    Hendrik Stotz, INNOVA Young Hopes Winner 2024, from ESMT Berlin

    INNOVA Europe stands as the ultimate gateway for those who dare to excel, scale, and blaze the way forward.

    SEE THE MANIFESTO

    FAQ

    • INNOVA Europe is open to students and alumni from partner universities. Participation takes place through national initiatives organised by each institution.

    • INNOVA Europe supports early-stage ideas aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

      For the 2026 edition, the INNOVA Europe programme focuses on three priority SDGs to create clearer comparison, stronger thematic depth, and more specialised support during the Summit:

      • SDG 13: Climate Action

      • SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

      • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

      When applying, teams indicate which of the three SDGs their idea primarily contributes to.

    • For the 2026 edition, INNOVA Europe focuses on idea-stage projects.

      Participation begins at each partner university. When local applications open, students and alumni submit their early-stage ideas through their home institution, following the guidelines and timelines set by that university.

      Each partner institution then identifies one selected Idea Stage project to represent the university within the INNOVA Europe network.

      Selected teams are invited to take part in the INNOVA Europe Summit, the coalition’s annual in-person gathering, hosted in 2026 by Aalto University in Espoo, Finland on 4-5 June.

      During the Summit, teams present their projects as part of the pitch programme and engage in peer learning, expert feedback, and cross-university exchange.

    • The Summit is hosted by a different partner institution each year: 

      • 2023 – POLIMI Graduate School of Management, Milan, Italy 

      • 2024 – EDHEC Business School, Paris, France 

      • 2025 – ESMT Berlin, Germany 

      • 2026 – Aalto University, Espoo, Finland 

    • Participation in the INNOVA Europe Summit is free of charge for selected teams.

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