INNOVA STARTUP COMPETITION SERIES

AaIto University Amphitheater

Espoo,
Finland
2026

A young woman with long curly hair and glasses singing into a microphone outdoors at night.

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.

MAIN PRIZE 5.000€

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

    Watch the

    Grand Final 2025

    at ESMT Berlin

    Watch now

    2026 Focus Areas

    Young woman in traditional embroidered blouse holding a framed award, speaking into a microphone at an awards ceremony with a large screen behind her showing the words "Awards Ceremony" and logos of supporting companies.
    Dark background with white text reading 'MEMORIES PARIS 2024' in varying font styles and sizes.
    Person holding a framed award certificate that reads "Winner 2024 INNOVA EUROPE" with a person wearing a watch and a light blue shirt.
    A woman in a blue blazer speaking into a microphone at a presentation or conference, with a large screen behind her displaying the text 'KEYNOTE' and her image.
    Group of people having conversations in an indoor setting, two women in the center engaged in a discussion, one holding a laptop, with a blue wall and window in the background.
    Three people sitting in a room, seemingly during a discussion or workshop. The woman on the left has her eyes closed and appears to be emotional. The woman in the middle has curly hair, glasses, and is holding a pen, with a thoughtful expression. The
    Two young men smiling and holding microphones at an indoor event, with one man in a dark shirt and the other in a white t-shirt and dark blazer, standing in front of an audience.
    Group of four women standing together at an indoor event, with a man holding a drink on the right side, in a dimly lit environment.
    Teenage girl speaking into a microphone at an indoor event. She has blonde hair and is wearing a navy polo shirt and white pants. Nearby, a woman in a white top and navy pants stands with a microphone in her hand, and a man in a vest works on a lapto

    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.

    Become
    a part of
    innova

    The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt.

    Join the
    Coalition

    As a startup, as a student, as a university, as a sponsor, as a fan

    Outline of an aircraft on an orange background.