talks
Startup World Cup '26: Benelux Regionals Finom
Tech Makers is bringing the Startup World Cup to Amsterdam, powered by Prosus and the AI House.
16:00 - 20:30
Gustav Mahlerplein 5 1082 Amsterdam, Netherlands The AI House is the third floor of the building
On June 10, founders, investors, operators, and ecosystem leaders from across the Benelux region will come together for an evening of live startup pitches, high-signal networking, and a regional competition with a global stage.
Applications are open now — of those that apply, only ten will be selected to pitch live at the AI House during the Benelux Regionals.
From those ten, one winner will be selected to advance to the Grand Finale in San Francisco, competing against regional champions from 60+ countries for a $1M investment prize.
Apply to Pitch
Want to pitch? Under registration on the event page, select the Pitcher ticket type, register your interest, and complete the official Startup World Cup application form here.
If you are being considered or have been selected to pitch at the Benelux Regionals, we'll reach out by June 5. If you are not selected to pitch you'll be notified on a rolling basis and given the option to apply for joining the event as guest.
Applications are open to startups from the Benelux region, in any domain. The startup must be a registered legal entity and cannot have won another regional Startup World Cup competition. Startups must be able to meaningfully pitch and demonstrate their product within the live format — six minutes total, including Q&A from the jury. Each of the ten selected startups will pitch for 4 minutes, followed by 2 minutes of Q&A during the event.
Startups that want to be considered to pitch during the Benelux Regionals on June 10 must register via the Luma event AND complete the SWC application form to be considered.
What to Expect
Live pitches from selected startups
A jury of investors and ecosystem leaders
Networking with founders, VCs, operators, and the Tech Makers community
A finalist announcement live on stage
Program
16:30 to 17:00 — Walk-in and Networking
17:00 to 17:15 — Opening by Prosus and Tech Makers
17:15 to 18:30 — Startup Pitches
18:30 to 18:45 — Content Break and Jury Deliberation
18:45 to 19:00 — Finalist Announcement
19:00 to 20:00 — Networking
Registration Notes
Please choose the ticket type that best fits your role:
Pitcher — for startups and founders applying to pitch
Guest — for founders, investors, operators, and ecosystem guests
Judge / Organizer — for confirmed judges, partners, and organizing team members.
About Startup World Cup
The Startup World Cup is a series of global startup conferences and pitch competitions powered by Pegasus Tech Ventures, featuring 100+ regional events across 60+ countries. These events lead to our 2026 Startup World Cup Grand Finale, where winning startups from each regional event will compete for a $1M prize! The Grand Finale is being held in San Francisco (USA) on November 6th, 2026.
About Tech Makers
Tech Makers is an Amsterdam-based community for founders, engineers, investors, and operators building the future of tech in the Netherlands and beyond. Through curated events, founder programming, and ecosystem partnerships, Tech Makers creates high-signal spaces for people building, funding, and scaling ambitious companies.
About Prosus AI House
Prosus AI House is a hub for AI innovation, bringing together entrepreneurs, technologists, investors, and ecosystem leaders to accelerate the next generation of AI-driven companies.
Capacity is limited.
About Finom
Finom is the mobile-first business banking platform built for European founders. One account for spending, invoicing, virtual cards, and cross-border payments — with the accounting layer baked in. Made by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs.
GDPR / Privacy Disclaimer Finom
This event is co-hosted by Prosus. By signing up, you agree to Prosus’ privacy policy available here: https://www.prosus.com/site-services/privacy and to receive email updates about future Prosus events. Our co-hosts may also process your information according to their own privacy policies.