How to Prepare for Slush

Make the most of your time at Slush.

Slush is a pretty big event and for two days in the chilly north, it might be hard to figure out how to prepare and what to prioritize. Don’t worry though, we’ve got you covered.

Here are 6 ways you can hack Slush and make your visit count.

(AND HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR MEETING TIME)

Over 20,000 pre-scheduled meetings were held at Slush 2022, all planned out through our Matchmaking Tool. This is the tool you want to use to fundraise from the 3,000 investors at the event.

Think about it: over $3 trillion in assets under management are just one click away.

Plus, this tool is designed to connect you to some (or many) of the 5,000 startups at Slush. If you’re B2B, these could potentially be your new clients.

We’ve spent the last few years fine-tuning all the details of our Matchmaking Tool so you get lightning-fast search results, advanced filtering, and in-depth knowledge about the companies, VCs, and everyone in-between at Slush.

“I can pack a month’s worth of meetings into two days.” Tom Hulme. General Partner at Google Ventures.

Keep in mind that your time (and everyone else’s) is extremely valuable: you’ve got short slots with the people you meet. We’ve got 3 tips to maximize your matchmaking experience:

• Connect using the Matchmaking Tool:
  • Find people from your industry, investors that could be curious about what you have to offer, and anyone else you want to connect to. Click “Visit Profile” and then “Schedule Meeting” when you land on a connection you want to come to life.
• Create an impression:
  • Be transparent, well-prepared, and act as an active listener. Leave your matches feeling optimistic and don’t be scared to be honest. Here at Slush, we embrace transparency to the point of discomfort because honesty creates genuine connection.
• Establish how you connect afterward:
  • We recommend you prepare a message template, connect to your newfound friends through LinkedIn, and create a timeframe for yourself to get into contact with them after the event.

Keep the conversation going: we at Slush want to see you succeed past the event itself and this is the first way to build those important relationships.

Slush isn’t just the official event.

Slush Week, running from Nov 27–Dec 1, is full of hundreds of Side Events. Plus, you don’t even need a Slush Pass to access many of these events.

Side Events are the perfect way to get connected to people specifically in your industry and beyond, whether that be other startup operators, investors, and anyone in-between.

Pick from workshops, parties, pitching competitions, and sports to make your Slush Week an experience for the books.

You need to have both your badge and wristband to access Slush.
You can exchange your ticket for a badge and wristband at any of our Badge Claim points before the event. See locations and opening hours on our Event Info page.

Please note: You will be asked to present a pictured ID when picking up your badge and wristband for safety reasons.
Badge Claim is also available upon your arrival at the main event venue, Messukeskus, during the event days at both the Southern and Northern entrances.

We strongly recommend getting your badge and wristband in advance from the Badge Claim points before the event to avoid queuing on the event days. The points will be quietest on Nov 28, and busiest on Nov 29.

Investor Office Hours are 1-hour private sessions hosted by VCs with topics ranging from fundraising to company building. If you’re interested in meeting the investors and networking with your peers – this one is for you!

(AND WHY THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN’T MISS)

Slush 100, the most coveted startup competition in the world. The main prize? A €1,000,000 investment from 5 of the world’s top VCs Accel, General Catalyst, Lightspeed, NEA, and Northzone.

Witness firsthand the top 20 companies in the world compete in the semifinals, and the jury deciding which are the top 3. From there, only one startup will win the grand prize.

Our jury will consist of partners from every fund, asking all the right questions and selecting from their wealth of knowledge the startups with the most potential.

What happens at Slush doesn’t stay at Slush.

This is because we like to see Slush as one step in a longer journey rather than a once-off event.

Coming to Slush 2023 is about absorbing knowledge and setting up connections, but your path after Slush is massively determined by your next steps shortly after.

Here are some sure-fire ways to maximize what happens to you after Slush ends.

1. SECURE YOUR CONNECTIONS AFTER SLUSH 2023

How do you make sure your visit at Slush leaves an imprint on your startup journey? See to it that you secure the connections you made by creating a game plan for how you’ll contact people after the event.

Templates, LinkedIn connections, and keeping in contact after the event ends will ultimately help you in the long term.

2. JOIN OUR COMMUNITY: NODE BY SLUSH

Looking for the resources you find at Slush but across the year? Look no further: Node by Slush is made just for you. Node by Slush gives startup founders access to the resources they need on their founder journey. 100% free, 100% online. Node organizes monthly Community Events where you can find:

• Founder Mentoring: mentoring sessions with leading founders, operators, and VCs. No boring webinars, but interactive sessions with hands-on learnings you can take into use immediately.
• Investor Matchmaking: you’ll get much-needed 1-on-1 time with investors in our Matchmaking Sprints to hone your pitch and seal the deal.
• Investor Office Hours: join sessions by our partnering funds to learn more about the funds and connect with the investors.

PS. All this material is available on-demand if you’re busy (which, if you’re in the startup life, you probably are). Check it out.

3. ORGANIZE SLUSH IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY: SLUSH’D

Did you enjoy Slush? We hope so.

For those that think Slush is something your own ecosystem needs, we’ve got your back.

We give organizers the chance to use our materials and learnings and hold Slush’D events in their own city. In 2023, Slush went all the way from New Zealand to Pakistan to Tanzania.

You could be hosting Slush’D in your own city in 2024. See more by pressing that shiny button.