With only a 100 days until the main event, Slush is publishing its first 100 speakers, including a number of early-stage startups believed to have the potential to become the next success stories.
Today, Slush revelead its first 100 speakers, kicking off the 100-day countdown to the Slush Main Event. The lineup is packed with founders and operators behind some of the most successful scaled startups, including Anton Osika (Lovable) and Alexandre Prot (Qonto). While the big names tend to make the headlines, this year, we want to shine a light on a stage that often flies under the radar: The Startup Stage.
Slush exists to help and create founders to change the world.
One of most significant ways by which Slush helps promising early-stage startups is by giving them the chance to speak in front of 300+ investors, journalists, and partners on the Startup Stage. Speaking on Startup Stage is the best chance for emerging founders to tell their story, pitch their vision, and win over a room full of potential backers—helping them to get one step closer to success.
Slush's Startup Stage is dedicated to showcasing 60 of the most promising early-stage founders (from pre-seed to Series A) from Europe and beyond. The format consists of 10-minute pitches and product demos grouped into industry-focused showcases on AI, energy, and sustainability, just to name a few.
"We bet on bold ideas every year, and this lineup is no exception: from AI-driven healthcare to climate and space tech. These companies are the future, and Slush is where the world meets them first", says Aino Bergius, CEO of Slush.
Slush has been betting on early-stage startups for the last 10 years, and the results speak for themselves. Companies like Oura (2017), Bolt (2017), Lovable (2024), and Legora (2024) stood on the Startup Stage before anyone had heard of them and have since grown into global success stories. Just last month, Lovable surpassed $100 million in ARR making it the fastest growing startup ever, reaching a 1B+ valuation in just 8 months since its launch.
Slush CEO Aino Bergius has seen plenty of success stories unfold after Slush and pays attention to the early signs of a breakout company. We asked Aino which of this year’s startups announced to speak on Startup Stage have already caught her eye.
“Sereact, Ovom Care and Planqc, for example, have tremendous potential. They’re building exactly the kind of innovative products we need in the future” Bergius hints.
For Slush, showcasing these up-and-coming founders isn’t just an annual tradition, it’s a core part of its mission.
"We’re constantly placing our bets on the next wave of world-breaking companies," Bergius says. "It’s about giving them a platform they need before the world realizes they can’t imagine life without them."
The incredible success stories of the companies mentioned above prove why it’s worth keeping an eye on the startups Slush features on its Startup Stage—especially if you’re an investor hunting for your next big win.
View the full list of confirmed Startup Stage speakers so far at Slush 2025 here.
The Startup Stage is Slush's dedicated platform for showcasing the most promising early-stage founders to a global audience of investors, entrepreneurs, and media. The stage is entirely focused on ambitious pre-seed to Series A startups, offering them a unique opportunity to gain visibility and connect with key players in the tech ecosystem.