START Global

Ein starkes Signal für Innovation: In St.Gallen entsteht ein HSG ETH Student Project House. Was in Zürich mit dem ETH Student Project House bereits etabliert ist, wird nun weitergedacht – als erstes Gemeinschaftsprojekt der ETH Zürich, der Universität St.Gallen und der START Foundation. Studierende aus beiden Hochschulen arbeiten im Haus gemeinsam an eigenen Projekten, testen Ideen und lernen voneinander. Bis Ende 2026 sollen so rund 50 multidisziplinäre Projekte entstehen. Unterstützt wird das Projekt vom Kanton St.Gallen und der Hilti Family Foundation Liechtenstein. Mehr dazu: https://unisg.link/96d8a7 HSG Entrepreneurship

Conversation is key. This year, we created space for conversations. Space for people to come together, exchange ideas, challenge perspectives, learn from one another, and build new connections. Thanks to our partner Rent.Group Schweiz, we were able to create countless places across the event that made exactly these moments possible. Because great events are not only built on stages, but in the conversations happening around them.

A special moment to close START Summit 2026. To mark 30 years of START, we were honored to receive a video message from Swiss President Guy Parmelin: "As Minister of Economic Affairs and Education, I am particularly pleased that students and startups are reinforcing each other." Celebrating 30 years of START also means to celebrate a milestone that looks ahead, not back. Parmelin says that the "country thrives on entrepreneurship" and that "our prosperity has always been created by people who see opportunities where others see obstacles". That's why the co-founder of START Global, Hermann Arnold launched Giff - Global Inclusive Founders Fund, together with Louise Maunoir and Islam Alijaj (MP) on the Summit stage. A step towards backing more founders, creating more opportunity, and shaping a more inclusive future of entrepreneurship.

At START Summit 2026, the stakes could not have been higher. Numerous startups arrived with a dream, but only a few proved that their vision can stand up on Europe’s toughest stage. In the heart of St. Gallen, these four names etched themselves into the history of START Summit 2026: Riverkin (Swiss Sustainable Impact Award Winner) Proving that protecting our planet’s lifeblood, water, is one of the most important missions of our time. Downstream Intelligence (AI Pitching Competitions) Cutting through the hype to deliver AI that truly moves the needle. OrthoSens (Healthtech & Longevity Pitching Competition) Turning the science of aging and recovery into a tangible reality for all of us. TINAMU (Robotics Pitching Competitions) Redefining the physical world through the lens of flawless robotic precision. A special thank you to Lenz & Staehelin, Merantix Capital, and Bluelion for supporting this year’s competitions and helping give outstanding founders the stage they deserve. It takes a special kind of crazy to try to change the world. These teams have it in them. And they are only just getting started. 🚀

START Summit might be over, but the memories remain. 📸 Find our highlights gallery from START Summit 2026 on Pavoot: https://lnkd.in/er7TcsGV #START26

What a team. What a week. What a finish. Months of work, little sleep, and a lot of caffeine - all for these moments. START Summit and START Hack 2026 are over, and we are incredibly proud of what this team brought to life together. 2027 is already waiting - get on the waitlist 👉 startsummit.ch/2027

This was START Summit 2026. And we still can't quite believe what happened in St. Gallen this week. From high-quality pitches and inspiring stage sessions to late-night conversations, new LinkedIn connections, and unforgettable energy - this was more than a startup conference. It was a reminder of what can happen when ambitious founders, investors, builders, and students come together in one place. That's why START Summit will be back in 2027. Get on the waitlist 👉 https://lnkd.in/exGtB9bH

🏆 And the winner is ESTER Biotech GmbH Over the past months, startups from across the world competed in 19 Road to START Summit competitions, earning their spot in the final at START Summit. Today, the finalists took the stage once more to pitch their ventures, and we are excited to announce the winner of the Road to START Summit Final. ESTER Biotech has developed a technology that uses nature-inspired processes to break down plastic waste into its original building blocks is.Making true, high-quality plastic recycling possible at scale. ♻️ Congratulations to the winning team and to all finalists who made it this far. 🚀

Now it’s the moment. After intense hours of building, the spotlight is on as the finalists step onto the Main Stage. From first ideas to tangible solutions, participants pushed their limits, and now present what they’ve built in front of the entire audience of START Summit x Hack. 🏆 And the winner is: Runtime Terrors For Belimo’s challenge at START Hack 2026, Runtime Terrors showed how actuator data can be turned into real value for smarter buildings by translating raw signals into clear insights, uncovering root causes, and enabling the right actions at the right time.