About
StartSaloniki debuts on the 22nd of May bringing on stage Loggerhead Ventures, TECS Capital and Thermi VC. A meeting point for early-stage founders, investors, and the local innovation ecosystem, StartSaloniki intends to spotlight emerging entrepreneurial talent, make space for ideas with real economic and social impact and foster meaningful connections between founders, investors, and the regional tech ecosystem.
Loggerhead Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund investing in climate tech startups that generate measurable environmental and societal impact. Through its €10M fund, it backs ambitious teams across Greece, supporting the transfer of innovative technologies into real-world applications. The fund works closely with founders from early validation to scale, helping build market-ready, climate-smart solutions.
TECS Capital is a pre-seed VC Fund supporting globally ambitious, scalable ventures. Sector agnostic, TECS Capital looks for outlier visions with genuine market potential, regardless of vertical, while it backs both first-time builders and experienced founders. With a deployment strategy, designed for maximum impact and longevity, TECS Capital leads or participates in your earliest round and ensures a robust follow-on capacity through Series A and beyond, steadily building towards a sustained financial runway necessary to achieve multi-billion-dollar outcomes.
THERMI VC is an independent Venture Capital Management Firm based in Northern Greece managing growth equity VC funds and investing in fast growing exporting businesses. It is keen to become the ideal business partner of your company in achieving growth.
CALL FOR STARTUP PITCHES
Early-stage startups are invited to apply for a live pitching opportunity taking place on 22 May. Don’t miss the chance! The selected startups will step on stage to present their solutions live and engage directly with investors, corporates, and the wider innovation ecosystem.
If you are building ambitious, scalable solutions and working across — or at the intersection of — the following thematic areas, then do apply:
Climate, Energy & Circular Systems
Solutions addressing climate mitigation and adaptation, clean energy, waste reduction, circular economy models, biodiversity, or resource efficiency across energy, food, materials, and infrastructure.
Data, AI & Intelligent Systems
AI-driven or data-intensive solutions enabling automation, optimisation, prediction, or decision support across real-world use cases such as healthcare, agriculture, industry, finance, or climate systems.
Human-Centred Tech & Future Capabilities
Solutions focused on health, wellbeing, productivity, skills, and human–technology interaction, including medtech, wearables, assistive technologies, and tools shaping the future of work.
Industry, Infrastructure & the Built Environment
Technologies improving how physical systems are designed, built, monitored, or operated — including smart mobility, logistics, construction, industrial processes, and infrastructure resilience.
Digital Trust, Security & Reliability
Technologies enhancing trust, security, transparency, and reliability in digital or cyber-physical systems, including security, privacy, compliance, and system integrity.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Clarity of vision and problem definition
How clearly the team articulates the problem, the proposed solution, and the long-term ambition.
Impact and relevance
Potential for meaningful economic, environmental, or social impact in real-world markets.
Technical or business differentiation
Evidence of depth, originality, or a distinctive approach.
Stage and readiness
Alignment with an early-stage profile and readiness to deliver a clear, focused pitch.
Alignment with one or more challenge areas
Including cross-sector or unconventional approaches
SELECTED STARTUPS
Early-stage startups are invited to apply for a live pitching opportunity taking place on 22 May. Don’t miss the chance! The selected startups will step on stage to present their solutions live and engage directly with investors, corporates, and the wider innovation ecosystem.
If you are building ambitious, scalable solutions and working across — or at the intersection of — the following thematic areas, then do apply:
Climate, Energy & Circular Systems
Solutions addressing climate mitigation and adaptation, clean energy, waste reduction, circular economy models, biodiversity, or resource efficiency across energy, food, materials, and infrastructure.
Data, AI & Intelligent Systems
AI-driven or data-intensive solutions enabling automation, optimisation, prediction, or decision support across real-world use cases such as healthcare, agriculture, industry, finance, or climate systems.
Human-Centred Tech & Future Capabilities
Solutions focused on health, wellbeing, productivity, skills, and human–technology interaction, including medtech, wearables, assistive technologies, and tools shaping the future of work.
Industry, Infrastructure & the Built Environment
Technologies improving how physical systems are designed, built, monitored, or operated — including smart mobility, logistics, construction, industrial processes, and infrastructure resilience.
Digital Trust, Security & Reliability
Technologies enhancing trust, security, transparency, and reliability in digital or cyber-physical systems, including security, privacy, compliance, and system integrity.
EXTRA SUPPORT
Selected startups will be invited to 1 or 2 online preparation sessions ahead of the event. They are intended to walk them through the pitching format and expectations, provide guidance for a clear and focused pitch, answer questions to help teams feel confident on stage. The goal is not to standardise pitches, but to ensure clarity, time discipline, and a shared understanding of how the session will run.
HOW TO APPLY
You may apply by submitting your application via the online application form. Further details regarding the pitching format, preparation sessions, and event logistics will be shared with selected teams.
Applications Close – 3 May
Finalists Will Be Announced – 11 May
Live Pitching – 22 May | Warehouse D – Hall B – Pier A – Thessaloniki Port