Slush 2024 Recap: Greece Steps Onto the Global Tech Stage

Slush is not an ordinary conference. Held each year in Helsinki, it brings together the world’s most influential founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders for a uniquely founder-focused experience. In 2024, Endeavor Greece led the first-ever Greek delegation to Slush - an initiative designed to position Greek innovation on the global map and unite the country’s most visionary entrepreneurs, institutional players, and changemakers as #OneCommunity.

Greece Takes the Stage at the World’s Most Founder-Focused Event

The 2024 edition of Slush gathered more than 13,000 participants, including 5,500 founders, 3,300 investors, and over 250 members of the media. Within this dynamic environment, the Greek delegation stood out not only for its size but also for its clarity of purpose.

Endeavor Greece brought together 100 representatives from across the tech ecosystem, including startup founders, investors, government officials, academic leaders, and institutions such as Enterprise Greece, This is Athens, NCSR Demokritos, The Greek National Tourism Organization, Athena Research Center, Marketing Greece, the majority of the Greek VCs and 50 founders, plus Greece’s Minister of Digital Governance Dimitris Papastergiou and Deputy Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis.

The delegation travelled to Helsinki on a dedicated charter flight supported by Eftichios Vassilakis, Endeavor Greece Board Member and Chairman of Aegean Airlines & Olympic Air., marking a coordinated national effort to elevate Greece’s presence in one of the world’s most competitive tech arenas.

Three Days of Momentum: From Welcome Dinners to an Impactful Side Event

Across three days, the program reflected the spirit of Slush - fast-paced, insightful, and deeply collaborative.

The experience began with a welcome dinner hosted by H.E. Mrs Natalia Karageorgou, Greek Ambassador to Finland, joined by Finnish government officials.

The official kick-off featured remarks by the Greek Minister of Digital Transformation, Dimitris Papastergiou; the Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs, Wille Rydman; the Mayor of Helsinki, Juhana Vartiainen; and Endeavor Greece Chairwoman, Costantza Sbokou Constantakopoulou. The session was followed by an engaging fireside chat featuring Rafał Modrzewski, Co-founder and CEO of ICEYE - the Finnish-Polish microsatellite pioneer - and Vojtech Horna, Vice President of Communications at Index Ventures.

Showcasing Greek Innovation: The Endeavor Booth

At the heart of Slush, the Endeavor Booth became the central meeting point for the Greek delegation. Designed as both a workspace and a showcase, the booth hosted investors, founders, and ecosystem partners eager to connect with Greece’s growing innovation community. Four personalized startup pods featured companies from the ScaleUp Program, each presenting their solutions and engaging with global partners to explore opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Step into our booth here.

Endeavor Side Event: Emerging Markets, Global Impact, and Bold Founders

Among the week’s most impactful moments was the Endeavor Side Event, which highlighted the role of outlier founders driving innovation from emerging markets. The event brought together Endeavor Entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem leaders for meaningful discussions and valuable connections, all in the high-energy atmosphere of Slush.

In the first panel, “The Disruptive Power of Outliers in Emerging Markets,” Nicky Goulimis (Tunic Pay), Jack Mardack (Oyster), and Alfonso De los Rios (Nowports), moderated by Wiktor Schmidt (Netguru), explored the challenges and breakthroughs of building billion-dollar companies outside traditional tech hubs. Read the full transcript here.

The second panel, “Local Stories, Global Successes,” featured Rafal Modrzewski (ICEYE), Roxanne Varza (Station F), and Lars Rasmussen (Google Maps), in a discussion led by Amy Lewin (Sifted) on how local ecosystems can generate globally significant innovation. Read the full transcript here.

Innovation in Action: Visiting Aalto University and ICEYE

The Greek delegation also visited two cornerstones of Finland’s innovation landscape: Aalto University and ICEYE.

The visit to Aalto, one of Europe’s leading academic innovation hubs, offered an inside look at how Finland nurtures entrepreneurship through applied research and technology transfer. Delegates toured the Robot Lab, Anechoic Chamber, and Satellite Laboratory, guided by Janne Laine, Vice President of Innovation, and Hannu Seristö, Associate Vice President at Aalto University.

At ICEYE, Europe’s leading SpaceTech unicorn, and a spin-out of Aalto, delegates witnessed how advanced radar imaging satellites provide real-time Earth observation under any conditions. The visit offered a tangible example of how academic research can evolve into globally significant ventures.

At ICEYE, founded out of Aalto, we saw firsthand how its radar imaging satellites provide real-time Earth observation - through any weather, day or night. The visit was a glimpse into how bold ideas can scale globally when backed by the right environment.

The Endeavor Pitch Challenge

Back at the booth, founders from the Endeavor network took part in the Pitch Challenge - a series of short, unscripted interviews highlighting their vision, purpose, and growth journey. Covering sectors from fintech and agritech to robotics and entertainment, these stories captured the ambition and creative energy driving the next generation of Greek innovation.

Watch the series here.

Looking Ahead

The first Greek delegation to Slush represented far more than a milestone. It demonstrated that Greece’s innovation ecosystem has the talent, ambition, and momentum to compete and collaborate on a global scale.

As Endeavor Greece continues to build bridges between local founders and international networks, Slush 2024 marks a powerful step forward - and just the beginning of what’s to come.

We would like to thank our sponsors, National Bank of Greece, Aegean Airlines, and Hellenic Development Bank of Investments, for helping make this experience possible.