Slush is no ordinary conference. Held each year in Helsinki, it brings together the world’s top founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders for a founder-first experience unlike any other. In 2024, Endeavor Greece led the first-ever Greek delegation to Slush—an initiative to place Greek innovation on the global map and unite the country’s most visionary entrepreneurs, institutional players, and changemakers as one community.
Greece Takes the Stage at the World’s Most Founder-Focused Event
This year’s edition of Slush welcomed more than 13,000 attendees, including 5,500 founders, 3,300 investors, and over 250 members of the media. Amid the energy of the venue and its hundreds of side events, the Greek delegation stood out—not just for its size, but for its 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. We flew in via a dedicated charter flight from Athens to Helsinki, supported by Eftichios Vassilakis, Endeavor Greece Board Member and Chairman of Aegean Airlines & Olympic Air.
Three Days of Momentum: From Welcome Dinners to an Impactful Side Event
Over the course of three days, the delegation engaged in a curated program capturing the spirit of Slush. The experience began with a welcome dinner hosted by H.E. Mrs Natalia Karageorgou, Greek Ambassador to Finland, joined by Finnish government officials.
Showcasing Greek Innovation: The Endeavor Booth
At the heart of Slush, Endeavor’s booth served as a hub for the Greek delegation. A space where founders, investors, and leaders came together to connect, collaborate, and showcase the incredible potential of Greece’s innovation ecosystem.
The booth also featured four personalized startup booths where companies from our Scale-Up Program showcased their visionary ideas. It was the perfect space for founders to share their materials, promote their innovations, and spark meaningful connections with global leaders.
Endeavor Side Event: Emerging Markets, Global Impact, and Bold Founders
Endeavor hosted a side event focused on the role of outliers and innovation in 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
As part of the Greek delegation to Slush, we visited Aalto University, Finland’s top innovation hub, and the ICEYE factory, home to one of Europe’s leading SpaceTech unicorns.
At Aalto, we explored the Robot Lab, Anechoic Chamber, and Satellite Laboratory, gaining insight into how research translates into real-world ventures. The university’s focus on tech transfer and entrepreneurship highlighted the power of academic ecosystems to fuel innovation.
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
We also invited founders from our network to pitch their vision in a series of short video interviews—no slides, no scripts, just their story. They spoke about what drives them, the problems they’re solving, and what’s next. From fintech to agritech, robotics to entertainment, each story captured the ambition and global mindset fueling the next wave of Greek innovation. Watch the series here.
Looking Ahead
Our first Greek delegation to Slush was more than a milestone. A demonstration that Greece’s innovation ecosystem is ready to engage globally, compete at the highest level, and learn from the world’s best while offering unique value in return.
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.
