Global Startup Awards opens applications for its 12th Edition
Free, equity-free and built for early-stage founders. Applications for the 12th edition of Global Startup Awards (GSA) are now open, and early-stage startups can apply today. Seventeen GSA alumni have gone on to unicorn status, a company with a valuation of €1 billion or more. This edition gives the next group of founders a clear, […] The post Global Startup Awards opens applications for its 12th…
Applications are now being accepted for the 12th edition of the Global Startup Awards (GSA), a competition that is free, equity-free, and designed specifically for early-stage startups. The application process is streamlined, requiring only a brief form, a pitch deck, and a one-pager. There is no fee to apply, and GSA does not take any equity.
The competition has a notable track record, with seventeen of its past alumni achieving unicorn status – companies valued at €1 billion or more. This year, GSA has implemented an AI-first approach combined with human evaluation to ensure consistent, rigorous assessment of all applications, regardless of the startup's region or category. The team behind GSA believes this edition will continue the legacy of giving deserving startups the recognition, connections, and opportunities they need to thrive.
Even if a startup does not win an award, it will still receive access to various benefits. Upon applying, startups join the GSA Community and gain immediate access to a welcome offer, which includes free and discounted tools and services from partners like Notion, HubSpot, and EU-Startups.com. This year, the welcome offer also includes exclusive discounts for the EU-Startups Summit, one of Europe's leading startup gatherings, with potential savings of up to €180 per ticket.
Additionally, startups remain part of the GSA Community after the competition, where they can benefit from future partner offers, speaking opportunities, community activities, and discounted event tickets.
The next CESA (Central European Startup Awards) will be held at the MeOut Summit 2026 on November 25-26 in Budapest, Hungary. The summit brings together a diverse European startup ecosystem, featuring keynotes, panels, networking, a hackathon, and the Central Europe Regional Finale of the Global Startup Awards. Winners of the awards are celebrated as speakers and panelists at the event, receiving exposure to investors and industry leaders.
Startups that do not win will still keep their benefits and can reapply in future editions. Applications for the 12th edition of the Global Startup Awards are open until the end of October.
Written by urgent.news from EU-Startups's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
