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Experience Start Summit

Future you will thank you.

We had over 6'000 participants and 220+ speakers at START Summit 2023.

We’ll put you there again on March 21. & 22. 2024 — in St. Gallen, Switzerland.

What is START Summit?

START Summit is our annual, student-run, flagship conference designed to connect tomorrow’s founders with today’s leaders to create exciting opportunities. The fact we successfully unite the best entrepreneurial talents in Europe is what makes START Summit a must-attend conference for speakers and partners.

START Summit offers something for everyone. Whether you’re a student seeking an employment opportunity, an entrepreneur looking for a footing to found your company or an investor interested in fresh thinking and new ideas. You may be a business leader looking to expand into thought leadership or an employer scoping out the talent pool for the brightest minds to bring into your team. Wherever you’re at, you’ll find what you’re looking for at START Summit.

Summit: A History

6000

Since the inaugural START Summit conference in 1997, our global network has grown to over 6,000 strong and our START alumni have gone on to do some incredible things like SumUp, TradeRepublic and Amorelie.

3500

The best start-ups find their beginning at START Summit. Each year, we’re pleased to welcome over 3,500 start-up founders, students, entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders through our doors, where they expand their minds and broaden their horizons by building valuable connections.

2016

It has long been our goal to make sure we’re sustainable and professional in what we do. To keep us on track, we set up the START Foundation in 2016. Formed around the unique Entrepreneur’s Circle, the Foundation is the backbone of START Global, supporting our international team in delivering the START initiative.

SUMMIT 2023

Jump between stage sessions, keynotes, side events and workshops to build valuable connections, access expert advice and learn about the latest developments in the industry.

During the two-day Summit, you’ll be able to leverage our speed-dating and matchmaking service to spark those all-important conversations that could shape your future.

Discover what the entrepreneurial ecosystem is all about at the START Fair, pitch your venture to industry leaders and some of Europe’s most respected VCs at the pitching competition, and open the door to new ways of thinking by networking on START Global’s collaborative platform.

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CHECK OUT OUR SPEAKERS

FAQ

General
Arriving at the conference
At the event
Tickets
Investors
Start-ups
Students

FAQ

General

WHERE WILL START SUMMIT 2024 TAKE PLACE?

START Summit 2024 will take place in the Olma Halls in St Gallen on 21st-22nd March 2024. For our investors, media and partners, we will have our special 0-Day!

WHERE CAN I REGISTER FOR THE ONLINE PLATFORM?

Being registered in our online platform is the key to experiencing Summit to its fullest! After buying your ticket, you’ll receive your registration link in an email. The platform will open on 6th March so that you can schedule meetings and register for formats and events, so make sure you’re signed up in good time, and don’t forget to download the mobile app prior to your visit!

CAN I SCHEDULE MEETINGS IN ADVANCE?

Yes – pre-scheduling your meetings is an important part of making sure you can enjoy a productive START Summit. You can use the filter to differentiate between nationality, industry and job, and you’ll be able to book your meetings in our online platform or within the app.

HOW DO I CONTACT THE START SUMMIT TEAM?

Getting in touch with our team is really easy – all you need to do is send us an email at growth@startsummit.ch and we’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.

DO I NEED TO REGISTER FOR WORKSHOPS?

Yes, due to limited seats in our workshop sessions, you’ll have to be quick and register before they’re all taken. You can register for workshops via our online platform.

Arriving at the conference

WHERE CAN I STAY DURING START SUMMIT?

We’ve gathered a list of partner hotels where attendees can stay during the Summit. If you’d prefer a quieter stay, there are some nice hotels just outside of the city and it will only take you around 20 minutes to commute to the conference halls with public transportation. We will ensure that the Summit is easily reachable by bus or train from every stay. You can find more info about hotels in St. Gallen here.

WHERE IS THE CLOSEST AIRPORT?

The closest airport is Zürich, which is approximately an hour away by train.

HOW CAN I CLAIM MY BADGE?

You will be able to claim your badge prior to the conference at the Kornhausplatz on Wednesday, starting at 10 am. If you’re an HSG student, you can also claim your badge at the University (in building 09) on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the Summit week. We highly recommend that you claim your badge prior to the conference days in order to avoid extensive queuing!

At the event

HOW DO I GET TO THE VENUE?

The city offers great public transport links, and a lot of our attendees travel to the venue this way. You can find out more here.

WHEN DOES THE EVENT START?

The event starts at around 10 am on both days and will last until 7 pm on the 23rd and until 10 pm on the 24th, after the afterparty finishes.

IS THERE AN EVENING PROGRAM AT START SUMMIT?

Yes! One of the coolest and most popular side events is our pub crawl, where you and fellow Summiteers will get to know the St. Gallen bar scene. We’ve also planned an amazing afterparty, which will take place on the 24th starting at 9 pm.

Tickets

HOW CAN I PAY FOR MY TICKET?

The preferred payment method is via credit card, but if you don’t own a credit card, please contact growth@startsummit.ch and we’ll offer you the option of paying via bank transfer or PayPal.

WHERE CAN I FIND MY TICKETS?

After buying your tickets, you’ll receive an email with an invitation link where you’ll be able to register on the event platform. If you bought more than one ticket, you can use the invitation link multiple times. Note that the proper tickets in QR-format will only be generated shortly before the Summit. Until then, you only need to sign up on our event platform, Brella.

CAN I CHANGE THE INFORMATION ON MY TICKETS?

The name of the ticket holder only needs to be declared when registering for the platform. After that, you won’t be able to change the name on your ticket. If you need further assistance, please get in touch with us at growth@startsummit.ch.

DO I NEED TO PRINT MY TICKET?

You won’t need to print your ticket to enter the event – we’ll just need to scan the ticket QC code in your app. 

CAN I TRANSFER MY TICKET TO ANOTHER PERSON?

Yes, but only under special circumstances. If that applies to your situation, please reach out to growth@startsummit.ch.

CAN I BUY A PASS ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE?

Yes, you will be able to buy tickets for your team. You can declare at check-out who will be joining the conference.

WILL I BE REFUNDED IF I CAN’T MAKE IT?

By default, START Summit tickets are non-refundable. However, if the inability to attend was caused by extenuating circumstances, we may be able to refund your ticket. Please get in touch with our team. 

DOES EVERY MEMBER OF MY START-UP NEED THEIR OWN TICKET?

Yes, our start-up ticket is only valid for one person.

Investors

WHO CAN BUY AN INVESTOR TICKET?

If you’re a decision-maker for a firm interested in investing in start-ups or venture capital funds, the investor ticket is for you. You might be a VC, Angel, LP or CVC. 

WHAT KIND OF START-UPS CAN I FIND AT START SUMMIT?

START Summit offers a huge variety of start-ups from different sectors. We divide start-ups into different verticals (such as FinTech, DeepTech, Consumer, etc.) so you’ll be able to find start-ups in your sector of interest as easily as possible. You’ll mostly find pre-Seed, Seed and Series-A start-ups, but there may also be well-established companies that have already passed these stages in attendance.

CAN I BOOK ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS WITH START-UPS OR OTHERS PRIOR TO THE EVENT?

Yes! Our in-app Matchmaking tool lets you reliably connect with investors and other members in the  START Global entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Matchmaking tool enables participants to discover the most interesting fellow attendees and schedule meetings with them in advance of the Summit. You’ll be able to filter participants by industry, funding stage, or nationality.

HOW CAN I CONTACT THE SUMMIT TEAM?

If you have any business inquiries, you can reach out to our team at growth@startsummit.ch.

CAN MY COMPANY MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT AT START SUMMIT?

If your fund/company would like to make a special announcement (e.g. new fund closing) at the Summit, please reach out to growth@startsummit.ch!

Start-ups

WHO CAN BUY A START-UP TICKET?

Every employee, intern, or founder is eligible to buy a start-up ticket. Please note that each start-up ticket is only valid for one person and not the whole start-up team.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR THE SUMMITEER PITCHING COMPETITION?

Unfortunately, applications for the Summiteer pitching competition at the 2023 Summit have now closed.

HOW CAN I APPLY FOR A START FAIR BOOTH?

Unfortunately, applications for START Fair booths at the 2023 Summit have now closed.

CAN I BOOK ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS WITH INVESTORS OR OTHER START-UPS PRIOR TO THE EVENT?

Yes! Our in-app Matchmaking tool lets you reliably connect with investors and other members in the  START Global entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Matchmaking tool enables participants to discover the most interesting fellow attendees and schedule meetings with them in advance of the Summit. You’ll be able to filter participants by industry, funding stage, or nationality.

Students

WHICH FORMATS REQUIRE REGISTRATION?

Registration is required for our workshops, as there are a limited number of seats available. You’ll need to upload a copy of your CV in order to register, so make sure you have an up-to-date version ready.

DO YOU OFFER FREE ACCOMMODATION?

Yes! However, we can only offer a limited number of free sleeping places. Unfortunately, we’ve already allocated all our spots following the first-come, first-served principle. If you want to get waitlisted, please reach out to growth@startsummit.ch.

Discover more of what START Global has to offer

START Hack

Create, collaborate, code and compete at our annual hackathon.

Run by students, for students, START Hack bridges the gap between the worlds of business and technology to create exciting opportunities for talented young developers, including the chance to win life-changing and project-launching prize money.

DISCOVER START HACK

START Fellowship

Set foot on the path to your dream career with START Fellowship — the exclusive accelerator program designed to break social barriers and offer equal entrepreneurial opportunities for all.

During the eight months you’re with us, you’ll receive expert guidance and business mentoring, providing lessons that will stick with you for life.

DISCOVER START FELLOWSHIP