The Global Startup Awards celebrates 13 global winners, more than 450,000 public ecosystem votes for Edition 11, and finalist representation from 65 countries during its most internationally diverse edition to date.

May 11, 2026 - The Global Startup Awards (GSA) has officially concluded its 11th edition, marking a historic milestone in the organisation’s journey to empower and connect the world’s most promising startups, founders, investors, and ecosystem builders.

Held on May 7-8, this year’s Global Finale took place for the first time as an integrated part of the EU-Startups Summit, one of Europe’s leading gatherings for founders and investors. The collaboration was made possible by MeOut Group, the investor behind the Global Startup Awards and the parent company of EU-Startups, bringing together two of the world’s most influential startup platforms under one roof.

Edition 11 saw extraordinary global participation. From 71,671 nominations worldwide, the competition narrowed the field to 181 global finalists representing 65 countries, culminating in 13 global winners. This year also marked the first time the Awards Ceremony featured representation from across six continents, reflecting the truly global reach of the competition.

The competition now spans 156 countries across nine fresh regional competitions, connecting local innovation ecosystems to a global platform for visibility, opportunity, and cross-border collaboration.

Global Startup Awards Edition 11 Winners

The winners of the 11th Edition are:

In addition to the jury-selected winners, Edition 11 reached a record-breaking level of public engagement, with more than 450,000 public votes cast worldwide.

During the ceremony, the top five ecosystem favourites were revealed on screen.

The People’s Choice Award was won by Rakhima Nugmanova from Uzbekistan.

Top public voting highlights include GAG Token from Türkiye, the fintech startup with the highest number of votes; Asharqia Chamber Business Incubator from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the incubator with the highest number of public votes, and the incubator ranked 3rd in their category on a global level; Alagan Mahalingam, the founder with the highest number of public votes; and Eduard Anghel, the founder with the second-highest number of votes.

The Global Finale was moderated by Daniel Cronin, also known as The Pitch Professor, who guided the audience through a celebration of global entrepreneurship, innovation, and ecosystem impact.

Building Innovation Bridges to Europe

As part of the Global Grand Finale Days, the GSA brought international ecosystem partners into the heart of one of Europe’s leading startup gatherings, creating new bridges between global innovation ecosystems and the European startup community.

This was reflected through the presence of e.g., IT Park Uzbekistan, the official global partner of this edition, who joined the GSA in co-hosting the invite-only GSA Breakfast Club on the morning of May 8. The curated gathering was designed to connect select founders, investors, ecosystem leaders, and international partners, opening new pathways for cross-border collaboration, investment, and deal flow.

The moment reflected a broader shift in the global startup landscape, where innovation is accelerating across new territories and creating new opportunities for Europe to connect more deeply with emerging ecosystems around the world.

“The global startup ecosystem is going through a tremendous transformation. AI has dramatically lowered the barriers to building products, access to funding, knowledge, and ecosystems has never been greater, and governments and cities across the world are strengthening innovation infrastructure. As a result, we are seeing stronger startups emerge from new territories, something clearly reflected in this year’s global winners. At the same time, this creates a major opportunity for Europe to build new innovation bridges globally while continuing to strengthen its own ecosystem from within,” said Kim Balle, CEO and Co-founder of the Global Startup Awards.

GSA CEO and Co-founder, Kim Balle, in conversation with Nodirbek Makhkamov from IT Park Uzbekistan during their fireside chat

From left to right; Vlastimil Hrabral (Kardi AI), Pavel Digana (Kardi AI), and Cia Prior (TBDC)

The event was joined by other international partners, including the Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC), further demonstrating the GSA’s role as a bridge between ecosystems outside Europe. TBDC presented the Best Health Tech Startup award to Kardi AI from the Czech Republic, a moment with special significance, as Kardi AI is one of TBDC’s alumni startups. This created a powerful full-circle moment that reflected the continuity, trust, and global connectedness that define today’s startup ecosystem.

Global Grand Finale Returns to Denmark in 2027

During the finale, Kim Balle, CEO and Co-founder of the Global Startup Awards, announced a significant next chapter for the platform. After bringing the Global Finale to major international destinations including China, Malaysia, and Türkiye, the GSA will bring the finale back to its home country.

In 2027, the Global Grand Finale Days will take place in Denmark.

“After years of bringing the Global Finale to some of the world’s most dynamic startup ecosystems, it is time to bring it home for the next edition,” said Kim Balle, CEO and Co-founder of the Global Startup Awards.

“Denmark is where our story began, and as we continue to grow our global network, we are proud to create a new chapter that reconnects the world’s most promising innovators to the heart of our own ecosystem.”

About Global Startup Awards

The Global Startup Startup (GSA) is the world’s largest startup ecosystem platform, which covers 156 countries worldwide. The GSA discovers and empowers high-growth and innovative entrepreneurs and their startups through global competitions, events, collaboration, and community.

About MeOut Group

MeOut Group is a leading network of organisations that focus on innovation and education. Through its portfolio of platforms, media brands, and initiatives, MeOut Group enables startup ecosystems to grow, scale, and collaborate globally. The group is the investor behind the Global Startup Awards and the parent company of EU-Startups.

About EU-Startups

EU-Startups, part of MeOut Group, is the leading online publication focused on startups across Europe.

In addition, EU-Startups organises the annual EU-Startups Summit to gather Europe’s top founders and investors for two exciting days of networking, inspiration and learning. Founded in 2010, EU-Startups set out to connect the European startup scene and to encourage/boost tech entrepreneurship throughout Europe.

GLOBAL STARTUP AWARDS CONCLUDES WITH HISTORIC GLOBAL FINALE AT EU-STARTUPS SUMMIT