SCALE-UP EUROPE 2025 HIGHLIGHTS
We at Global Startup Awards were thrilled to take part in Scale-Up Europe 2025 on 12 November at Copenhagen City Hall — an inspiring gathering of Europe’s leading founders, policymakers, investors, and innovation leaders.
Organized by our partners at Global Entrepreneurship Week Denmark and Danske Iværksættere, the event created the perfect space for bold conversations about the future of European innovation, smarter scale-up conditions, and stronger cross-border collaboration.
PITCH COMPETITION
As part of the program, GSA proudly hosted a pitch competition moderated by Lejla Omerinovic, GSA Marketing Director, featuring three outstanding startups from our network:
HeyPipe™ is a public/private startup aiming at a) developing AI to extract valuable data from point clouds and b) reducing excavation damage using AI and data sharing. HeyPipe Aps was founded in mid-2024 by Aarhus Vand, Arkil, and LE34.
Skypuzzler is a Danish deep-tech company enabling safe and scalable drone operations in Europe. An advanced software provides real-time strategic and tactical Conflict Resolution Services to avoid collisions in the air.
Triba Health focuses on helping people with type 2 diabetes through expert-guided lifestyle and nutrition interventions.
JURY BOARD
Marius Ipsen, Vice President (Nordic Alpha Partners)
Kim Balle, CEO and Co-founder (XO Group; GSA)
Kirsten Kjær Skott, Special Advisor (Danish Patent and Trademark Office)
As the opening for our segment, our CEO Kim Balle kicked things off with a keynote reflecting on the opportunities and challenges of scaling in Europe, setting the scene for the pitch competition.
After each pitch, the jury engaged the founders in a thoughtful and inspiring conversation, offering valuable questions, insights, and perspectives that enriched the discussion and helped the audience gain a clearer understanding of each startup before casting their votes.
After three strong pitches, insightful input from the jury and active voting from the audience, Triba Health was announced as the winner. Congratulations on an impressive performance and a well-deserved recognition!
A huge thank you also goes to Global Entrepreneurship Week Denmark and Danske Iværksættere for having us, to our jury members Marius Ipsen, Kim Balle, and Kirsten Kjær Skott for their valuable insights, and to HeyPipe™, Skypuzzler, and Triba Health for bringing their inspiring ideas to the stage.
Key Messages from Scale-Up Europe
Throughout the afternoon, speakers from government, industry, and the startup community highlighted both the urgency and the opportunity ahead for Europe. A central theme stood out:
👉 Europe must stop slowing itself down.
From regulatory complexity to limited access to patient capital, the message was clear: if Europe wants to compete globally, we need to make it easier — not harder — for startups to grow, scale, and stay in Europe.
Some standout perspectives included:
“If we want to compete in the global tech race, we need to stand united as a continent.”
“We’re not ready to explain how companies should comply with new regulation — yet we’re still creating more”
“We see more accountants and not startups — that’s not how it should be.”
Entrepreneurs like Ken Villum Klausen (Lunar), who is also one of GSA’s unicorns in the alumni network, and Rasmus Holst (Zensai) echoed the need for a refreshed approach to risk, access to capital, and scale. Without it, Europe risks losing its strongest contenders long before they reach their full potential.
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What’s Next?
Clusters Meet Regions — December 3–4
Our work doesn’t stop here.
On December 3–4, GSA will co-host Clusters Meet Regions (CMR) together with Innovation District Copenhagen — held in Denmark for the first time ever.
CMR, an initiative under the European Commission, brings together startups, clusters, investors, ministries, and innovation actors to explore coordinated, cross-border collaboration and better funding and policy environments for European innovation.
Europe has the talent and the ideas — now we need the right conditions to let them flourish.