European innovations transforming Human and Planetary Health
Are you ready to become the Next Big Thing in European Life Science?
Think your startup has what it takes to transform human or planetary health?
Eight of Europe’s most promising life science startups will take the spotlight and battle it out live on stage, pitching their breakthrough innovations in front of investors, industry leaders, and influential partners.
This is your chance to gain visibility, connect with leading VCs, and showcase your solution to the ecosystem shaping the future of life science.
Applications are closed!
Supporting partner:
The Deep Tech Pitch Competition is supported by the Microsoft.
Want to increase your chances of being selected?
“Get picked”: TechBBQ x Fundraising Bootcamp Webinar
Ready to be our top pitch applicant?
This intensive 90-minute deep dive is designed to help you, founders, craft a winning application for the TechBBQ 2026 Pitch Competitions (North Star Pitch, Life Science and Deep Tech pitch competitions).
Why attend?
In this session, Fundraising Bootcamp will break down exactly what our selection committees and investors are looking for in terms of business model, scalability, market impact and so much more.
It was a live session, but no problem!
We have the link to the recorded webinar. Watch and make sure you don’t miss a single tip to optimize your application.
About the Life Science Pitch Competition
TechBBQ is excited to present the Life Science Pitch Competition, supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
This year, 8 promising European life science startups will be selected to pitch live on stage during the TechBBQ 2026 Summit, showcasing innovative solutions addressing challenges in Human Health and Planetary Health.
Applicants are required to submit a pitch deck as part of their application and are invited to upload a short video to further present their startup and technology.
Who can apply?
Startups that:
• Are based in Europe
• Operate within Life Science, addressing Human Health or Planetary Health
• Are early-stage (< €2M in funding)
• Have a validated concept, prototype, or early scientific proof of concept
• Are independent companies (not subsidiaries)
Note: Applications are not open to consultancies, agencies, developers, marketing/advertising agencies, or public companies.
Video Submission
We highly recommend you to upload a video. The video must not exceed 1 minute in duration and should be in English.
DON’T PUT SUBTITLES ON THE VIDEO
Please note that the video is not a pitch video. The video is a PRODUCT/SERVICE DEMO meaning that you must showcase your product/service/process/technology using the technical details and guide below.
Technical requirements:
• Landscape: Horizontal
• Quality: HD (the higher the quality, the better)
• Sound: Clear sound, minimize background noise
• Video: A maximum of 1 minutes and in English
Please use this format (roughly):
• Introduce your startup name and one-liner (20 sec)
• Show your product/service/process/technology (Important that you focus on good quality video in this part and that it is showing your solution, not just you talking (30 sec)
• Outro (10 sec)
Tips:
• Have a product? Show that beauty!
• Have a digital solution? Record your screen!
• Have a service/process? Show your screen/people using the service/doing that process!
• Have a secret? Tell us that you do, since the video will be used for promotional purposes at the award show, online and after the competition.
Newer phones can take good video but REMEMBER to film landscape/horizontal! Macbooks have iMovie, where you can edit your video and Windows computers have a Video Editor.
ENGLISH
Max 1 MIN
Landscape orientation
Clear sound
Judging Criteria
Applications will be evaluated by the jury based on the following criteria. Each criterion will be scored from 1 (low) to 10 (high).
1. Quality of the idea
• The idea should be clearly presented and logically structured.
• It should demonstrate a strong understanding of the problem and be grounded in relevant experience, education, or scientific knowledge.
• The application should clearly explain what makes the idea innovative and how it differs from existing or competing solutions.
2. Impact
• The solution should show clear potential for users, customers, and market demand, ideally including international opportunities.
• It should also demonstrate the potential to address significant societal or environmental challenges while being financially sustainable.
3. Execution strategy
• The team should demonstrate the skills and experience needed to develop the idea, or present a credible plan to acquire them.
• The idea should be technically, legally, and commercially feasible, with a realistic plan for development and time to market.
4. Quality of the pitch (for the 8 finalists)
• Finalists will also be evaluated on the clarity, structure, and persuasiveness of their live pitch at the TechBBQ Summit.
• Pitching rules:
• 2-minute pitch followed by 3 minutes of Q&A with the jury
• No additional slides may be shown once the pitch time is over
• Startups that continue presenting after their time may be disqualified
Impact
Execution
innovation
Pitch
Timeline & Agenda
AGENDA
Applications open:
April 7th, 2026
Deadline to apply:
May 22nd, 2026
Selected startups announced:
End of June 2026
Final pitch during Summit:
August 27th, 2026
FAQ
Yes it is free, but keep in mind that if you are selected to pitch on stage, you will need to travel to Copenhagen (your ticket to access TechBBQ is covered).
No, it’s not mandatory, but we HIGHLY recommend that you upload a video of 1 minute or less, in English. PLEASE DO NOT ADD SUBTITLES TO THE VIDEO.
The prize money is 50,000 DKK (6,700 €) for first place. There will also be second and third places, but these prizes will not include a cash prize.
Yes. All finalists must partake in mandatory pitch training provided by TechBBQ to assist your preparation.
Each startup pitch will be 2 minutes followed by a 3 minute Q&A with the judging panel.
Applications are open to all European Life Science startups that meet the criteria described above. However, consultancies, agencies, developers, marketing/advertising agencies, or public companies are not eligible to apply. Additionally, previous finalists in the Life Science Pitch competition 2023, 2024 and 2025 cannot participate.