Slush, the renowned global innovation meeting held annually in Helsinki, Finland, has chosen the ecosystem of Bizkaia and Bilbao as the venue for its first edition in the region. Thanks to the support of the Basque Government, through its business development agency SPRI, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and Bilbao City Council, the event will take place on February 20th at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC), where more than 200 international investors, including VCs, venture debt, corporate venture capital and business angels, will meet with more than 150 startups and key players in international innovation, creating a bridge between southern Europe and the Nordic-Baltic ecosystems.
Bilbao Slush’D is an extension of the global Slush event, designed to accelerate the growth of startups and connect local innovation ecosystems with the international community. In the Basque Country, the event will be tailored to the unique characteristics of the region, facilitating the connection between the Nordic-Baltic ecosystems and the entrepreneurial dynamism of a leading innovation hub in Southern Europe, backed by entrepreneurship policies and the drive of its companies and startups.
AN EVENT BACKED BY ECOSYSTEM LEADERS
Bilbao Slush’D will feature a full programme of panels with world-class experts, a startup competition, interactive workshops dedicated to scalability, sustainability and global business models, and networking sessions that will drive strategic collaboration and global transformation of the ecosystem.
Highlights include the pitch competition, where startups will be able to stand out and gain visibility through the Premios EmprendeXXI, awarded in collaboration with CaixaBank DayOne, ENISA y SPRI, as well as the innovative reverse pitch, where investors will share their funds’ investment theses with participating startups.
The event, led by BayLoop Ventures and its founders Elena Popovici y David Cabezón, also has the institutional backing of the Bizkaia Business Confederation (CEBEK), BBK, and strategic partners such as ICEX, Endeavor, Google for Startups, Deloitte, Letslaw and Letsfinance.
In addition, the Embassy of Finland in Spain, Business Finland, Team Iberia, the Republic of Estonia (through its programme for global entrepreneurs, e-Residency), the Ministry of Industry and Tourism (through ENISA) and CaixaBank DayOne also collaborate with the aim of strengthening the entrepreneurial and technological ecosystem.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS AND VISIONARIES OF THE ECOSYSTEM
Bilbao Slush’D will feature speakers of the stature of the founder of the meeting and creator of Angry Birds, Peter Vesterbacka; the CEO of Softonic, Fiona Garvey; the co-founder and investor of Penneo and Sepior, Nicolaj Højer Nielsen; Finland’s Ambassador to Spain, Sari Rautio; and, as headliners, Agur Jõgi, CTO of Pipedrive, one of the 10 Estonian unicorns; Wouter Draijer, founder of SolarMente and Laura Kankaala, Director of Threat Intelligence at F-Secure Corporation, one of the world’s leading cybersecurity experts.
On a national and international level, Slush’D will count on funds of the stature of JME Ventures, Notion Capital, Tenity, Plug and Play, Kfund, Adara Ventures, Cometa VC, Lumo Labs, Cardumen Capital, Enzo Ventures, Perseo Ventures (Iberdrola), G+D Ventures, Acurio Ventures, Actyus o Encomenda Capital Partners, which will be part of this edition under the North-to-North strategy. In addition, there will be activities typical of its founding essence, such as the BBK Unicorn Night or its unmistakable Afterparty.
BBK UNICORN NIGHT: DRIVING CONNECTIONS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
BBK Unicorn Night, an official event of Bilbao Slush’D, was originally created at Hanken Business School in Finland and is now sponsored by BBK and supported by the Republic of Estonia in our region. This pre-event, which will take place on February 19th, will bring together visionary founders, investors and ecosystem leaders from the Nordic countries and beyond. It aims to highlight the potential of Basque and Estonian startups, fostering cross-border synergies that promote sustainability and inclusion. With a focus on sustainable growth, BBK Unicorn Night will feature keynotes, panel discussions and networking opportunities designed to inspire collaboration and innovation towards a better future.
BILBAO SLUSH’D FOUNDERS’ INSIGHTS
“Bilbao Slush’D 2025 is not just an event, it is the meeting point where the Basque Country connects with the world. We merge Nordic innovation with local entrepreneurship, building bridges between business cultures, catapulting startups towards global scalability and positioning the Basque Country as the epicentre of innovation, sustainability and disruptive impact”, states Elena Popovici, co-director of Bilbao Slush’D 2025.
“This event shows that being small does not limit us, but allows us to be agile, bold and disruptive. Here we connect with the most visionary investors, founders and venture capitalists, challenging the norms to create scalable innovation and build the future. From Euskadi to the unicorn factory of Europe and to the world”, claims David Cabezón, co- director of Bilbao Slush’D 2025.