Two days, 3,400 attendees, over 100 venture capital funds and strong investment momentum for startups and scaleups at Luxexpo the Box.
Andrea Kuhfuss
Luxembourg Venture Days 2025 brought together startups and investors in record numbers for two dynamic days of exchange, inspiration and forward momentum. Held at Luxexpo the Box and organised by Luxinnovation, Luxembourg’s national innovation agency with LPEA, the Luxembourg Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, the event offered investors a curated deal flow supported by leading VC funds in Europe and key ecosystem players and it confirmed Luxembourg’s role as a prospering hub for innovation and investment in the heart of Europe.
This year’s event welcomed a vibrant and international crowd, with almost 3,400 attendees, including over 330 investors. 35% of participants travelled from abroad to take part in 52 sessions ranging from panels and showcases to masterclasses, pitches and reverse pitches. The programme featured over 360 speakers, with 65 startups pitching for one of 20 spots in the Fit 4 Start programme.
At its core, Luxembourg Venture Days is designed to connect Europe’s most promising startups and scaleups with the investors who can accelerate their growth. This year, matchmaking was facilitated through the fully revamped event app, which enabled over 580 meeting requests and sparked close to 2,000 online discussions among participants, turning conversations into concrete opportunities and creating value for entrepreneurs, investors and the wider innovation ecosystem. Institutions such as the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund added weight to the programme and highlighted the importance and European dimension of the event.
The programme featured a rich mix of perspectives, from policymakers and global leaders to visionary founders and investors.
Setting the tone early on during his speech introducing the second edition of the Humanitarian Innovation Accelerator (HIA), the World Food Programme’s Innovation Accelerator, Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel reflected on Luxembourg’s motto: “We want to stay as we are, but this doesn’t mean that we want to stay where we are.” He stressed the importance of maintaining public trust, especially when taxpayer money is used for humanitarian aid.
Bernhard Kowatsch, Director of the UN World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator, highlighted how technology, data, AI, mobile and blockchain can transform humanitarian aid, introducing eight startups working in this space.
Building on this theme, Jagan Chapagain, CEO and Secretary General of the IFRC, emphasised how innovation enables faster response and stronger recovery in times of crisis.
A highlight of the closing ceremony, attended by HRH Grand Duke Guillaume, was the unveiling of the 16th Fit 4 Start cohort. Lex Delles, Minister for the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, took the opportunity to announce the launch of the Fit 4 Scale programme, reinforcing Luxembourg’s commitment to scaling innovation. He also confirmed the certification of Fit 4 Start as an EIC plug-in scheme, aligned with the national 10-point action plan.
Bringing a human-centred lens to venture building, Jillian Manus, Managing Partner at Structure Capital and U.S. Venture Advisor to the European Innovation Council, reminded us during her keynote speech:
“It is rarely the products that fail, it is most often the people.”
She urged founders to lead with empathy and immerse themselves in their customers’ world.
In a fireside chat, entrepreneur and philanthropist Alexandre Mars, who is the founder of blisce/, an investment firm committed to investing differently, shared his belief that venture capital can deliver both impact and performance:
“You can find really good startups and outperform almost any other fund with them.”
He called on Europe to invest in its own data infrastructure to ensure digital sovereignty.
Other thematic sessions spotlighted defence (led by the NATO Innovation Fund, with partner Sander Verbrugge), cleantech (led by Cleantech Scandinavia, cybersecurity (led by 33N) and corporate venture capital (led by the Luxembourg CVC Club).
Over the course of two days, 65 startups pitched for a spot in the next Fit 4 Start cohort. Congratulations to the 20 startups selected across the digital, healthtech and space tracks!
Digital:
CryptaCount (Luxembourg), Djooky (Ukraine), Mobile AI Waste Scan (CRAB) (Luxembourg), MoveMe (Luxembourg), Offinite (Luxembourg), PanIAM (Luxembourg), RoasterCup (Luxembourg), Scrioo (Luxembourg), Tenta Vision (Germany), WiziPet (Luxembourg)
Healthtech:
AutiHD (Luxembourg), CalorAI (Luxembourg), Hale-X (Luxembourg), Lihoury Project (Luxembourg), Sendance (Austria)
Space:
BabAI Orbital (Estonia), Lyrasense (United Kingdom), Muotech (Poland), Spargo Space (United States), Tumi Robotics Space (Luxembourg)
The unique concept of this event, uniting all players in the ecosystem alongside investment funds to deliver a high-quality programme and curated investment opportunities, will continue to drive Luxembourg’s startup ecosystem as it grows and continues to gain global relevance. From bold ideas to meaningful connections, the event offered a glimpse into the future of entrepreneurship, investment and innovation.
Pre-registration for the 2026 edition is now open.
