Researcher — sTARTUp Day - Most Startup-Minded Business Festival

Researcher

The Researcher ticket is for academics and scientists who want to explore how their research can create real-world impact. Join sTARTUp Day to connect with entrepreneurs, investors, and partners, and discover new ways to link science with business.

What’s in it for you??


Meet like-minded researchers and entrepreneurs from all over the world

sTARTUp Day brings together thousands of people who share a passion for innovation and impact. The Researcher ticket is a chance to connect not only with founders, investors, and ecosystem builders, but also with fellow researchers who are equally interested in entrepreneurship and collaboration.

It’s an opportunity to exchange experiences with peers facing similar questions, explore how others have linked research with business, and find partners who can help you take your work further. Whether you’re just curious about commercialization or ready to start a venture, you’ll discover both inspiration and practical contacts here.


A program full of trends, experience and inspiration

The program offers opportunities to hear different perspectives and gain useful knowledge. You can expect discussions on the future of innovation, practical sessions that support entrepreneurial skills, and examples of how ideas have been turned into action. These will help you think about how your own expertise could create value outside of academia.

Check out the speaker line-up for sTARTUp Day 2026!


Unforgettable side events that bring together communities

During the festival, Tartu hosts many side events where people can connect in a more informal way. Whether you join a workshop, a tour, or an evening gathering, these events make it easy to meet new people, exchange experiences, and explore possibilities for cooperation.


Explore the latest innovations at the demo area

The demo area showcases startups, companies, and organizations working with new technologies and approaches. For researchers, it is a chance to see how ideas are developed and tested, and to meet potential partners who are interested in applying research in practice.


The legendary sTARTUp Night

Yes, research can be super fun, too! In the evenings, participants come together in a more relaxed setting. sTARTUp Night is an opportunity to continue conversations, make new contacts, and enjoy the community atmosphere after a full day of learning and networking.


A unique festival atmosphere

sTARTUp Day combines the structure of a business conference with the openness of a festival. Alongside the program and networking opportunities, you’ll find a friendly environment where it’s easy to approach new people, exchange ideas, and enjoy the experience.


Tickets from €109

Tickets

All ticket types grant access to all three festival days on 28-30 January 2026. If you're not sure which ticket to get, check out our FAQ section. 

Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.

Visitor

159 €
BUY NOW
Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.

Ecosystem

159 €
BUY NOW
Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.

Startup

139 €
BUY NOW
Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.

Investor

209 €
BUY NOW
Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.

Executive

209 €
BUY NOW
Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.

Researcher

159€
BUY NOW
Venue access
Ϟ Day 0: Side Events on January 28
Ϟ Day 1 on January 29
Ϟ Day 2 on January 30
Matchmaking
This is where the magic happens. Through our matchmaking app, you can schedule 20-minute meetings with participants and meet them at our matchmaking area. General access to the matchmaking app will be available at the beginning of the festival week.
Stage program
There will be three stages at sTARTUp Day 2026 – Starlight Stage, Insight Stage, and Pitching Stage – with speakers and presenters who cover a variety of topics for every taste.
Explore the Demo Area
This is the Mecca of Entrepreneurship! Explore the latest innovations and discover new products, services, friends, opportunities and perhaps, your new career challenge.
sTARTUp Night
The legendary sTARTUp Night wraps up the first conference day on January 29. The afterparty is bringing together the coolest festival visitors, good music, and lots of surprises!
Seminars
Practical seminars to sharpen & level up your skills.
Side events
Vibrant side events take place all over Tartu before and during the official festival.
Early access to matchmaking app
With early access, you’ll gain access to our matchmaking app two weeks earlier than most people. Use the opportunity to get a head start and request meetings with the hottest participants before all their slots are full.
VIP Reception
Celebrate the beginning of sTARTUp Day in style! The VIP Reception brings together speakers, investors & executives for an unforgettable night.
VIP Lounge access
Escape to your lounge where you can kick back and relax, get some work done, or prep for the next meeting.
Investor Day
Investor Day on January 28 is an exclusive investors' meetup to share experiences, learn from each other, and create meaningful contacts. Structured in a way you'd feel both elevated by and busy with new ideas while leaving enough room for networking.
Executive Breakfast
Executive Breakfast on January 29 before the main program is about taking the time to listen, talk, and network with other leaders alongside delicious food. This is the place to bounce your thoughts and learn about challenges and solutions across different industries.
Private Q&A with speakers
All Executive, Investor, and Speaker pass holders can join private Q&A sessions at the VIP Hall to ask speakers further questions after their presentations.
List of attending investors
Startups will see the participating investors' list (investor's name + investment fund's name) which enables them to request meetings with the right investors through our matchmaking app.
List of attending startups
There are over 300 unique startups at sTARTUp Day, which can be quite overwhelming at times. We'll send you a database of all of the participating startups so you can browse through them all and select the ones you want to meet beforehand.
Personalised startup matches
With the help of our good friends from Dealum, we will find the most relevant startup matches based on each investor’s profile. This means that investors will get a list of hand-selected startups that meet their requirements, making it even easier to meet the right startup.
Visibility at sTARTUp Day website
All validated startups and the biggest VC funds will be featured on the sTARTUp Day website.