Greece’s startup scene took another major step forward onto the global stage as Grandmama was named the winner of the Startup World Cup Greece Regional Finals 2025, powered by Aivitam Ventures (The Future Media), Panis Media, and SuiHub. The company will now represent the vibrant Greek ecosystem at the competition’s Grand Finale in San Francisco on October 17, 2025, where a $1 million investment prize awaits.
The Greek finals were held at SuiHub in Athens, drawing a packed audience of founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders for an evening with talks and strategic networking connecting the dots. The regional competition is part of the global Startup World Cup series organized by Pegasus Tech Ventures, with local operations led by Aivitam Ventures and Panis Media, supported by Areti Charidemou as law partner, the amazing SuiHub as host partner, and Startup Greece as an ecosystem partner. The event was moderated by Artem Rodichev, Head of Business Development at Aivitam Ventures.
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The evening started with a welcome note from the co-founder of SUI Foundation and Mysten Labs, Kostas Chalkias. Kostas said that hackathons and innovation contests were instrumental in his career, helping him move from Greece to Silicon Valley. He urged finalists to view participation and feedback as key steps toward global success.
Alex Lubnevskiy, Regional Ambassador of Pegasus Tech Ventures, welcomed the audience by highlighting the scale of the Startup World Cup, a global competition with over 100 regional events in more than 80 countries, culminating in the Grand Finale in San Francisco with a $1 million investment prize. He underlined Pegasus Tech Ventures’ track record of backing companies like SpaceX, Airbnb, and Coinbase, and stressed the mission of the Startup World Cup: to uncover visionary startups and connect the global entrepreneurial community.
Ioannis Alvanopoulos, Global Head of Solutions Engineering at Mysten Labs, introduced Sui’s decentralized stack, explaining how the blockchain was designed for speed, security, and real-world applications. He highlighted that Sui achieves high throughput and low latency through its novel data model and programming language, Move, making it possible to scale blockchain technology beyond experiments into everyday use cases. Alvanopoulos also noted that the newly opened Sui Hub in Athens is open to all, aiming to foster collaboration and support the growth of Greece’s role in the global blockchain ecosystem.
At Startup World Cup Greece, eleven startups showcased the strength and diversity of the country’s innovation scene, spanning AI, biotech, energy, mobility, Web3, and maritime technology. The finalists included PaperLab.ai, Kelpiebloom, AlongRoute, Laddroller, Bitloops, HugeOne.io, Optimems Smart Energy Solutions, MyStudentFlat, Dikaio.ai, and Innate Repair, with Grandmama.gr emerging as the winner. Together, they highlight how Greek founders are building solutions with global potential, from healthcare and legal tech to clean energy, advanced mobility, and next-generation digital platforms.
Vicky Klimi, founder of the winning team Grandmama, said:
“Standing here as the winner of Startup World Cup Greece, I feel deep gratitude to our 11,500+ caregivers and nurses, the 7,500+ families who trust us, and our dedicated team that believed in this vision. This recognition is not just about our startup. It is about dignity, compassion, and the power of innovation to change lives. As we prepare to represent Greece in Silicon Valley, I carry with me the voices of thousands of families and caregivers. This is their victory.”
She also thanked the organizers — The Future Media, Aivitam Ventures, and Panis Media — for creating an outstanding platform and shining a light on the Greek startup ecosystem.
Two Prizes, One Mission
Two prizes were awarded at this year’s finals. The top honor went to Grandmama, securing the opportunity to compete on the global stage at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco, where they will contend for a $1,000,000 investment prize.
Additionally, an Audience Favorite Award, sponsored by Panis Media, was presented based on live voting by audience members. The winner, Laddroller, received a €5,000 prize in media services, highlighting the value of public engagement and real-time traction.
Dmitry Dosov, General Partner at Aivitam Ventures, and Ambassador of Startup World Cup for Cyprus and Greece, described this year’s finals as a step forward for the local ecosystem. “We had 57 applications in 12 days and selected just eleven to pitch. The quality was higher, the ideas were even sharper, and the founders came ready to compete.”
Before announcing the winner, Nik Antoniou, Partner at Apeiron VC, noted that it was a tough call to choose among so many strong startup projects, each showcasing the growth of the Greek ecosystem on the global stage.
The jury included Myrto Papathanou (Metavallon VC), Nik Antoniou (Apeiron VC), Andreas Klapsis (Startup Greece), and Volodymyr Zhukov (Network VC).
The event in Athens served as a reflection of Greece’s growing ambition and ability to compete internationally.
