GLOBALS On Tour: The Pitch Bus Kicks Off in Style

Here’s where things got wild. While some founders were still perfecting their slides, others were boarding a bus unlike any other.

As part of GLOBALS On Tour, Club GLOBALS launched its most dynamic community engagement initiative yet: “Pitch on the Bus.” Over the course of 48 hours, a cohort of selected founders traveled across Malta pitching their startups not in stuffy hotel rooms, but on the move — on a custom-rigged tour bus.

The Pitch on the Bus Returns!

The Pitch Bus made its epic return to Malta in 2025 — and this time, it rolled again for two full days of startup energy, scenic routes, and high-stakes pitches on the move. From Valletta to St. Julian’s, founders had just a few minutes to impress a bus full of investors, mentors, and fellow entrepreneurs — all before rolling into the evening’s after-parties.

This year’s pitch battles were fierce, but two founders rose to the top:

• 🥇 Eric Forst, founder of Pangea Social, crushed day one with his AI-powered trusted content platform.

• 🥇 Margit Arctaedius, co-founder of PryvX, claimed day two with her bold vision for privacy-first data enablement — following up on her big win at EUSS25.

Both winners earned a GLOBALS Membership and a GSTF25 PRO Ticket, unlocking access to Club GLOBALS’ exclusive network and flagship events.

From spontaneous pitches to late-night networking by the sea, Malta 2025 proved once again that the road to St. Julian’s is the hottest track for Europe’s next big startup stories.

🔥 Pitch Competition Highlights

From a record-breaking pool of over 1,500 applicants, only 15 startups made it to the grand stage — each selected for their disruptive potential across sectors like cleantech, spacetech, healthtech, fintech, and AI.

The pitch competition was judged by a powerhouse panel of VCs:  Allard Luschinger (Techstars Amsterdam), Isabella Yamamoto (Visionaries Club), Fernando Peres Ferreira (Ventures.eu), Angelo Burgarello (Look AI Ventures). The prize package is valued at over €750,000, including funding, credits, and other support. Specifically, the winner receives $250,000 in Google Cloud credits, a year-long Google Workspace discount, startup success manager and dedicated customer engineering support, and technical and networking assistance. Additionally, the winner gets €5,000 worth of a 3-year CLUB membership and an exhibition table at the EU-Startups Summit 2026, including 3 event tickets. 

🧭 Europe’s Startup Ecosystem in a Geopolitical Crosswind

What made this year’s summit especially timely was its clear geopolitical relevance. As global powers compete over AI dominance, tech regulation, and digital sovereignty, Europe is asserting itself — not with aggressive scale, but with principled, interoperable, and secure tech innovation.

The diversity of the finalists — in both geography and sector — showcased a continent united not just by open borders, but by shared values: data ethics, climate responsibility, and decentralization.

From PryvX’s privacy-first approach to Grasshopper’s emissions-free logistics, this year’s cohort proved that Europe isn’t just adapting to the global tech race — it’s setting new rules for how innovation can be safe, inclusive, and future-proof.

As we wrap up our recap of the EU-Startups Summit and GLOBALS On Tour Malta, it’s clear that these events are about more than just the talks and competitions; they’re about building a community. A community that encourages innovation, supports sustainable practices, and helps each other in the journey of entrepreneurship.

Our next stop will be Berlin next to GITEX. GLOBALS on Tour Berlin will be held from the 21st to the 23rd of May, featuring pitches at the booth, tours, and networking activities.

Don’t miss the next chance to be part of this energetic community. Join us at the next edition of GLOBALS On Tour in Berlin, where we’ll keep exploring exciting ideas, building new partnerships, and celebrating the lively spirit of the startup community.

Stay tuned for more updates, and make sure you’re there to experience the energy, learn from the best, and be part of the thriving global startup scene. See you in Berlin!