Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge

Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge — 12th

Offers deep-tech startup challengers equity-free seed support, mentorship, and investor exposure across sectors and global markets.

The Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge is an annual international competition for early-stage deep-tech startups, organized by the Paris-based Hello Tomorrow organization. Now entering its 12th edition, the challenge awards up to €100,000 in equity-free prize money to winning startups across 15 distinct technology tracks: Advanced Computing and Cybersecurity, Aerospace, Automotive/Maritime/Rail, Climate Tech, Digital Health and Medical Devices, Energy, Food and Agriculture, Industrial AI and Robotics, Industrial Biotech and Materials, Medical Biotech, Resource Efficiency, Semiconductors, Sustainable Construction, AI Horizons, and Emerging Pioneers for idea-stage and pre-seed applicants. The 11th edition closed applications on January 5, 2026 and held its finals at the Hello Tomorrow Summit in Amsterdam on June 11–12, 2026. Finalists from past editions have collectively raised more than $4 billion.

The 12th edition (2027 cycle) is expected to open around September–October 2026 based on the program's established annual pattern, though Hello Tomorrow had not confirmed exact dates at the time of catalog preparation. The prize is equity-free — Hello Tomorrow takes no shares or intellectual property from winners. Startups must have at least two team members, be in early-stage development or beginning commercialization (up to Series A), and be built on new technology, scientific discovery, or complex engineering. Subsidiaries or spin-offs of existing companies are not eligible. There are no country-of-incorporation requirements; applicants from all geographies may enter any of the 15 tracks.

To maximize competitiveness, applicants should apply in the track that most precisely maps to their core technology rather than selecting broad categories. Applying by the early deadline (historically October 31 for the 11th edition) improves reviewer attention relative to the final-deadline rush. Deep Tech Pioneers community membership, which is free and available year-round, provides automatic eligibility for the Global Challenge along with visibility to Hello Tomorrow's investor network before the formal competition opens.