Lead Today. Shape Tomorrow. is the event where startups, investors & innovation opinion leaders get together to create an inclusive future of entrepreneurship.
The 6th edition of LTST is coming in June 2024!
Have your say about making the European tech and innovation ecosystem more inclusive and open to everyone, who wants to make a positive change in the world.
Sign up for our newsletter to find out when the registration for LTST24 opens.
participants
Who is it for?
Startups
For early stage startups in Pre-seed, Seed & Series A
Meet investors and learn hands-on from industry leading companies!
Investors
Business Angels, VCs, LPs, Family Offices
Meet potential co-investors and network with top tech startups from all over Europe!
Corporates & Institutions
Innovative Tech Companies & Institutions
Attract talent, develop employees, and take a stand for inclusion & diversity
General Attendee
Representatives from scaleups, academia and service providers
Get inspired and meet changemakers and potential employers from the European tech ecosystem!
LTST23
Top 30 Startup Report
The 5th edition of LEAD TODAY. SHAPE TOMORROW. by Female Founders was hosted under the slogan “Redefining the Status Quo in European Tech”. This is why this year’s LTST Startup Pitch Competition called for gender-diverse founders to demonstrate the strength of ideas developed with different perspectives at the table and the innovative lens that inclusion brings to the tech and innovation ecosystem.
Meet the TOP 30 STARTUPS that are redefining the status quo in European tech
30 incredible startups were hand-picked from almost 200 applications to the LTST23 Startup Pitch Track by renowned ecosystem players. They were rated on their growth potential and their contribution to building a more inclusive future.
The report has been prepared in partnership with
LTST23 focus topics
Change the game.
Not the players.
Beyond Business: a holistic perspective on entrepreneurial life
Creating a Tech & Innovation Ecosystem where everybody belongs (DEI)
Technologies that shape the future
The Fundraising Playbook
Running and scaling a business
The entire team was fantastic putting together such a complex hybrid event! The content and speakers were an inspiration and I already look forward to the next event!
Your conference is one of a kind in the sense that everybody attending is engaged, open minded, and easy to approach. You manage to bring together a group of value adding speakers and participants, and imo you are one of the leading organizations in EMEA. Keep it up, happy to have been part of it!
2023 Partners
We are partnering with companies & organizations that are confidently striving towards a more diverse European tech & innovation startup ecosystem!
Meet our Investors
Meet our Community Partners
#LTST23 Media Partners
Become an LTST24 event partner
The Odeon Theatre
The Serapions Theater, which moved in 1988 to a part of the stock exchange for agricultural products, gave it’s new venue, revitalized by the ensemble itself, the name Odeon. The building with its Viennese charm and integrated theatre perfectly reflect the capital city of Austria.
The LTST Blog
Beyond Business:
a Holistic Perspective on Entrepreneurial Life
- (Mental) Health
- Self Care- & Optimization
- Family & Work-Life Balance
- Biohacking
In this focus area we’re looking at entrepreneurship from a broader perspective that goes beyond financial success. As an entreprneur you often face challenges that might affect your mental and physical well-being, relationships, and overall quality of life. So, let’s talk about (mental) health, self care- & optimization, family & work-Life balance & biohacking to get inspired and learn how to adopt a holistic approach to entrepreneurship, so you can thrive both personally and professionally.
Creating a Tech & Innovation Ecosystem
Where Everybody Belongs (DEI)
- Allyship
- Diversifying Dealflow & Portfolio
- DEI Strategy development & implementation
- Inclusive Company Culture
DEI efforts in tech and innovation must address systemic inequalities that exclude marginalized groups from participating in the industry, while also enabling everyone to be an active ally. Successful implementation of DEI requires a comprehensive strategy that engages all stakeholders – including entrepreneurs, investors operators, and corporates. In this focus topic you’ll learn all about DEI to unlock the full potential of diverse perspectives and experiences, drive innovation and create a more equitable future.
Technologies
that Shape the Future
- AI, Web 3 & Metaverse
- Sustainability & Impact
- Inclusive Tech
- Deep Tech
This focus area will take a close look at current developments in the tech sector and their influence on shaping how we live, do our jobs and interact with each other – like AI, Web3 and Cleantech. The impact technologies already have is massive and will grow drastically, shaping not only the wold of business we (used to) know but also our society. Learn about the hot topics in tech and innovation from various perspectives from leading experts, who’ll map out the world of tomorrow and how to navigate through it.
Navigating the Startup Fundraising Landscape
- Early-stage Startup Pitch Track
- Fundraising Status Quo & Outlook
- Alternative Ways of Funding
- Impact Investing
One of the core pillars of innovation and entrepreneurship is funding. But what is the fundraising status quo and outlook for 2024, what’s the potential of alternative funding forms, why is impact investing so relevant and how has the current economic situation influenced the ecosystem and its players? This focus area will not only be uncovering which potentials are still untapped and what to expect in the future, but will also bring a diversity & impact lense to the topic of funding. As a program highlight 14 gender-diverse early stage founding teams will pitch their startups on stage to a jury of international investors.
Running and Scaling a Business
- Talent Acquisition
- Internationalization: Scaling in new markets
- Customer-centric brand building
- Designing for efficiency
Running and scaling a business requires a strong team, a clear understanding of the market and competition, and the ability to navigate challenges and opportunities along the way. As an entrepreneur you must design your operations and processes for efficiency, reducing costs and streamlining workflows to optimize performance. From Internationalization to Customer-centric brand building: the content pieces in this focus topic will equip you with the know-how and showcase of best-practices to bring your operations to the next level.
Peter Windischhofer
Founder of refurbed | Forbes #30Under30
Peter was a consultant at McKinsey for several years, advising large marketplaces and e-commerce companies in Europe. Before that he studied business administration in Vienna, Hong Kong, Shanghai & San Francisco. He comes from Upper Austria and has been living in Vienna for almost 10 years.
Refurbed is a marketplace for refurbished products. These are completely refurbished phones, laptops and tablets that look and work like new. Customers save up to 40%, get a guarantee of at least 12 months and the products are 100% sustainable. The combination of sustainability and cheaper products is particularly attractive to many people. The company’s goal is to bring a refurbished product into every household.
Oliver Holle
Founder and Managing Partner at Speedinvest
With more than 15 years of entrepreneurial experience in the mobile and internet industries and 10 years as co-founder of Speedinvest, Oliver is a leading expert in Europe’s technology startup scene to Austria and secured €10M from private investors to found Speedinvest. As of 2023, the early-stage venture capital fund has more than €1B in AuM, +250 portfolio companies, six offices across Europe, and is routinely ranked as one of Europe’s most-active investors
Helena Torras
Venture Partner & Investment Manager at Hans(wo)menGroup
Venture Partner @Hans(wo)menGroup. Investor and Independent Board Director. She believes in supporting entrepreneurs on their journey, always putting people first. She promotes the innovative tech startup mindset to society. Helena belongs to the Governing Board of TechBarcelona, Ambassador of The Collider and BHH. Among others, she has been considered TOP 100: Europe’s most influential women in the startup and venture capital space, Top100 women leaders, 100 leaders of digitalization, EUTOP50.
Deepali Nangia
Partner at Speedinvest / Co-Founder of Alma Angels
Deepali joined Speedinvest as a Partner in 2022 with a focus on finding and funding investment in underrepresented founders. Previously, she co-founded Alma Angels, a community for female angels and invested in and mentored multiple female-founded companies.
Originally from Kolkata, India with a background in investment banking, private equity, and operations, Deepali has a keen interest in technologies solving society’s large problems in sectors such as Digital Health, Femtech, and Climate Tech
Kosima Kovar
CEO & Co-Founder of Ada Growth | Forbes #30Under30
Forbes 30 under 30, Austria’s most influential female entrepreneur on Linkedin, serial entrepreneur. With Ada Growth, Kosima offers a solution for companies to make their female talents visible and to take professional growth for women to the next level.
Kosima teaches at several universities and passes on her knowledge and experience as a keynote speaker internationally – for example for the United Nations, the European Commission or MIT.
Konstantin Zedelius
VP at Atomico
Konstantin is a VP at Atomico focusing primarily on the DACH region, where he is actively sourcing and investing in B2B and consumer internet companies.
Before joining Atomico, he worked at EQT Ventures, building the office in Berlin as the 2nd employee on the ground there. He was involved in/co-leading the investments in companies across a vast spectrum, from Seed to Series B and across B2B SaaS, fintech, robotics and gaming, including Frontify, Wandelbots, Wajve, Volt, Beat81, Popcore and Wonder.
Florence Given
Bestselling Author, Podcaster, Award-winning Influencer and Illustrator
Florence Given is a bestselling, record-breaking author, podcaster, award-winning influencer and illustrator. With her debut book Women Don’t Owe You Pretty, Floss became the youngest author to hold a position in the top 5 of the Sunday Times best-seller list for 12 weeks in a row. With over 611K Instagram followers, Florence’s work confronts oppressive attitudes towards women and their bodies and she uses her platform to raise awareness of issues surrounding sexuality, consent, race and gender.
Photo by: Sophia French
Woundioun Sissoko
Founder and CEO at yamuntu
Wunni, a 24-year-old pragmatic founder from Mali, moved to Germany at five and discovered his passion for tech early, building his first website by 15. A believer in lasting and sustainable solutions, no shortcuts! His experience in online marketing and venture development led to his venture, ‘yamuntu’: Peer-to-peer social UGC fashion app. Creating a safe space for Gen Z to share & receive genuine product recommendations from their own people. Let’s skip the small talk and talk about animes!