On April 16, 2026, the VU Tech Hub Demo Day 2026 took place at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration of Vilnius University. During the event, ten teams of young creators took the stage to present the startups they had developed over the past six months to investors, experts, and the wider community.
The evening marked not only the final of the program but also an important beginning – for many teams, it was their first step into the world of business and their first serious evaluation.
During the six-month VU Tech Hub pre-acceleration program, participants went through a full startup journey – from idea to minimum viable product (MVP), testing the market, building business models, and learning how to turn their ideas into real products. Working alongside mentors and industry experts, they developed practical skills in finance, marketing, sales, and communication.
This year’s Demo Day showcased a wide range of ideas – from education and financial literacy to mental health, digital platforms, and e-commerce.
The participating startups included:
• Steamed – AI-based solution for more efficient STEAM education
• EEA – an online education academy that matches students with highly compatible tutors to eliminate trial and error.
• Finkul – a gamified financial educational platform for youth
• Fluffang – a specialized marketplace for finding and advertising pets
• Apex – a fully online language school
• Root-ling – a platform connecting people who need help with everyday tasks with freelancers
• Treat – a solution enabling businesses to advertise in exchange for services offered to students
• POSTA HOUSE – an online poster store
• Safe-Slide – a medical solution designed for safe and convenient patient transfer
The teams were evaluated by a panel of experts and investors, who assessed not only the strength of the ideas but also their real market potential – including the solutions, business models, early traction, and team readiness to scale.
The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the winner. The main prize of EUR 2,000, established by the event’s principal partner SEB Bank, was awarded to the team “Safe Slide”, which presented an innovative vacuum-based patient transfer mattress designed to ensure safer and more comfortable patient handling in healthcare settings. The solution helps stabilize patients, reduces physical strain on medical staff, and enables smoother transfers by adapting to the patient’s body shape and clinical workflow needs.
“Young talents today need more than just acquiring knowledge – what matters is the ability to apply it. It is through solving real challenges that they gain an understanding of how decisions are made, what team dynamics are, and what it means to take responsibility for results. Therefore, we are pleased to contribute by connecting science, technology, entrepreneurship, and real-world projects. It is important for us to be part of this process – together with the university, to create an environment where young people develop practical skills and prepare to create real value,” says Sonata Gutauskaitė-Bubnelienė, CEO of SEB Bank in Lithuania.
During the event, all participants who successfully completed the program were also awarded graduation diplomas – a symbolic yet important milestone in their entrepreneurial journey.
The jury included:
• Dr. Gediminas Rumšas, Vice-Dean for Partnerships and Projects at Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Vilnius University, Head of VU Tech Hub
• Giedrė Ramanauskaitė, Innovation Lead at SEB Bank
• Teresė Deveikienė, Financial Crime Prevention Unit at SEB Bank
• Eglė Jašinskaitė, Technologies Analyst at BSV Ventures
• Arvydas Plėta, Co-founder and CEO @3o - out of Office | Partner @Katalista Ventures
The program was supported by partners:
SEB Bank (main partner) | Wix
The VU Tech Hub pre-acceleration program will return next year – we invite everyone with an idea or an interest in building a startup to join the next generation of creators.
Interested in VU Tech Hub 2026? Fill in the form to be the first to hear about the program:
https://forms.office.com/e/bRLaHPpVsd
