Want to compete for €10M in Paris? The RAISE The Stakes 2026 competition is the world's largest AI startup event, offering over €10 million in prizes. Taking place on 8–9 July 2026 at Le Carrousel du Louvre, this event connects AI startups with global investors and decision-makers. Here's what you need to know:
- Eligibility: Early-stage AI startups with less than €10M raised and at least 2 team members can apply.
- Key Dates: Applications close 1 June 2026; Top 100 announced 10 June.
- Judging Criteria: Startups are evaluated on innovation, scalability, and alignment with the 4Fs framework (Foundation, Frontier, Friction, Future).
- Pitching Tips: Focus on clarity, business potential, and a strong narrative. Highlight market impact and technical expertise.
This competition isn't just about the prize - it's a chance to connect with 840+ VCs and over 9,000 attendees. Applications are open now; don’t miss your chance to stand out.
Startup Pitching 101
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Preparing Your Application
RAISE The Stakes 2026 Competition Timeline and Key Milestones
The application period for RAISE The Stakes 2026 began on 8 January and will close on 1 June. Judges start reviewing entries as they come in, so submitting early can work to your advantage. With over 1,500 applications received in 2025 and only 100 making it to the Top 100 stage, timing plays a crucial role in standing out. This timeline is your roadmap for ensuring eligibility and crafting a compelling application.
Application Requirements
Before applying, your startup must meet specific eligibility criteria. It needs to be a registered legal entity with at least two dedicated team members or co-founders. Startups that have raised more than €10 million are not eligible. This competition is aimed at early-stage ventures in the Pre-seed, Seed, or Series A stages, and your product must have AI as its core component - not just an add-on. Applications must be submitted through the official platform and include documents that confirm your legal status, funding history, and team structure. Incomplete submissions risk being rejected, so make sure everything is in order before the 1 June deadline.
How to Stand Out in Your Application
With the competition's global reach and tough evaluation process, your application must highlight groundbreaking ideas and clear scalability. The judging panel includes industry leaders like Sequoia Capital partners, 20VC representatives, and senior directors from Nvidia. To gain an edge, study how past Top 100 finalists showcased AI as the core of their value proposition. Tailor your application to fit the summit’s 4Fs framework: Foundation (infrastructure and capital), Frontier (transformative applications), Friction (regulation and safety), and Future (AGI and sustainability). Focus on how your startup can "redefine the industry" by delivering practical, user-friendly solutions with measurable results, rather than relying solely on technical jargon or complexity.
Understanding the Selection Process
The selection process is divided into clear stages. After the 1 June deadline, the Top 100 will be announced on 10 June, followed by the selection of the 10 finalists on 24 June. Judges assess applications based on scalability, innovation, and market potential. In 2025, the three winners - Neuralk AI (CEO Alexandre Pasquiou), Hirundo (CEO Ben Luria), and pyannoteAI (CEO Vincent Molina) - stood out from over 1,500 applicants. These companies represented the best in innovation and commercial promise. Your application must showcase not only technical expertise but also a clear vision for global impact and business success. With 80% of summit attendees being C-level executives or founders, judges are looking for startups ready to engage with this high-profile audience.
Building Your Pitch Deck
With your application polished, the next step is creating a pitch deck that captures attention and seals the deal. Once you've moved beyond the application stage, your pitch deck should clearly communicate your startup's vision. Venture capital firms sift through thousands of pitches every year but invest in only a select few. This means your deck must stand out with clarity and impact. Judges expect a professional presentation that blends technical ingenuity with a strong business case.
Pitch Deck Structure
Your pitch deck should include 10–14 slides covering these essential topics: Problem, Solution, Product/AI Technology, Market Size (TAM, SAM, SOM), Business Model, Competition, Marketing Plan, Team, Traction, and Ask. Start with a Problem slide that highlights a genuine market need your AI solution addresses. Follow it with a Market Size slide that breaks down the Total Addressable Market (TAM), Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM), and Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM), showing the potential for growth.
On the Business Model slide, explain your revenue streams and how you'll achieve profitability. When discussing Competition, avoid claiming there’s "no competition" - 41% of investors see this as a red flag. Instead, offer an honest assessment of the competitive landscape. On the Team slide, showcase how your team’s skills align with the market, and use the Traction slide to highlight tangible progress, like growth metrics or milestones. Finally, on the Ask slide, clearly outline how the €10 million funding will be used, detailing specific experiments or milestones you aim to achieve.
To ensure your pitch resonates, prepare two versions of your deck: a detailed "reading" version for email follow-ups and a simplified "listening" version with minimal text for live presentations.
Aligning with Judge Criteria
Your deck should address key risks - market, product, and execution - and show how your AI solution can scale to meet investor expectations. Most venture capitalists aim for a 10–20× return on their investment, so your presentation must convey a clear path to achieving this.
"Most experienced investors look at the people first and the opportunity second." - William Sahlman, Professor, Harvard Business School
Research indicates that investors often prioritize a founder’s character and trustworthiness over competence. Use the Team slide to highlight complementary skills and industry experience. On the Traction slide, back up your claims with solid metrics - whether it’s user growth, revenue milestones, or strategic partnerships. For the Competition slide, explain why the current market landscape presents a challenge and how your solution disrupts the status quo. Once you’ve addressed these risks, focus on delivering a presentation that’s both engaging and persuasive.
Design and Storytelling
A visually clear presentation is critical. Follow the 10/20/30 Rule - 10 slides, a 20-minute presentation, and a minimum 30-point font size - to make your message concise and impactful. Use large fonts, limit text, and incorporate visuals like charts or graphics to make data easy to understand.
"If they're reading, you're in trouble, because that means they're not listening to you." - Daniel Eckler, Founder, Mylo
Combine technical details with storytelling. For example, in June 2023, Paris-based Mistral raised €105 million in just four weeks without a fully developed product. Instead of a traditional slide deck, they used a "strategic memo", focusing on their team’s expertise in building Large Language Models and highlighting the geopolitical importance of a European alternative to OpenAI. This demonstrates how a strong narrative, combined with a clear strategic vision, can resonate with investors.
Pair your data with compelling stories. For instance, if you’re presenting revenue growth, include a brief client success story to add context and emotional appeal. Test your deck on people outside your field - if they can’t understand your solution, simplify your content. Focused messaging improves persuasiveness by 43%, so ensure every slide has a clear purpose and contributes to your overall story.
Delivering Your Live Pitch
Stepping onto the stage at Le Carrousel du Louvre is a moment that demands your best. With an audience of global decision-makers and a notoriously low acceptance rate, your live presentation needs to combine technical expertise with a narrative that captivates.
Public Speaking Techniques
Start with a story. Alejandro Cremades, a recognized expert in fundraising, emphasizes this point:
"In fundraising, storytelling is everything".
Craft a narrative that seamlessly integrates key data and market relevance. Your body language should be open and approachable - stand tall, make consistent eye contact across the room, and use gestures to reinforce your points. Vary your tone and pace to emphasize critical moments, and pause after sharing impactful metrics to let them resonate with your listeners.
Time limits are strict in Paris competitions. For instance, the WMF Startup Competition gives just 3 minutes for pitches before moving to Q&A. Practice until you can deliver within the time frame while sounding conversational. Record yourself to identify filler words like "um" or "so", which can weaken your authority. Aim to speak naturally, avoiding the temptation to read directly from slides.
Once your delivery is polished, focus on tailoring your content for the discerning Paris audience.
Presenting to a Paris Audience
Confidence is essential, but adapting your message to Paris' international and professional context is what sets you apart. The RAISE Summit audience is highly diverse, so presenting in English with a polished tone is recommended. Treat your pitch like you're addressing an "Annual Board Meeting for Global AI" - prioritize strategic vision, return on investment, and scalability over dense technical details. The prestigious setting of Le Carrousel du Louvre demands an elegant and professional delivery.
Structure your pitch around the "4Fs" framework: Foundation, Frontier, Friction, and Future. This means covering your technical base, the innovation you’re introducing, the challenges you’re solving, and your long-term vision for scaling across Europe. Paris, home to 39% of France’s R&D workforce, values startups that push boundaries in scientific and engineering discoveries. Highlight how your work contributes to the European AI ecosystem - a significant angle, especially considering over €3.8 billion was invested in Paris startups in 2024, with a third going toward AI ventures.
Keep the "4Fs" at the core of your narrative to align with the RAISE Summit's priorities.
Answering Questions from Judges
The Q&A session is your chance to showcase expertise and poise. Judges for the 2026 competition include prominent names like Julien Bek (Sequoia Capital), Serge Lemonde (Nvidia), and Julien Codorniou (20VC). Expect tough questions on capital allocation, compute needs, and data management. Prepare by organizing a Q&A workshop where you rehearse concise answers for questions about revenue, product, and market strategy. Assign specific team members to handle these topics.
When responding, be concise and back your answers with data. As Francois Mazoudier, founder of The Fundraising Bootcamp, advises:
"Your answers must be short, simply worded, jargon-free and always contain a number (yes, always)".
For example, if asked about revenue projections, provide a clear, numerical answer. If you don’t have the data, respond with, "We don’t have that figure yet, but I’ll follow up shortly".
Stick to the "One-Voice" rule: only one person should answer each question. Avoid teammates jumping in, as it can signal disorganization. Wrap up the Q&A with a 30-second summary of your pitch’s key message and a clear call to action. This "second close" ensures a strong finish, even if the Q&A includes challenging moments.
Making the Most of Post-Pitch Opportunities
Delivering a pitch is just the beginning. The real challenge - and opportunity - lies in what happens afterward. Events like the RAISE Summit, with its impressive crowd of over 9,000 attendees and 350+ speakers, create the perfect environment to build valuable connections. Beyond the €10M prize, these competitions open doors to investors who might otherwise ignore cold outreach, giving you the chance to gather feedback and secure face time with decision-makers who are often hard to reach.
Networking at RAISE Summit
Preparation is key when it comes to networking. Start by researching the judges and sponsors, such as representatives from Google Cloud or AWS. Understanding their recent projects and investments allows you to ask thoughtful, specific questions rather than relying on generic conversation starters. Staying at the event’s official or recommended hotel can also increase your chances of bumping into key figures in an informal setting.
Take advantage of the official RAISE app to schedule meetings ahead of time. Boost your visibility by engaging with event-specific hashtags on LinkedIn and X. When speaking with judges or sponsors, avoid overwhelming them with a list of your product’s features. Instead, focus on identifying a potential problem they might find relevant and ask if it resonates with them. This approach encourages a genuine dialogue instead of a one-sided pitch. If you make a connection, don’t leave things open-ended - use your mobile calendar to lock in a follow-up meeting or demo on the spot.
Corey Peters of CommerceNext stresses the importance of meaningful interactions:
"Networking is about quality, not quantity. Focus on meaningful conversations rather than collecting as many contacts as possible".
Keep your phone out of sight, maintain eye contact, and ensure your name badge is easy to read. If you’re nervous about approaching people, start by teaming up with a “buddy” to ease into group conversations before branching out on your own. After each conversation, jot down key details on the back of their business card to help you remember important points when you follow up later.
Following Up with Judges and Sponsors
Timing is everything when it comes to follow-ups. Aim to send a personalised message within 48 hours of the event to keep the connection fresh. Each day you delay could lead to a 20% drop in engagement. For your most valuable leads, act even faster - contacts reached within five minutes are nine times more likely to convert.
When following up, focus on asking for feedback or advice rather than immediately requesting funding. Reference specific moments from your pitch or Q&A session to show you were paying attention. Instead of a generic “just checking in” email, offer value by sharing an article, report, or insight that aligns with their interests.
Mayank Gupta, CEO of CaseBasix, highlights the importance of well-timed follow-ups:
"A well-timed follow-up message isn't just a nice gesture, it's an opportunity to strengthen that connection, reinforce your professionalism, and potentially open doors to new opportunities".
Combine email follow-ups with LinkedIn connection requests and engage with their social media posts to stay on their radar. Keep your emails concise - between 50 and 125 words is ideal for higher response rates. If you’re requesting a meeting, propose at least two specific dates and times for a short 20-minute call.
If immediate funding isn’t an option, consider asking for other forms of support like mentorship, technical resources from sponsors like Google Cloud or AWS, or even media coverage. If you’re struggling to reach someone directly, use LinkedIn’s filters to find mutual connections who can introduce you.
Once you’ve established contact, it’s crucial to keep the momentum going.
Maintaining Momentum After the Event
To stay organised, use a CRM tool like HubSpot or Zoho to track your interactions, set reminders, and ensure no key contact slips through the cracks. Update your landing page with highlights from the event, such as a sizzle reel or presentation slides, to keep your story accessible to a broader audience.
Persistence pays off. While 44% of professionals give up after just one follow-up, studies show that 60% of potential partners or customers require several interactions before committing. Schedule periodic check-ins every few months to share updates on your progress, congratulate contacts on their achievements, or send relevant industry news. After a successful initial follow-up, send LinkedIn connection requests to increase the likelihood of a positive response.
Consider sending a short survey to judges or mentors you met, offering early access to a product feature in exchange for their feedback. Use multiple communication channels - email, phone, and social media - to boost your conversion rates by up to 28%. Personalisation also makes a big difference, with 78% of professionals appreciating tailored outreach.
Key Takeaways
Securing the €10M prize at the RAISE The Stakes competition requires thorough and strategic preparation. Start by refining your pitch hierarchy: create a compelling one-sentence pitch that clearly defines your offering, target audience, the problem you're solving, and your unique value. From there, expand it into a full investor presentation. Keep your pitch deck concise - ideally between 10 and 14 slides - and focus on the three key risks investors evaluate: Market Risk, Product Risk, and Execution Risk. Remember, top venture capital firms, like Andreessen Horowitz, hear around 3,000 pitches a year but invest in only about 15, so standing out is critical.
Structure your pitch around the 4Fs framework - Foundation, Frontier, Friction, and Future - to make your value proposition clear to judges right away. With 80% of the event's 9,000+ attendees being C-level executives and founders, your pitch should focus on strategic impact and ROI rather than technical details. Show that your company is "default alive" by demonstrating a clear path to profitability and strong financial metrics, such as an LTV:CAC ratio greater than 3:1.
The competition doesn’t end with your live presentation. Use Side Events Week - dinners, meetups, and workshops - to build relationships before your pitch. After presenting, be ready to provide a comprehensive due diligence package, including your data cube, business plan, and customer references. These follow-up steps are just as important as the pitch itself.
Take advantage of Paris’s startup ecosystem. Send short, monthly update emails highlighting key wins, growth metrics, hiring updates, and specific requests. Establish a presence at local innovation hubs like Station F or explore soft-landing programmes through Paris&Co to secure pilot opportunities. Additionally, align your growth strategy with France 2030 goals in areas like AI, health, and climate, as this could open doors to non-dilutive public funding through Bpifrance.
Winning at the RAISE Summit isn’t just about the €10M - it’s about creating meaningful connections with over 2,000 companies and 350 speakers who can help propel your business forward. Think of the competition as a fast track to decision-makers who might otherwise be hard to reach. With focused preparation, strategic alignment, and strong follow-up, your pitch can become the foundation for long-term success. These takeaways emphasize the importance of clarity, strategy, and building impactful relationships to excel at the RAISE Summit.
FAQs
What can my AI startup do to stand out in the €10M RAISE The Stakes competition?
To make your AI startup shine in the €10M RAISE The Stakes competition, focus on telling a clear and engaging story that underscores the unique value of your innovation. Make sure to explain how your technology tackles pressing challenges while aligning with current industry trends. Judges are particularly drawn to solutions that promise meaningful change, so emphasise how your idea delivers on this front.
Your pitch should also highlight a business model built for scalability, backed by a strong team and a well-defined growth plan. If you’ve secured strategic partnerships or hit key milestones, bring those to the forefront - they showcase your startup's momentum and potential.
Lastly, practice delivering your pitch with confidence and flexibility. Tailor your message to connect with the audience and the competition’s objectives. A polished and genuine presentation can make all the difference in setting your startup apart from the competition.
How can I create a winning pitch deck for the €10M RAISE The Stakes competition?
If you're aiming to stand out in the €10M RAISE The Stakes competition, your pitch deck needs to be clear, impactful, and aligned with what the judges are looking for. The competition emphasizes AI innovation, scalability, and real-world impact, so your presentation should reflect these priorities at every step.
Start by designing a concise, visually appealing deck that covers the essentials:
- The Problem: Clearly define the challenge your AI solution addresses.
- Your Solution: Highlight how your AI provides a transformative answer to this problem.
- Market Opportunity: Showcase the demand and potential size of your target market.
- Business Model: Explain how your solution generates revenue and sustains growth.
- Competitive Edge: Identify what sets your AI apart from others in the space.
- Team: Introduce the people driving your vision, focusing on their expertise.
- Financials: Provide a realistic snapshot of your financial projections and funding needs.
To make your case stronger, highlight your AI’s value by demonstrating how it tackles a pressing issue while aligning with the competition’s focus on transformative impact. Use evidence such as metrics, pilot programme outcomes, or user feedback to show that your startup has traction and the potential to scale.
Finally, practice your delivery until you can confidently and passionately communicate your vision. A polished presentation that resonates with the judges’ expectations could make all the difference.
What are the best ways to network effectively at the RAISE Summit in Paris?
To make the most of networking at the RAISE Summit, focus on connecting with investors, industry leaders, and fellow entrepreneurs through the event's tailored activities. Dive into pitch sessions, workshops, and informal meetups, all designed to spark collaboration and give you a platform to showcase your startup to key decision-makers. Held at the iconic Carrousel du Louvre, the summit offers a vibrant setting for both structured and impromptu conversations.
Explore thematic tracks like Foundation, Frontier, Friction, and Future to engage with stakeholders who align with your vision. Don’t miss out on side events, co-hosted gatherings, and one-on-one meetings - these moments are perfect for building strategic relationships. With over 7,000 attendees, including 2,000+ companies and 280+ speakers, a proactive and focused networking strategy can help you forge meaningful connections.
