Organization · Community
START Global
START Global is a student-run non-profit initiative based in St. Gallen, Switzerland, focused on fostering entrepreneurship and innovation among young people. Founded in 1996, it connects aspiring entrepreneurs with resources and support through various programs and events.
Overview
What START Global does
What START Global is
START Global is a student-run non-profit initiative based in St. Gallen, Switzerland, focused on fostering entrepreneurship and innovation among young people. Founded in 1996, it connects aspiring entrepreneurs with resources and support through various programs and events.
How it participates in the startup ecosystem
The current public profile supports community and event host capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.
Operational profile
Organization status and context
Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.
- Operational status
- Active
- Organization type
- Community
- Founded
- Founded in 1996
- Approximate age
- About 30 years
- Structured capabilities
- Community · Event host
- Last reviewed
- March 13, 2026
Official channels
Find START Global elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
START Global as a community
Community overview
START Global is a student-run organization founded in 1996 at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. It aims to connect entrepreneurial talent and empower young entrepreneurs to create long-term value. The organization has evolved over the years, hosting various events and programs to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Community focus
START Global focuses on fostering entrepreneurship among students and young innovators. It provides resources and support through its annual events, including the START Summit and START Hack, as well as the START Fellowship programs. The organization aims to create equal opportunities for young entrepreneurs globally, particularly from underrepresented regions such as Latin America and Africa.
Member value
Members gain access to a network of entrepreneurial talent, mentorship opportunities, and resources to develop their ideas into viable startups. They can participate in high-profile events and programs designed to enhance their entrepreneurial skills and connect with industry leaders.
Membership
- Recorded members
- 156
- Pricing models
- free
Format and cadence
- Modality
- in-person
- Schedule
- rolling-admissions
- Commitment
- light
Availability
- Membership state
- Accepting
Audience and fit
- Audience
- Students · Founders
- Benefits
- mentorship and network-access
- Program types
- community, accelerator, and incubator
- Selection criteria
- open
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed
- Regions
- AfricaEuropeLatin America
Community activity
- Annual events
- 2
Events and activity
START Summit is Europe’s largest early-stage startup conference, providing a platform for startups to connect with investors and industry leaders. START Hack is Europe's largest entrepreneurial hackathon, bringing together over 600 hackers to solve complex problems in a 36-hour event.
Capability profile
START Global as an event host
Event focus
START Global focuses on fostering entrepreneurship among students and young innovators. It provides resources and support through its annual events, including the START Summit and START Hack, as well as the START Fellowship programs. The organization aims to create equal opportunities for young entrepreneurs globally, particularly from underrepresented regions such as Latin America and Africa.
Format narrative
START Global hosts various events and programs to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including the START Summit, Europe's largest early-stage startup conference, and START Hack, Europe's largest entrepreneurial hackathon.
Participant value
START Global connects entrepreneurial talent and empowers young entrepreneurs by providing resources, mentorship, and funding opportunities through its events and programs.
Format and cadence
- Event types
- conference and hackathon
- Recurrence
- annual
- Modality
- in-person
- Typical attendance
- 600
- Startups can present
- Yes
Availability
- Registration state
- Not currently accepting
Audience and fit
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed
- Audience
- Founders · Investors · Students
- Regions
- Africa · Global · Latam
Common questions
What to know about START Global
Upseed classifies START Global under the Community organization type. Its current public profile includes community and event host capabilities.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
March 13, 2026
Known limits
Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.