Our latest event trip took us to Valletta, Malta, for the EU Startups Summit 2025. Incredibly, it was BUPR’s first time at the Summit. The verdict? It definitely won’t be the last!
In what seems like a slow start to the European summer, it was refreshing to swap coats and hats for sunglasses and shorts, and tank some Vitamin D.
Overall, we were in for a startup conference treat. There were great talks, visibly good organisation, a cool, unique venue and the most important part of all, great people.
There were lots of young volunteers. Always good to see the young blood that startups attract. Everything was running smoothly, the MCs and moderators were high level, with many familiar faces in the startup events circuit, among them Oisin Lunny, who killed it in the Startup Stage. You can see passion and detail went into putting it together. Truly is a conference with a startup soul.
EU Startups Summit: the venue
One of our favourite things about the event was the possibility to network and ‘redirect’ meetings to the rooftop terrace to enjoy Vitamin D, fresh air and the Valletta views while getting to know each other, exchanging ideas and experiences, or catching up. The rooftop was also where evening networking drinks would happen. A bit more crowded and chilly, but still a great place to network, plus you could get a brand new view of Malta at night with the lights. The last day coincided with a big fireworks display which made that evening even more special.
It was also refreshing to walk the corridors of a different, less sterile and generic venue, with real history as well. It was a former hospital, police headquarters and even a command centre for the Allies during WWII. The huge basement level looked like something out of a medieval film or video game. Lots of tables and space to meet there too (if you were trying to hide from the sun). And a pretty epic main stage that reflects the building’s and the historical architecture.
Friends and a different environment
We will always keep going to events. Events are magical. There is nothing like meeting people in person, and events are a great opportunity to make new, meaningful connections. When else are you going to have the chance to meet everyone scattered across Europe (or the world), and at a third location, in a new environment, and everyone with their own mission and side quests. Although the mission could simply be to let serendipity take you somewhere. And Malta is quite different. It feels historical, with its old, beautiful buildings, but also compact and cozy. Valletta and most towns are small and very walkable, but also vibrant and full of things to see. And there’s so much good food!
It was great to have partners in crime to hang out, it was a nice coincidence to meet Edi Titov from Joiner and his son, perhaps the youngest the attendee and entrepreneur at the event. By the way, Edi is the co-founder of Joiner App, the social media battling loneliness by getting you off your screen and into group events. Do check them out! We caught what is likely the best pizza in Malta at San Paolo Naufrago, in the beautiful St Lucia’s street (but actually an alley), thoroughly recommended and a short walk from the venue.
We also had a long overdue catchup with Hege Tollerud from Brighteye Ventures (THE leading European EdTech VC) on VC comms, EdTech (insider joke – aha!), Norwegian startups, the sights of the fjords and foods (hello sweet brown cheese). It was nice to also meet Cornelia Mann from ECBF, the first private venture capital impact fund exclusively dedicated to the (circular-) bioeconomy. We’re seeing a lot of interest by funds to invest in comms, it’s an area where we think we’ll see more activity, and where we want to share and absorb more insights and meet people.
We had to have coffee with our friend, the prolific Zoltan Vardy, who kindly gifted us a copy of his latest book, The Launch Code: Master Founder-Led Sales and Boost Your Startup’s Revenue Growth. If anyone reading this needs help with B2B sales, especially founder sales, do check out the book or reach out to him. And good to see new and old startup friends – Leonard Burger, Walter Pfaff, Diana Romancik, Stephanie El-Fil, and many more!
BUPR’s event involvement at EU Startups Summit
The event did not unfold without a bit of unicorn sparkle. We were proud of Black Unicorn’s impact, with our very own JJ moderating 4 (yes, 4!) sessions. Two on the StepUp stage, on ecosystems and scaling up, and two on the main stage.
The first main stage session moderated by ours truly was on the state and future of venture capital in Europe, with esteemed European VCs from Alven, Nauta Capital, Visionaries Club and KOMPAS VC.
The second was a media and journalism discussion with some of the legends of startup media. Apparently one of them in the game for 3000+ years. We’ll let you guess who made that joke. On stage joining JJ were Thomas Ohr of EU Startups, Akansha Dimri of Tech Funding News and TechCrunch’s Mike Butcher.
Of course we have to unpack this one a bit more! As well as some general advice for the youngsters in the audience, there were quite a number of gems that show how every journalist can have their own style and preferences. For instance, Mike mentioned he doesn’t need to be asked for permission – send him all the material you find relevant in one go and let him decide! He is just that time poor. And he will also never consider embargoes (at least for the time being). So if you’re not a giant in the industry, the exclusive is your best bet!
On the topic of embargos and exclusives, Akansha pointed out how journalists are aware of PRs or founders trying to trick journalists by offering a combination of embargoes and exclusives, or differently timed embargoes for different journalists. Yes, they do notice, and it can get you into their little black book! Akansha also used the opportunity to highlight TFN’s growing content coverage and a new series of events they will be launching – we wish them good luck!
Thomas said it well when referring to the importance of connections. Of course it helps to build rapport, trust and a relationship – but that doesn’t mean journalists will cover crap. So when you ask your agency who they know, do expect a bit of push back (and perhaps the question “what do you have to offer them?”).
Bonus: Malta beyond the event
So what can we say about Malta itself? For a small country, we were impressed with how cosmopolitan and diverse it is. You can find people from all over the world and expats everywhere and different cuisines. It was the last place we expected to run into an Argentinian, but we did! There are beautiful buildings and a high density of churches. The narrow streets with houses boasting iconic balconies, the gallariji, and little shops everywhere. It’s also quite British. Left-side driving, British food (no comment) and more. But having learned a bit more about the history, it’s not that surprising. We recommend a visit to the Fort St. Elmo museum to learn more.
While there are a couple of sandy beaches, Malta is not really a beach destination. There are, however, great hikes and attractions, such as medieval villages, museums, historic ruins and more. We managed to drop by Mdina, west of Valletta, and loved it.
Oh, did we mention great food? Below are some recommendations from our time there. Also, fun fact, despite being an island, fish is only recently trendy (we overheard a tourist guide). The traditional Maltese dish? Rabbit! Most restaurants will serve it, and you pretty much can’t go wrong with it.
Valletta:
San Paolo Naufrago: Likely the best pizza in Malta. Very likely the best outdoor eating atmosphere in Malta.
The Everest (in Valleta Market): Perhaps the best Indian we had outside of India.
Birkirkara:
Village Fork: A small, authentic Maltese restaurant with great seafood, pasta and more.
Smugglers: For a more modern and casual ambience, awesome tacos and burgers.
Stanjata Cafe: Hipster brunch and coffee and great pit stop for a bit of laptop work.
Concluding
In case it wasn’t obvious from the above paragraphs, we had a blast. The event was great and what’s most important, it had true startup soul. It was nice to get a bit of early summer too.
Kudos to Thomas Ohr and the team, Tea Vrcic, David Cendón Garcia and all involved in the organisation of the EU Startups Summit.
We’ll be back!
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