Polar Bear Pitching: dates, who attends, and how founders get in
An in-person startup conference and outdoor ice-hole pitching competition, broadcast worldwide.
Verified ·8 official sources·Organised by BusinessOulu
The essentials from the organiser's own pages: when, where, how big, and how founders get in. Speakers, investor lists and past editions are on the official site.
- Next edition
- Feb 18–19, 2027 · Polar Bear Pitching 2027 source
- Where
- Oulu, Finland
- Format
- in-person
- Tickets
- €59–€169 (2027 Blind Bear tickets) source
- Startup pass
- Buy the 2027 Startup Blind Bear Ticket for €59 to attend as a startup. Pitching in the Avanto Competition requires a separate application and selection; a startup ticket alone does not qualify a team to compete. source
- Avanto Competition
- €10,000 (2026) source
- Cadence
- Annual since its 2024 return; held in February in 2026 and 2027
GeneralistPre-seedSeedFoundersInvestorsPress
Next edition
| Dates | Feb 18–19, 2027 source |
|---|---|
| Edition | Polar Bear Pitching 2027 |
| Venue | Oulu, Finland |
| Tickets | polarbearpitching.com source |
How founders get in
| Startup programme | Buy the 2027 Startup Blind Bear Ticket for €59 to attend as a startup. Pitching in the Avanto Competition requires a separate application and selection; a startup ticket alone does not qualify a team to compete. source |
|---|
Avanto Competition
| Prize | €10,000 (2026) source |
|---|
Meeting investors there
Founders can be featured in a digital startup catalogue shared with investors in advance and book meetings through the matchmaking tool; the conference and afterparty offer further networking. source
| Investors attending | 70+ investors (2026) source |
|---|
Before you go: the hub's cold email to VCs playbook covers the pre-event outreach that fills a meeting calendar, and Causo matches your stage and thesis to the funds in its database so you know who to ask for a meeting.
Official links and socials
Apply
Prepare for it
- How to cold email VCs — book the meetings before you land.
- The 12-slide seed deck — what to have ready when a partner says "send me the deck".
- Pitch Deck Roaster — a slide-by-slide pass before you submit to Avanto Competition.
- Accelerator deadlines — the application windows that open around the event.
Sources
Every fact above was read from one of these official pages on Oct 8, 2026:
- polarbearpitching.com
- polarbearpitching.com/tickets
- polarbearpitching.com/program/our-program
- polarbearpitching.com/startups
- polarbearpitching.com/program/our-program/avanto
- polarbearpitching.com/investors
- businessoulu.com/en/news/natal-mind-conquered-polar-bear-pitching
- businessoulu.com/en/news/cooling-technology-reigns-supreme-at-the-coolest-startup-event-of-the-year-polar-bear-pitching-victory-goes-to-switzerland
Polar Bear Pitching: frequently asked
When is Polar Bear Pitching 2027?
Polar Bear Pitching 2027 runs Feb 18–19, 2027 at Oulu, according to the organiser's published dates.
How much does Polar Bear Pitching cost?
Published ticket prices run €59–€169 (2027 Blind Bear tickets). Startups: Buy the 2027 Startup Blind Bear Ticket for €59 to attend as a startup. Pitching in the Avanto Competition requires a separate application and selection; a startup ticket alone does not qualify a team to compete..
How do startups get into Polar Bear Pitching?
Buy the 2027 Startup Blind Bear Ticket for €59 to attend as a startup. Pitching in the Avanto Competition requires a separate application and selection; a startup ticket alone does not qualify a team to compete.
How many investors attend Polar Bear Pitching?
The organiser reports 70+ investors investors for the 2026 edition. Founders can be featured in a digital startup catalogue shared with investors in advance and book meetings through the matchmaking tool; the conference and afterparty offer further networking.
What is Avanto Competition?
Polar Bear Pitching's pitch competition. Prize as published: €10,000 (2026).
How big is Polar Bear Pitching?
Nearly 500 ticket-holding participants attendees (2026), 120+ international startups participated cumulatively since 2014 (official site figure) startups, from 25+ countries represented among participants (cumulative since 2014; official site figure) countries, per the organiser.