SEKEE (Association of Innovative Applications Enterprises of Greece) actively supported TechStars Startup Weekend Thessaloniki 2025, one of the most important international institutions of innovation and start-up entrepreneurship, which took place with complete success on the three-day 5–7 December 2025 in Thessaloniki. TechStars Startup Weekend, after successful events in London, Paris and New York, arrived this year for the first time in Thessaloniki, bringing the pulse of global innovation to Northern Greece.
The organization, one of the largest of its kind in Europe, was hosted in the meeting room of the Regional Council of Central Macedonia, at the initiative of the Vice-Region of Digital Government. For three days, Thessaloniki turned into a living hub of technology, creation and collaboration, hosting 160 participants, with more than 80 young people presenting their ideas at the initial stage of Pitching and 19 teams to be distinguished for their creativity and dynamics, with the support 50 experienced mentors and 10 distinguished judges.
SEKEE actively participated in the organization — not only as a supporter, but also with substantial actions and initiatives. Manos Makromallis, president of SEKEE, and Giorgos Markatatos, vice-president of SEKEE, offered mentoring to groups of participants, Transferring their experience and know-how to young entrepreneurs who first tested the dynamics of a startup.
The top gift of SEEKE’s participation was the provision, in first winning team 2026, one of the most important institutions in the field of technology, digital transformation and mobile telephony worldwide, in the context of the Greek mission organized by the Association in collaboration with Enterprise Greece and the Ministry of Digital transformation. A unique opportunity for young entrepreneurs to present their work at the largest international technology fair, with over 110,000 visitors from around the world.
In addition to the basic prize, SEKEE offered a multitude of gifts to the participating teams, confirming his commitment to the effective support of the new generation of entrepreneurs.
As stated by President of SEKEE, Manos Makromallis: id=”T4″>”The support of TechStars Startup Weekend is a natural continuation of the SEKEE mission: to strengthen the Greek innovation ecosystem at every stage of development. The energy and creativity we saw in Thessaloniki confirm that there is a huge potential of young people ready to turn their ideas into innovative businesses. The gift of participating in MWC Barcelona 2026 is not just an award — it’s a real bridge to the international market and an opportunity for the Zenia-X team to network with the world’s biggest players.”
For his part, the Vice-President of the SEKEE, Giorgos Markatatos, emphasized: “The mentoring experience at TechStars Startup Weekend was extremely inspiring. The young entrepreneurs of Thessaloniki showed not only technical training, but also a real passion for innovation. SEKEE is committed to continuing to support such initiatives, because we believe that the next big Greek startup can be born from such a three-day period. The connection of Athens with Thessaloniki and the strengthening of the innovation ecosystem throughout Greece is a strategic priority for our Association.”
During the three days, five specialized workshops and two discussion panels were held with the participation of leading companies such as microsoft, <PwC Greece, deloitte and netcompany, offering participants a complete business development experience.
This text has been translated automatically from the original Greek. In case of any discrepancy or inaccuracy, the original Greek text prevails. The translation is provided for information purposes only.