Polar Bear Pitching (2025)

Polar Bear Pitching gathers hundreds of participants from around the world to Oulu, Finland. It's a pitching competition where startups can showcase what they are made of to a global audience. Lifestream has been viewed in more than 40 countries. 

Unlike all the other pitching competitions, in Polar Bear Pitching there is no time limit. However, there is one rule – the startups have to give their pitches while standing waist deep in ice cold water.

Would you dare to do it?

Polar Bear Pitching is your chance to make the world talk about you. It is an event organized for startups, investors and the media. People connect with each other at Polar Bear Pitching, but its true value is the exposure and the unique experience you get through participating.

At Polar Bear Pitching, you pitch while standing in an ice hole carved in the frozen Baltic Sea. This bizarre experience will surely force you to get outside your comfort zone and definitely attract attention of international investors  and media, with whom you will be able to meet face-to-face.

THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD PITCH YOUR IDEA WHILE STANDING WAIST DEEP IN A FREEZING WATER:

• Media attention – Pitching from the inside of an ice hole will not only make great marketing material, no! The better your pitch the more media will get interested in you. Through our international livestream hubs and our global marketing efforts, we reach a huge community, to which you will get exposed when pitching from the ice hole. For benchmarking check out CityFalcon, which raised the bigger part of its 0.5m Pounds funding with the clip from Polar Bear Pitching 2017. Or see FlowMotion which outperformed its funding target with jumping into the ice hole and the video material they got from the event.
• Get funded – Every year we attract more international VC’s and investors, which closely watch the startups and have discussions afterwards. They like the uniqueness and the warm spirit of the event.
• Great prizes – It’s not all just for the fun. You will get your pitch as a personalized clip and you have the chance of winning €10k for sure, also many more prizes are added later on once we get closer to the event.
• Amazing personal experience – Jumping into the ice hole and networking in saunas and paljus (hot tubs) is a unique and remarkable experience, which will definitely inspire you. Attending one of the Arctic Experiences we offer will just add more fun.
• Meet the right people – Through our uniqueness we attract great startups, investors and speakers. As a participating startup you are able to meet with all of them. Through the small setting and warm spirit of the event the meetings happen in a more private environment.
• Enlightening content – Our two day program offers great content in various fields. Listen to keynote speakers and investors from all over the world. Our track system ensures coordinated meetups and networking opportunities with like minded people.