A New Transatlantic Bridge Launches During Global Entrepreneurship Week

This week is Global Entrepreneurship Week and one event hopes to shine the spotlight squarely on what is happening in the Midwest in an attempt to connect us with Europe. 

The online event Midwest Meets Europe will take place virtually on Monday the 24th at 11am and it aims to bring together institutional leaders capable of shaping real cross-border pathways: accelerators, venture funds, corporate innovation teams, economic development agencies, and university tech-transfer offices. It’s a pragmatic approach with the goal not of networking for its own sake, but building repeatable routes for market access, pilot projects, co-investments, and helping talent navigate the two regions.

A Global Stage, Rooted in Underdog Regions

Global Entrepreneurship Week spans more than 200 countries each year. But this particular event brings together two hubs that often see themselves as underdogs: the American Midwest - known for its manufacturing strength, pragmatic operators, and undervalued investment landscape - and European ecosystems - which despite their rich history and generations of business success is slighted as a place that can’t build world-changing companies.

The lineup features representatives from Finland, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, the UK/Cyprus, and more, alongside Midwest organizations.

This first GEW Midwest gathering is intentionally trying to bring together decision-makers, not entry-level ecosystem players and positioning itself as an institution-led consortium that could eventually open the region to global connection and thus, innovation.

Seven European Startups Take the Virtual Stage

After “reverse pitches” from institutions on both sides of the Atlantic, seven European Series A companies will deliver fast-paced three-minute showcases.

All seven are actively exploring U.S. expansion, precisely the kind of companies that could benefit from Midwest market entry, manufacturing depth, healthcare networks, and reasonable operating costs.

The presenting startups are:

1. Lingvanex: fast and free online translator in over 110 languages (Poland).

2. Soula: real-time AI therapeutic assistant for stress and anxiety (Cyprus).

3. Clearly.help: mental-health matching platform with licensed therapists (Ukraine & Poland).

4. Skinive: helps analyze skin condition and detect potential issues early (Netherlands).

A Founder Helping Lead the Charge

One of the driving forces behind the event is Nastia Khamiankova, co-founder of the international startup hub Imaguru. Her organization - based in Poland and Spain - helps European founders go global, supporting startups to grow beyond their own borders and reach international markets and she recognizes there are parallels between parts of Europe and the heartland of the US. “I truly believe that European Union ecosystem players and ecosystem as a whole and founders … don't know anything else except coastal regions of the United States: Silicon Valley and New York,” she told us.

Imaguru’s story was featured in TechCrunch earlier this year, and makes it a fitting partner for launching GEW Midwest’s first event, particularly as it seeks to open structured Midwest pathways for companies across Europe.

The event will include:

- Opening remarks + a Midwest market case

- Reverse pitches from EU and Midwest institutions

- Startup showcases followed by a collaborative roundtable
Source: PDF (“Agenda”)

The organizers are framing the event as an early step in a longer-term project: a Midwest-led transatlantic consortium committed to turning international interest into real economic activity, founder mobility, and investment.

If successful, GEW Midwest could become a new entry point for global founders looking beyond the coasts, and for Midwestern institutions looking to project their strengths onto the world stage.

You can register here and check out  Global Entrepreneurship Week here. 

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