Artificial intelligence startup Epiminds has emerged as the winner of the prestigious TOP46 pitch competition at Techarena 2026, one of Europe’s prominent startup events. The Stockholm based company secured the top position after presenting its AI powered marketing platform to a panel of judges and thousands of investors, technology leaders, and entrepreneurs attending the event.

The annual TOP46 competition is a central part of the Techarena startup program, where selected companies showcase their innovations through live pitches. In the 2026 edition, 46 startups were invited to present their ideas after being selected from a large pool of applicants. The finalists represented a wide range of technology sectors including artificial intelligence, climate technology, health technology, robotics, and financial technology.

Epiminds stood out among competitors with its AI native marketing platform designed to automate complex performance marketing tasks through a system of specialized artificial intelligence agents.

AI Platform Designed to Automate Performance Marketing

Epiminds was founded in 2025 by entrepreneurs Elias Malm and Mo Elkhidir. The startup focuses on transforming digital marketing operations through automation powered by artificial intelligence. The company’s platform functions as a marketing operating system that coordinates multiple AI agents working together to handle various campaign related activities.

According to the company, the system deploys more than twenty autonomous AI agents that collaborate to manage tasks such as campaign planning, data analysis, creative development, and advertising execution. These agents can operate across major digital advertising platforms including Google and Meta, enabling marketing teams to run complex campaigns with minimal manual intervention.

The concept of using AI agents to automate marketing processes is gaining momentum within the digital advertising industry. Companies are increasingly looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce the time required to manage large scale advertising campaigns across multiple platforms.

By using AI driven automation, Epiminds aims to help marketing teams focus on strategic decision making while automated systems handle operational tasks such as analytics monitoring, campaign optimization, and content deployment.

Early Market Traction and Customer Growth

Despite being a relatively new company, Epiminds has already demonstrated promising early traction. The startup reported that it is currently working with marketing agencies that collectively represent more than 200 brands. This early adoption suggests that the platform is addressing a real need within the digital marketing industry.

The company also reached its first paying customers shortly after launching its platform, a milestone that many early stage startups take years to achieve. Early customer validation is often considered an important indicator of product market fit, especially for technology companies developing new software platforms.

Startup investors and industry analysts often look closely at early adoption metrics when evaluating emerging companies. A strong customer pipeline can significantly improve a startup’s prospects for scaling its business model and attracting future investment.

Recognition at One of Europe’s Major Startup Events

Techarena has become one of Europe’s most influential technology conferences, bringing together startups, investors, and corporate leaders to explore emerging innovation trends. The TOP46 pitch competition is widely viewed as one of the event’s highlights, providing selected startups with an opportunity to gain exposure in front of the global technology community.

During the competition, startups present their business models and technology solutions to a panel of judges who evaluate each company based on factors such as innovation potential, scalability, and market opportunity. After several rounds of pitches, a final group of startups is selected to present on the main stage before a winner is chosen.

The 2026 competition featured startups across multiple sectors including artificial intelligence, sustainability technologies, health technology, robotics, and financial services. This diversity reflects the growing breadth of innovation emerging from Europe’s technology ecosystem.

Winning the competition provides startups with increased visibility among venture capital firms, potential business partners, and media organizations. For early stage companies, this type of recognition can help accelerate growth by opening doors to new opportunities and partnerships.

Award Presented by Zlatan Ibrahimović

Epiminds received its award on stage from international football icon Zlatan Ibrahimović, who participated in the event as a guest presenter. The appearance of the globally recognized athlete added a moment of excitement to the competition finale.

During the award presentation, Epiminds co founder Elias Malm addressed the audience and highlighted the company’s current growth trajectory. Interestingly, he noted that the startup is not actively seeking investment funding at this stage.

According to Malm, the company’s current priority is expanding its platform and building partnerships with marketing agencies rather than raising additional capital. This approach suggests that the startup may already have sufficient resources to continue product development and customer acquisition in the near term.

European Startup Ecosystem Continues to Expand

The success of companies like Epiminds reflects the broader growth of Europe’s startup ecosystem. Over the past decade, European technology hubs such as Stockholm, Berlin, Paris, and London have produced a growing number of innovative startups across various industries.

Artificial intelligence has become one of the most active areas of startup development, with entrepreneurs exploring applications in marketing, healthcare, finance, cybersecurity, and automation. Investors across Europe are increasingly directing funding toward AI driven companies as demand for intelligent software solutions continues to expand.

Events like Techarena play an important role in supporting this ecosystem by providing a platform for emerging companies to showcase their innovations and connect with global investors.

Outlook

Epiminds’ victory at the TOP46 competition highlights the increasing role of artificial intelligence in transforming industries such as digital marketing. As AI driven automation tools continue to evolve, startups developing intelligent software platforms are expected to play a key role in shaping the future of marketing technology and business operations.