After an intense hour filled with tension and excitement, the stage erupted in celebration and applause culminating in a giant check and a well-deserved victory for Diffraqtion.
"Creating the next generation of visual AI hardware and software to make satellites and machines see further and think faster" — that is the mission set by Diffraqtion, the startup crowned winner of the Slush 100 competition at this year’s Slush 2025.
The Founder Stage became the arena for the final showdown between the three startups: Diffraqtion, Kinetic, and Parsewise. Each team had to face not only the audience but also the jury’s challenging questions.
After an intense hour filled with tension and excitement, the stage erupted in celebration and applause — culminating in a giant check and a well-deserved victory for Diffraqtion.
"For those who don't know, I am of Greek-German origin. Greetings to Greece and Germany here today. After three years in the United States, it is a pleasure to receive this warm welcome and to see that transatlantic collaboration and friendship remain so strong. This was important to me, and I am extremely grateful for your hospitality. Thank you so much for coming," said Johannes Galatsanos on stage, before the winner of the competition was announced.
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Diffraqtion is a quantum startup with roots in MIT, University of Maryland, and University of Arizona. They are building the next generation of visual AI hardware and software to make satellites and machines see further and think faster. This technology was developed in partnership with DARPA and NASA for high-precision space situational awareness.
The other finalists
Kinetic
Making emails interactive, so customers can take actions like filling out forms, viewing live data, or updating preferences right inside their inboxes. Customers can shop, review, and submit forms directly in their inbox.
Parsewise
Building a data platform that accelerates investment and underwriting workflows by using AI to turn documents into structured data and surface consistent insights. Automates data extraction, resolution, and validation from complex document packages.
THE PRIZE
This year, the winner receives a €1,000,000 capital investment from two of Europe's leading early-stage investment funds: General Catalyst and Cherry Ventures.
