Spotlight on Malta: 10 startups worth keeping an eye on in 2026

Malta has long been associated with tourism and leisure, but in recent years, the country has increasingly aligned itself with Europe’s growing tech and startup scene. Rather than lagging, Malta has steadily developed the infrastructure needed to support innovation, laying the groundwork for a more diversified and competitive economy.

This evolution has been driven by a combination of consistent government backing and the growth of digital innovation hubs, which together have helped attract international talent and support the scaling of high-growth companies. The results are now visible.

From 2024 to 2025, Malta earned recognition among the EU’s leading destinations for innovative startups, including a 4th-place ranking in a Europe-wide Startup Nations report, as highlighted in this article.

Building on this momentum, Malta will once again host the EU-Startups Summit for its 2026 edition. Taking place on 7 and 8 May, the event is set to welcome around 2,500 attendees for two focused days of innovation, networking, and exchange, further reinforcing the country’s position within Europe’s startup ecosystem.

We have compiled a list of 10 startups, all founded from 2020 onwards, that are making waves in Malta’s startup scene and pushing the country’s innovation landscape forward across multiple sectors.

BigKarma: Founded in San Gwann, this studio builds original games that extends beyond gaming into entertainment, toys, or merchandise. Its flagship project is a sports strategy video game that introduces action heroes with disabilities, addressing representation gaps in gaming for a global audience of over one billion people with disabilities.

Its first major project is Phenoms, a sports strategy video game featuring over 40 licensed athletes with visible and non-visible disabilities who each have superpowers and vulnerabilities as core gameplay elements. BigKarma was launched in 2020, and since then, it has successfully secured €47k in funding.

Binderr: Launched in 2020, this Naxxar-based FinTech startup develops a digital tax management solution designed specifically for freelancers and small businesses. Its core product is a subscription-based app that simplifies tax filing and book-keeping by giving users a clear, real-time overview of their tax obligations, including upcoming returns, amounts due, and deadlines. The platform also allows users to upload receipts and automatically categorises expenses for VAT and other tax requirements, making it particularly suited to self-employed professionals with limited tax expertise.

By combining tax tracking with connections to accountants, lawyers, banks, and other professionals, Binderr streamlines financial management and reduces administrative overhead through a single dashboard. The platform’s €4.73 million in funding to date highlights its strong market fit and the growing demand for streamlined business solutions.

Elantil: This Birkirkara-based startup is changing the game for online casinos and sportsbooks by offering a flexible, one-size-fits-all iGaming system. Operators get full control over their tech stack, free to pick and connect only the components they need, and adapt everything as they grow. Their core is its Operational Management System, a central dashboard where operators handle players, games, payments, compliance, and daily operations, all in one place.

Launched in 2024, the early-stage startup focuses on providing the software backbone that powers gambling businesses. It equips operators with the tools and flexibility to build and scale their platforms on their own terms.

FUNNZ: Headquartered in Valletta, FUNNZ is an online casino operator founded in 2024 that develops digital gambling experiences designed to be more engaging, social, and user-friendly. The platform positions itself as a scalable operator, combining technology, data, and user-experience design to deliver tailored gaming environments.

To support this approach, FUNNZ enables real-time gameplay, secure payment processing, and strict regulatory controls. The startup also relies on CRM and data-analytics systems to personalise offers, segment players, track engagement, and optimise promotions and loyalty programmes, all delivered through carefully designed interfaces, promotion engines, reward mechanics, and site layouts aimed at enhancing enjoyment and overall playtime.

Just Slots: This gaming software developer, Ta’ Xbiex-based, creates slot games for online casino operators, combining industry experience with a data-driven development approach. The startup creates game titles that are fun and varied, offering something for every kind of player. At the same time, they make it easy for operators to add these games to their platforms, thanks to flexible and simple integration.

Founded in 2023, the startup raised €1.2 million in investment and released its first titles, Sugar Heaven and Shogun Skylord, in 2024. Following an initial output of around 10 games in its first year, it now plans to scale production to 18 titles in its second year, supported by partnerships with platforms such as Hub88, Rhino Entertainment, and Stake.com.

MannaEV: Launched in 2023 in Birkirkara, this startup operates an on-demand delivery platform built around electric mobility and battery-swapping technology. Its service enables same-day deliveries with real-time tracking. The platform is designed to optimise delivery routes, support multiple drop-offs and keep operational costs low without compromising speed or reliability.

While funding details have not been publicly disclosed, the company works with local partners and stakeholders to scale its eco-friendly delivery operations. Positioning itself within the growing green mobility and logistics sector, MannaEV has stated an ambition to contribute to a carbon-free Malta by 2030 through the use of electric vehicles and sustainable logistics practices.

MetaverseME: Operating at the intersection of gaming, avatars and augmented reality (AR), this Is-Swieqi-based startup builds interactive experiences designed to enhance how users interact and socialise online. It primarily focuses on personalised digital identities, allowing users to create and customise realistic avatars that can be used across immersive games and AR-driven social content.

Its product portfolio includes the ME! Avatar App, as well as multiplayer titles such as KickOff Evolution and United Football, which blend gameplay with digital collectables and social interaction mechanics. Launched in 2021, MetaverseME has secured €1.28 million in funding to date.

Octoplay: Launched in 2022, Octoplay focuses on building high-quality casino content for regulated markets. This game studio develops slot and smash games designed with a mobile-first mindset. They create their own proprietary Remote Gaming Server, which allows games to be delivered quickly to partners while meeting the technical and compliance requirements of across different countries.

This Valletta-based game studio expanded rapidly across Europe and North America and have stablished partnerships with operators such as BetMGM, Hard Rock Bet, Kindred Group and Evoke Group. Its portfolio includes titles like Eggsponential, Pearly Shores and Lollicat, alongside custom jackpot systems such as Jackpot Hunt and operator-specific solutions like BetMGM’s Jackpot Blitz.

paytently: Headquartered in Sliema and launched in 2022, Paytently develops a payment platform designed to simplify and optimise how businesses process transactions across multiple payment providers. Their app enables companies to connect to banks and alternative payment methods through a single API, reducing technical complexity while improving payment performance and reliability.

Through the use of AI and machine learning, they automate tasks such as route transactions, increasing authorisation rates and lowering payment failures. In parallel, the platform includes a built-in risk management engine that helps protect businesses from fraud while offering consumers seamless internal payment connectivity, positioning the startup as an infrastructure provider for secure and scalable digital payments. In light of these developments, Paytently has raised €2 million in funding to date.

Smart Materials: Launched in 2020, Smart Materials is establishing itself within the Maltese startup ecosystem by developing advanced materials used to manufacture auxetic foam. It is a material known for its ability to expand laterally when stretched and outperform traditional polyurethane foams. While auxetic foam has been researched for decades, large-scale production had previously proven unfeasible, even for major chemical and consumer goods groups. However, Smart Materials technology enables scalable production, opening the door to broader industrial adoption.

They target the mattress industry, where their foam can deliver improved performance at a lower cost. Beyond functionality, the material also addresses sustainability challenges by reducing plastic use and simplifying end-of-life recycling, positioning the startup at the intersection of materials innovation and circular economy goals. Thanks to all its material developments, they have raised €18.9 million in funding.

By the way: If you’re a corporate or investor looking for exciting startups in a specific market for a potential investment or acquisition, check out our Startup Sourcing Service!

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