Cologne, Germany · Event The world's largest gaming event by attendance, with a major business area (gamescom biz) hosting B2B meetings, publisher showcases, indie booths, and investor matchmaking alongside the consumer expo. Cologne draws 300,000+ visitors and is the primary annual meeting point for European game studios, publishers, and platform teams. Relevant to startups in gaming, entertainment tech, AR/VR, streaming, and creator economy. Tickets from EUR 20 consumer, EUR 100+ business.
Leuven, Belgium · Startup Swave Photonics has developed the world's first true holographic display chip — the HXR spatial light modulator with sub-300 nm pixels — enabling AR smart glasses, heads-up displays and 3D video walls without waveguides or varifocal lenses. Spun out of imec in Leuven in 2022 by Theo Marescaux and Dmitri Choutov, the company closed a €27 M Series A in January 2025 co-led by imec.xpand and SFPIM Relaunch, followed by a €6 M Samsung Ventures-backed follow-on in June 2025, bringing total funding to over €43 M. The chip leverages CMOS manufacturing for mass-market cost structures, targeting OEMs in AR wearables and automotive HUDs.
London, United Kingdom · Event Inaugural European SXSW edition across Shoreditch and East London, mixing startup pitches with tech, music, and interactive media programming. Strong fit for media-tech, AR/VR, and consumer innovation teams.