Vienna, Austria · Person Alexander Wrabetz is Vienna's Commissioner for AI in Media and the former long-serving Director General of ORF, Austria's public broadcasting corporation. He is a prominent figure in Austrian and European media policy, having led ORF through major digital transformation phases over multiple terms. At the 4GAMECHANGERS AI-Day 2026, he argued for cross-sector cooperation among public and private broadcasters to address economic pressures from advertising losses and accelerate AI adoption.
Sofia, Bulgaria · Support Organization BESCO (Bulgarian Entrepreneurial Association) is a non-governmental organization founded in September 2017 by 30 stakeholders in Bulgaria's startup ecosystem. It acts as a bridge between startups, investors, government bodies, and international institutions, and is Bulgaria's member in the European Startup Network. BESCO advocates for entrepreneur-friendly regulation, facilitates access to Sofia Tech Park resources, and partners with the European Investment Bank and EIF. It operates under the motto 'For Entrepreneurs By Entrepreneurs.'
Nicosia, Cyprus · Person Christina Ioannou is the CEO and Founder of Arete Strategy AI, a consultancy operating across the EU and MENA regions that specialises in AI policy and strategic advisory services. She is a Policy Advisor recognised by the European Commission for her contributions to AI governance and regulatory frameworks, positioning her as a notable voice in European AI policy. She is a confirmed speaker at the Cyprus AI Expo 2026, bringing cross-jurisdictional expertise in AI strategy and public policy.
Nicosia, Cyprus · Event An independent, not-for-profit annual policy conference organized by Oxygono in association with the Delphi Economic Forum, held at The Landmark Nicosia. The forum brings together political leaders, the public and private sectors, media, academia and civil society to debate public policy, the economy, innovation and technology in Cyprus.
Delphi, Greece · Event Greece's most prestigious annual economic and innovation forum bringing together government leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors at the historic site of Delphi. Features dedicated startup and technology tracks with strong investor networking. Attracts 3,000+ attendees and significant media coverage.
Geneva, Switzerland · Person Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies, leading global efforts on digital connectivity and AI governance. She is an announced speaker at the 2026 AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva.
Brussels, Belgium · Event Conference on open source policy, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, and open source community members to discuss current trends and future directions in Brussels.
Gdynia, Poland · Event Policy and leadership forum for youth innovators across the EU and Eastern Partnership countries. Strong fit for civic, edtech, and impact-oriented founders seeking public-sector partnerships.
Trento, Italy · Event The 21st edition of the Trento Festival of Economics, drawing ministers, Nobel laureates, and 700+ speakers. A high-signal venue for founders tracking macro and policy shifts and meeting institutional players.
Brussels, Belgium · Event Organisator Forum Europe is a policy-focused event management company that has been organizing high-level conferences at the heart of the European Union since 1989. The organization specializes in convening senior policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders around critical European and international policy issues spanning technology, space, defence, and digital governance. Forum Europe is the organizer of the annual European Space Forum and the European Space, Security and Defence Forum, as well as a growing portfolio of global events through its Forum Global division. Registered in England and Wales and operating primarily from Brussels, Forum Europe provides in-person, virtual, and hybrid event solutions for institutional and industry clients.
Berlin, Germany · Support Organization The German Startups Association (Bundesverband Deutsche Startups e.V.) is Germany's leading advocacy and networking organization for startup founders, established in 2012. With over 1,200 member startups and corporate partners, the Startup-Verband lobbies the German federal government on policy issues critical to founders, including employee stock option reform (ESOP), immigration for tech talent, and venture capital regulation. The organization publishes the annual German Startup Monitor, the most comprehensive survey of the country's startup ecosystem, and runs numerous programs including regional chapters, industry working groups, and the German Startup Awards. It plays a central convening role connecting founders with policymakers, investors, and corporates across Germany.
Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia · Event Central European geopolitics-meets-technology summit in Bratislava organized by GLOBSEC, covering cybersecurity, digital sovereignty, energy transition, and CEE innovation policy. Draws diplomats, defense-tech founders, and security-policy researchers. By invitation and application.
Brussels, Belgium · Event Matchmaking event for Horizon Europe mobility calls. Price: free with registration. Focused on 1:1 meetings to build consortia for non-dilutive EU funding.
London, United Kingdom · Event Flagship day of UK FinTech Week held at London's historic Guildhall, attracting senior policymakers, regulators, and fintech leaders. Tickets cost about GBP 900-1500. Features keynotes on open banking, digital currencies, and regulatory sandboxes. Essential for fintech startups seeking visibility with UK regulators and institutional partners.
Dublin, Ireland · Event Hosted by Ireland under its 2026 EU Council Presidency at the RDS, Dublin, launching European AI Innovation Month and gathering EU and global leaders, CEOs, investors, and innovators. A high-signal policy-and-investment event for AI founders.
Milan, Italy · Support Organization The Italian Tech Alliance (formerly Italia Startup) is Italy's leading industry association representing the venture capital, startup, and innovation ecosystem. Founded to give the Italian tech community a unified voice, the Alliance brings together venture capital funds, angel investors, startups, scale-ups, and corporate members to advocate for better policy conditions for innovation in Italy. Key focus areas include reforming Italy's 'innovative startup' legal framework, improving tax incentives for VC investment, and attracting international capital to Italian companies. The Alliance publishes research on the state of Italian venture capital, organizes networking events connecting founders with investors, and works with the Italian government on policy initiatives to close the gap between Italy's strong technical talent base and its historically underdeveloped startup financing ecosystem.
Kyiv, Ukraine · Event Organisator Non-profit organiser of the Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF), one of the largest annual economic forums in Eastern Europe. Since 2015 it has gathered business leaders, policymakers and international delegations to debate Ukraine's economic strategy, investment climate and post-war reconstruction.
Kyiv, Ukraine · Event One of the largest international economic forums in Eastern Europe, bringing together business leaders, government officials and civil society to discuss Ukraine's economic development, reconstruction, investment and global integration. The 11th edition takes place at the Parkovyi Congress Center in Kyiv with keynotes, panel discussions and high-level networking.
Brussels, Belgium · Event High-level forum in Brussels on EU digital policy, AI competitiveness, and innovation-friendly regulation, bringing together MEPs, commissioners, and tech industry leaders. Features policy debates and networking with European regulators. Essential for startups navigating EU regulatory frameworks and seeking influence on digital policy outcomes.
Brussels, Belgium · Event Organisator Advocacy organisation promoting open source, open standards, and open markets in Europe, particularly concerning public policy and digital infrastructure. Organises the EU Open Source Policy Summit.
Berlin, Germany · Event Organisator Organizer of the Rise of AI conference, a curated annual summit in Berlin connecting AI founders, researchers, policymakers, and investors. Founded by Fabian Westerheide, the event has run since 2014 and brings together 1,000+ participants to discuss applied AI, ethics, and emerging business models in the European AI ecosystem.
Riga, Latvia · Support Organization Startin.LV is the Latvian Startup Association, a non-profit founded in 2016 to unite the country's startup community under a common voice. With over 100 member companies it advocates for startup-friendly legislation, connects founders with investors and partners, and promotes Latvian startups internationally. The association organises community events and collaborates with universities, government institutions, and Baltic ecosystem partners.
Nicosia, Cyprus · Support Organization Startup Cyprus is the national startup association of Cyprus, founded in February 2016 by 13 startup founders and ecosystem figures. It is a founding member of the European Startup Network, the pan-European body of national startup associations. The organisation engages in policy advocacy at national and EU level, and organises events including Startup Academy Cyprus, Startup Live, Startup Weekend, and founders meetups. It represents the interests of Cypriot startups within the broader European ecosystem.
Vilnius, Lithuania · Support Organization Startup Lithuania is the national startup ecosystem facilitator operating under the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation as part of Enterprise Lithuania. It connects startups, investors, corporations, and government bodies, administers the Startup Visa and Startup Employee Visa programmes, maintains a national startup map, and organises the annual Startup Fair — Lithuania's largest international startup event. The organisation also manages the Startup Lithuania Accelerator powered by Plug and Play.
Dusseldorf, Germany · Event Partnering conference focused on Horizon Europe collaboration. Price: about EUR 150 (VAT included). Structured around pitches and 1:1 meetings across health, energy, mobility, and digital tech.
Amsterdam, Netherlands · Support Organization Techleap.nl (formerly StartupDelta) is the Dutch national nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of the Netherlands' tech startup ecosystem. Originally founded in 2015 as StartupDelta by special envoy Neelie Kroes (former European Commissioner for Digital Agenda), the organization was rebranded to Techleap.nl in 2019 to reflect its expanded mission. Techleap works at the intersection of government, startups, investors, and corporates to remove barriers to scaling tech companies in the Netherlands. Key programs include the Techleap Rise benchmarking tool for startups, talent attraction initiatives, and policy advocacy on topics such as stock option taxation and visa procedures for international founders. Techleap also produces the annual State of Dutch Tech report and facilitates connections between Dutch scale-ups and international investors.
Davos, Switzerland · Event Organisator Organizer of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, one of the most influential global gatherings bringing together 2,500+ heads of state, CEOs, and thought leaders since 1971. WEF drives public-private cooperation on economic policy, technology governance, and sustainability, increasingly featuring innovation and startup-focused programming.
Davos, Switzerland · Event Global gathering of heads of state, Fortune 500 CEOs, and technology leaders in Davos focused on economic, environmental, and innovation agendas. Features invitation-only sessions and curated side events. While access is restricted, the surrounding Davos ecosystem offers startups proximity to global decision-makers and media visibility.