From Idea to Impact

Welcome Home, Founders.

Bits & Pretzels is more than a conference. It’s the home of Europe’s startup scene – where ideas become ventures, conversations become investments, and founders find their tribe.
Join the 2026 Waitlist

Date

29 Sep -
01 oct 2025

within the Bits & Pretzels Venue

Venue

Trade Fair Grounds & Oktoberfest

How to access?

full access to bits & pRETZELS FESTIVAL

network like
nowhere else

Bits & Pretzels main stage

DAY 1 + 2

Conference

Two days filled with networking, masterclasses and a highly curated speaker line-up, providing you with resources for your growth.

Limited to 7,500 attendees
Curated founder-investor ratio
21,000 founder-investor meetings
Startup Exhibition & Pitch contest
390bn US-Dollar of assets under management at the event
Inside the Festhalle Schottenhamel at the Oktoberfest site.

DAY 3

Oktoberfest

Doing business at the Munich Oktoberfest sounds crazy? It is – but the most unique networking experience you’ll ever make!

+400 Tables at Schottenhamel Tent
250 Table Captains: industry experts hosting a table
2 orgaized liquid networking sessions
1 unique experience: that lasts a lifetime, be there to believe that

A breeding Ground
for success

You are in excellent company. Those are just some of the many startups that have been boosted by exhibiting at #bits in their early days. Today everyone knows them. Use your chance to follow their footsteps.
Exhibited in
2019
Capital raised
€700m
Exhibited in
2022
Capital raised
€170m
Exhibited in
2019
Capital raised
€58m
Exhibited in
2023
Capital raised
€41m
Exhibited in
2022
Capital raised
€870m
Exhibited in
2023
Capital raised
€28m
Exhibited in
2023
Capital raised
€17m
Exhibited in
2022
Capital raised
€85.7m
Exhibited in
2019
Capital raised
€230m
Exhibited in
2022
Capital raised
€98m
Exhibited in
2022
Capital raised
€115m
Exhibited in
2023
Capital raised
€13m
Exhibited in
2023
Capital raised
€17.2m
Exhibited in
2019
Capital raised
€510m
Exhibited in
2022
Capital raised
€49.3m

Stand Out. Be Seen. Get Ahead.

Meet 1,500+ Investors

390BN € of assets under management
1 in 4 attendees is actively investing
21,000 founder–investor meetings in 3 days
Pack your day with meetings and have the most efficient three days of your year.

3.6BN € raised after bits23

Connections made here turn into tomorrow's uniconrs
A gathering ground for those who move markets
Where ideas grow into companies — and deals get done

Maximize your visibility

Exhibit alongside 250+ top startups
Pitch on stage in front of investors & media
Get spotted by decision-makers from global brands

Full stack of content

40+ expert-led, small-group Startup Academy sessions designed for real takeaways
Top voices in tech & startups on 3 powerful stages
300+ world-class speakers in just two days

JOIN Europe’S Leading founders festival

Experience 360° Networking with 1,500+ investors & industry leaders
Build valuable partnerships in just 3 days
Get inspired by a full stack of hands-on academy sessions and over 500 speakers
Join the 2026 Waitlist

Regularly Attending FUNDS

Live on Stage 2025:
The People Driving Change

Name Surname
Position, Company name
Name Surname
Position, Company name
Name Surname
Position, Company name
Name Surname
Position, Company name
Name Surname
Position, Company name
Name Surname
Position, Company name
Dr. Farzana Rahman

CEO

Hexard

Sophia Rödiger

CMO

1KOMMA5GRAD

Dr. Karsten Wildberger

Federal Minister for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation

Germany

Simon Schmincke

General Partner

Creandum

Robert Lacher

Founding Partner

Visionaries Club

Karsten Lemmer

Prof. Dr.-Ing.

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

Niklas Zennström

Founder & CEO

Atomico

Katherina Reiche

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy

Germany

Caroline Stage Olsen

Minister for Digital Government

Denmark

Thomas Wolf

Co-Founder & Chief Science Officer

Hugging Face

Dorothee Bär

Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space

Germany

Hélène Huby

Founder & CEO

The Exploration Company

See all speakers 2025

upgrade your visibility: Join the startup exhibition

Ready to put your startup on the radar of Europe’s top investors, media, and decision-makers?

At the Startup Exhibition at Bits & Pretzels, you showcase your product alongside the most promising startups in the ecosystem. It's your moment to pitch, connect, and gain real traction — all in front of the people who can fuel your next stage of growth.

From visibility to validation, this is where ambitious founders take the fast lane.

Join nowLearn more

Have a Seat with a Table Captain — and the Right People

Join one of our legendary Oktoberfest networking tables, each hosted by a Table Captain — a handpicked industry expert, thought leader, or decision-maker ready to share insights and spark real conversation.
Surrounded by inspiring minds and fueled by Bavarian hospitality, you’ll connect over bier, discuss what really matters, and walk away with more than just a handshake.


This is what meaningful networking looks like — the Bits & Pretzels way.

Get even more Attention: Pitch on our Main Stage

7,500 highly relevant attendees including 1,500+ VCs and business angels await you. This is the biggest stage for startups.

Learn more

Experience the business magic of Oktoberfest

Yes we really take thousands of startup people to a single tent at the real Munich Oktoberfest. And yes, it’s even more about business as it is fun.

Every table hosts a pre-booked meeting of 8-10 attendees. It’s a place where founders pitch, new partnerships are made, and business partners become friends.

It’s a day like nothing you have ever experienced.

2025
Bits & Pretzels unites its most international community yet under the Connecting Europe theme to help build a competitive, strong, and vibrant European ecosystem.
2023
Bits & Pretzels is home. The Home of Founders. People came for Michelle Obama and they stayed for the community.
2019
President Barack Obama joins Bits & Pretzels and leads an amazing speaker lineup.
2017
Bits & Pretzels establishes its quality over size rule and limits the number of attendees to 5,000.
2015
For the first time the Festival lasts for three days. The grand finale gathers 3,500 founders at the Oktoberfest.
2025
Bits & Pretzels unites its most international community yet under the Connecting Europe theme to help build a competitive, strong, and vibrant European ecosystem.
2023
Bits & Pretzels is home. The Home of Founders. People came for Michelle Obama and they stayed for the community.
2019
President Barack Obama joins Bits & Pretzels and leads an amazing speaker lineup.
2017
Bits & Pretzels establishes its quality over size rule and limits the number of attendees to 5,000.
2015
For the first time the Festival lasts for three days. The grand finale gathers 3,500 founders at the Oktoberfest.
2024
Bits & Pretzels launches the first-ever Investor Summit and CXO Summit — setting a new standard for founder and investor networking.
2022
What a return after a two year break. It was time to reunite the European startup ecosystem and everybody joined.
2018
Tarana Burke, founder of the #metoo movement, opens the Festival to underline the commitment to diversity.
2016
5,000 attendees come to see the founders of Virgin, Airbnb, and other inspiring personalities.
2013-14
Wild first years. Started with only 80 participants at Hofbräuhaus the event grows to 1,400 attendees.
2024
Bits & Pretzels launches the first-ever Investor Summit and CXO Summit — setting a new standard for founder and investor networking.
2022
What a return after a two year break. It was time to reunite the European startup ecosystem and everybody joined.
2018
Tarana Burke, founder of the #metoo movement, opens the Festival to underline the commitment to diversity.
2016
5,000 attendees come to see the founders of Virgin, Airbnb, and other inspiring personalities.
2013-14
Wild first years. Started with only 80 participants at Hofbräuhaus the event grows to 1,400 attendees.

WHERE WE COME FROM.

Bits & Pretzels started as founders breakfast with just 80 participants. We dared to start and the spirit of supporting founders continues in 2026 and beyond.

Join our mission in helping founders shaping a better future.

AboutbenefitsJoin nowStartup exhibitionPitch contest