Bits & Pretzels Founders Festival 2026

Overview

Bits & Pretzels is Europe’s premier founder-focused festival, launched in 2014 as a breakfast event and scaled to a flagship three-day gathering during Munich’s Oktoberfest. It blends high-level networking, education, and celebration to support startup growth and collaboration.

Key Highlights

• Exclusive Experience: An intimate attendee limit (7,500) ensures focused, high-quality connections.
• Diverse Programming: Includes keynote talks, founder masterclasses, roundtables, startup showcases, and investor matchmaking.
• High-Calibre Speakers: Past participants include founders of Airbnb, Virgin, Shazam, plus prominent names like Michelle Obama and Tarana.
• Festival Finale: Unique networking within Oktoberfest beer tents via “Table Captains” facilitating structured discussions over Bavarian cuisine.

Why It Matters

• Founder-Centric Environment: Designed by and for founders, with a curated founder-investor ratio and over 21,000 meetings in past editions.
• High-Value Network: Attracts European and international startup ecosystems, including VCs, corporates, and public innovation agents.
• Rich Cross-Industry Dialogue: Blends deep-dive tech, growth, culture, and policy content within a social, Bavarian setting.
• Cultural & Business Fusion: Professional growth complemented by Bavarian tradition—making connections memorable and authentic.

Dates: Late September 2026 (three-day event