Bits and Pretzels Founders Festival 2026 will be held in Munich from Monday 28 to Wednesday 30 September. The annual founders festival is timed to coincide with Oktoberfest and runs under the 2026 theme "Human After All", according to the organiser.
The programme combines keynote stages, a startup exhibition of around 250 companies, investor matchmaking and an Oktoberfest Day on which founders, investors and corporate leaders meet in the beer tents. The organiser says the 2026 edition targets more than 600 enterprise decision makers from companies with revenue above 50 million euros, alongside the founder and venture capital audience that has defined the festival since its first edition.
The event matters to executives because it is one of the largest founder gatherings in Europe and has become a route for corporate leaders to meet the startups, scaleups and investors shaping artificial intelligence, climate technology, fintech and mobility. Chief innovation officers, corporate venture heads and chief executives of technology companies attend to source partnerships and acquisitions.
Bits and Pretzels is organised by the Munich based company of the same name.
