Press Release
30.01.2026
START Summit 2026 - Embrace New Horizons
START Summit is Europe's leading early-stage startup conference at the intersection of entrepreneurship and technology. Organised by students, it brings together founders, investors, corporates, researchers, and policymakers to discuss where innovation in Europe is heading. Over 7,000 attendees from Switzerland, Germany, and more than 30 other European countries are expected, along with participants from North and South America and Asia.
Embrace New Horizons
The theme of START Summit 2026 focuses on embracing new horizons, particularly beyond the prevailing AI hype, and highlights emerging investment trends in deep-tech startups and other innovative sectors across Europe. START Summit explores:
- AI Beyond the Hype: What remains when the AI hype settles or accelerates, and which technologies and companies prove resilient over time
- From Research to Scalable Companies: How Europe can translate scientific excellence into globally leading businesses
- Europe's Alpine Region in Global Competition: Deep-Tech as a Structural Source of Long-Term Advantage
- Building and Scaling Startups: Practical challenges, growth dynamics, and organizational scaling paths of founders
Stages at START Summit
START Summit 2026 features four main stages; including three content-driven stages with a distinct focus and a curated lineup of speakers and panels sharing insight about the mentioned topics that START Summit 2026 will explore. Further there will be one stage hosting a pitching competition, which will be focused on various industries.
The Summit Stage showcases high-profile speakers and big-picture conversations on innovation, technology, and Europe's future, delivering inspirational sessions designed to spark ideas and create defining moments for a broad audience.
The Alpine Stage spotlights the Alpine axis from Geneva to Munich as a powerhouse of European innovation. It highlights Deep-Tech, AI, robotics, and industrial innovation, showcasing the region's dense network of applied research and precision manufacturing.
The Builder Stage focuses on practical company-building, covering topics from Seed to IPO with a strong emphasis on early-stage startups. It highlights real entrepreneurial stories, successes and failures alike, offering actionable insight in an open, no-taboo environment.
Selected Confirmed Speakers
- Felix Ohswald: Co-Founder & CEO, GoStudent
- Verena Pausder: Board Member, German Startup Association
- Thomas Clozel: Co-Founder & CEO, OWKIN
- Daniel W. Dippold: Founder & CEO, EWOR
- Helmut Schoenenberger: Co-Founder & CEO, UnternehmerTUM
- Melanie Gabriel: Co-Founder, Yokoy & Follow the Gradient
- Dirk Hoerig: Founder, commercetools
- Simon Michel: CEO, Ypsomed AG & Swiss National Councillor
- Philipp Schröder: Founder & CEO, 1KOMMA5°
- Péter Fankhauser: Co-Founder & CEO, ANYbotics
- Dr. Robert Fink: CTO, Helsing
Startup Pitching Competitions & Startup booths
START Summit 2026 will host various Pitching Competitions on its Pitching Stage. Startups can now apply to pitch at START Summit 2026 in St. Gallen. Get stage time on the Pitching Stage, investor visibility, and a chance to win up to CHF 40'000 - built for Europe's top early-stage startups in the field of AI, Health-Tech, Sustainability and more.
Startups can apply until 06.03.2025: https://www.startglobal.org/start-summit/pitching-competitionFurther START Summit 2026 will again feature START Fair booths where selected early-stage startups will be provided with booths to get a platform t o network, exchange between founders and get visibility to find investors or partners.
Startups can apply until 06.03.2025: https://www.startglobal.org/start-summit/start-fairWorkshops & Side Event
During START Summit various workshops for attendees that give insights and provide learning from world class leaders will be hosted. The program includes a range of side events, from the Swisscom Venture Investor Night and an exclusive breakfast to the START Forum. A new side event format taking place during START Summit 2026 is a public Food-Tech Festival taking place right next to Summit which is open to the public without a ticket.
START Hack
Parallel to START Summit, the smartest upcoming talents will participate at START Hack; a 36h hackathon, that helps Corporates to outsource its innovation… Making the event into START Summit x Hack.
Application close on the 28.02.2026: https://www.startglobal.org/start-hackThe Alpine Region & Deep Tech
A defining new element of START Summit 2026 is its strategic focus on the Alpine region and deep-tech innovation. To give the Alpine region's unique strengths the visibility they deserve, START Summit 2026 introduces the Alpine Area, including the Alpine Stage, a new centerpiece dedicated to shaping Europe's deep-tech future.
The St. Gallen Area will form an integral part of the Alpine Area, reinforcing St. Gallen's position as an emerging startup hub. During the summit, the HSG START Accelerator will also announce its second batch. In addition, the Alpine Area will host a wide range of innovation players and regional ecosystems from Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Baden-Württemberg, and Bavaria. The Deep-Tech Area will showcase cuttingedge startups operating at the forefront of deep-tech innovation.