{"id":144770,"date":"2026-08-13T04:22:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T04:22:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/144770\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T04:22:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T04:22:38","slug":"techbbq-2026-copenhagen-startup-conference-expects-10000-attendees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/144770\/","title":{"rendered":"TechBBQ 2026: Copenhagen Startup Conference Expects 10,000 Attendees"},"content":{"rendered":"

Set Trending Topics as a preferred source on Google.<\/a><\/p>\n

TechBBQ returns to Bella Center Copenhagen on August 26\u201327, 2026. Under the theme \u201cEmerging from Agency,\u201d founders, investors and policymakers will debate how much decision-making power humans retain in an age of agentic AI systems. Trending Topics will be on site.<\/p>\n

What started in 2013 as an informal gathering in a Copenhagen park has become one of Europe\u2019s larger startup conferences. Organizers expect more than 10,000 participants from the startup, investment and policy worlds, including over 2,000 representatives of venture capital funds. The Founders BBQ Showcase will feature 100 European startups.<\/p>\n

The theme: \u201cEmerging from Agency\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s edition centers on the notion of agency \u2014 the question of who actively steers technological shifts and who merely reacts to them. As AI, quantum computing, robotics and physical AI reshape industry standards, the organizers argue that autonomous tools may accelerate execution, but human judgment, ethical governance and founder grit remain a company\u2019s real moat. The announcement also frames technology explicitly as a field of diplomacy.<\/p>\n

The top speakers<\/p>\n

Meredith Whittaker \u2014 President, Signal
\nHoward Wright \u2014 VP Startup Ecosystem, NVIDIA
\nMax Welling \u2014 Co-Founder, CuspAI
\nPaul Rippon \u2014 Founder, Rippon Capital, and co-founder of Monzo
\nHedda B\u00e5verud Olsson \u2014 CEO & Co-Founder, Lassie
\nPhilipp Schr\u00f6der \u2014 CEO & Co-Founder, 1KOMMA5\u00b0
\nJames Hawkins \u2014 Co-Founder, PostHog
\nLuke Pappas \u2014 Partner, NEA
\nBastian Hasslinger \u2014 Partner, Index Ventures
\nFabrizio Del Maffeo \u2014 CEO & Co-Founder, Axelera AI
\nMaxim Romain \u2014 CEO & Co-Founder, Dott
\nRob Huckin \u2014 VP of Sales, Hebbia<\/p>\n

The full program and additional speakers are listed at techbbq.dk\/speakers.<\/p>\n

An expanded life science and deep tech area<\/p>\n

Pointing to the Nordics\u2019 strength in healthcare and biotechnology, TechBBQ is expanding its Life Science & Deep Tech Area. Located directly next to the main tech hall, it brings together health, medtech, therapeutics and planetary well-being.<\/p>\n

The program includes facilitated matchmaking sessions connecting biotech, healthtech and deep tech founders with specialized VC funds and corporate partners \u2014 among them Alba Health founder Nora Cavani and AIRMO CEO Daria Stepanova. There will also be live demos and pitch sessions from Nordic scaleups working in clinical research, aerospace and advanced computing, plus a track on the intersection of deep tech, bio-engineering and climate resilience.<\/p>\n

Dedicated tracks for fintech, defense and capital markets<\/p>\n

Beyond the main stages, several vertical programs run in parallel:<\/p>\n

Future of Fintech & AI-Native Fintechs, co-hosted by Flatpay CEO Sander Janca-Jensen, focusing on embedded finance, scaling and agentic banking
\nNordic-Africa and Nordic-India Startup Summits, aimed at cross-border capital and talent flows
\nDefense & Dual-Use Summit on sovereignty, security and critical infrastructure, with policymakers and military innovators. It is accompanied by a Royal Defense & Dual-Use Reception with Prince Joachim of Denmark.
\nInvestor and governance formats including the TechBBQ Investor Day, the LP Forum, the Policy Stage, the European Growth Pension & Insurance Summit and the Board Summit
\nEcosystem formats such as the Hero Academy and IPO & Stock Market Day<\/p>\n

Trending Topics will report from the conference in Copenhagen.<\/p>\n

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