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ScaleUp Fest
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ScaleUp Fest
September 16-17, 2026 | Budapest

Designed for the Brave Ones
Scaling from CEE

September 16-17, 2026 | Budapest, Hungary

Most seats are invite-only. A limited number of public tickets will be available.

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Not another conference.
A curated room.
A catalyst for scaling.

ScaleupFest 2026 brings together around 250 selected founders, C-level operators, investors and ambitious tech leaders from CEE/SEE for two days of focused sessions, curated networking and memorable Budapest experiences.

10

countries

250+

participants

80+

scaleup leaders

30+

investors

Who will be in the room?

A selected audience, not an open crowd

ScaleupFest 2026 is intentionally limited to around 250 participants to keep the room relevant and high-quality.

Curated participation

250±

Focused decision-makers, operators and investors in one relevant room.

Most invited guests will be founders, C-level operators and investors who are actively working on growth, funding, international expansion or transactions.

30+

Investors — VC, PE, angels and strategic investors.

80+

Scaleup founders and C-level leaders actively building and expanding companies.

70+

Selected startups and ambitious tech SMEs with growth potential and regional relevance.

CEE

Corporates, partners and ecosystem players connected to growth, funding and market access.

PRO

Speakers, table captains and experts with practical scaling experience.

The room is designed for people who can contribute to serious conversations about scaling, fundraising, international growth, acquisitions and exits.

Every seat is intentional.

Programme highlights

A few highlights from the upcoming programme:

Selected conversations from the 2026 agenda — practical, founder-level and built around the growth questions CEE/SEE companies are facing now.

Highlight 03
Tamás Kukla Tamás Kukla Head of Product, Prezi
Prezi

What happens when the SaaS growth playbook stops working? Lessons on AI-native product strategy, pricing, freemium, and operations after 170M registrations.

Highlight 03
Tamás Kukla Tamás Kukla Head of Product, Prezi
Prezi

What happens when the SaaS growth playbook stops working? Lessons on AI-native product strategy, pricing, freemium, and operations after 170M registrations.

See detailed agenda here

The Budapest experience

More than a conference.
A Budapest business experience.

ScaleupFest 2026 is not happening in one boring and crowded conference hall. We are creating a curated programme across several venues in downtown Budapest.

The format

Two days. A curated programme.

Selected venues across downtown Budapest. Business content and Budapest experience, woven end-to-end. The programme is built so that content, networking and the city experience support each other continuously.

Business content
Budapest experience
Invite-only moments

Content & experience: one is never a break from the other — they carry each other.

16 Sept

Afternoon opening & evening

The first curated content sessions and high-trust networking moments open the ScaleupFest experience.

Afternoon · Programme opens

Topic Meetups & Masterclasses

The first curated content sessions of the event. Focused rooms, practical conversations and a strong professional start before the evening networking begins.

Evening · Invite-only

Speakers, Investors & Partners Dinner

An invite-only dinner for speakers, investors, partners and selected scaleup leaders. High-trust networking for up to 80–90 selected guests before the main day.

Evening · Open

Rooftop Networking with HunBAN

For all ticket holders, we’ll host a relaxed rooftop networking evening co-hosted with our friends from HunBAN — Hungarian Business Angel Network. Beer, Budapest views and the angel community: a perfect informal start to ScaleupFest.

17 Sept

Morning & lunch

Content in curated rooms, experience in curated moments, and conversations that continue naturally across the city.

Morning

ScaleupRun or ScaleupWalk

For sporty guests: a casual morning run through downtown Budapest or Margaret Island. For our more relaxed guests: a great walk at the Danube, first chats of the day and joint coffee. Founder-to-founder networking at pace.

Late morning & afternoon · Main programme

Topic Meetups, Roundtables & Masterclasses

Curated content in small rooms with 40–80 people and real conversations. Practical sessions where founders, operators, investors and experts work through scaling, funding, transactions and international growth questions.

Lunch

Curated Investor & Speaker Lunch

A special lunch with atmosphere, view and Hungarian cuisine for investors, speakers, partners and selected invited scaleups.

Lunch

Taste Budapest Lunch Routes

For all other guests, we pre-selected restaurants in a charming downtown square offering special ScaleupFest menus and options. Volunteers will guide groups between venues, so networking continues over lunch.

17 Sept

Afternoon & evening

The professional content continues between venues, coffee stops and the final community moment of the event.

Afternoon

Specialty Coffee & Chimney Cake Stops

On the way to the afternoon venues, selected cafés will host informal coffee stops where the content and conversations continue. Good coffee, local chimney cake and small-group discussions with founders, operators and investors.

Night

Ruin Bar Afterparty

We close ScaleupFest the Budapest way: informal networking, drinks and conversations in one of the city’s most distinctive social settings — in an original ruin bar. Community close, bonding and follow-up conversations.

18 Sept

Farewell by the Danube

One last informal gathering before everyone heads home.

Morning

Farewell Breakfast

Downtown. Last bite of Budapest, last round of networking before guests fly home. The event ends over one more shared table — not a hotel exit.

Come for the scaling insights. Stay for the people, the conversations and the Budapest experience.

Speakers

2026 speakers

Founders, operators, investors and experts bringing real experience from scaling, go-to-market, transactions, leadership and defence tech.

View all speakers

Partners

ScaleupFest 2026 partner network

A curated group of founders, scaleups, investors, co-creators and partners shaping the 2026 edition.

WHO YOU’LL MEET

Exceptional founders, CEE scaleups and investors you can meet during ScaleupFest 2026.

StorilyExceptional Founders ORQAExceptional Founders WhaleboneExceptional Founders Born DigitalExceptional Founders GA DrillingExceptional Founders Perciv AIExceptional Founders EvrotrustExceptional Founders ElevenLabsExceptional Founders PayneticsExceptional Founders ShiwaforceExceptional Founders PreziExceptional Founders VolteumExceptional Founders Luigi's BoxExceptional Founders AllonicExceptional Founders Boston DynamicsExceptional Founders Definic AIExceptional Founders BitriseExceptional Founders DatapaoExceptional Founders BioTechUSAExceptional Founders SuperchargeExceptional Founders CaptiwateExceptional Founders ParklExceptional Founders theMarketerExceptional Founders PortfolionInvestor DAY 1 CapitalInvestor CEECAT CapitalInvestor Vesta Software GroupInvestor MitonCInvestor STRTInvestor Siena Secondary FundInvestor Vesna Venture CapitalInvestor J&T VenturesInvestor LAUNCHub VenturesInvestor Sparking CapitalInvestor Credo VenturesInvestor 3TS Capital PartnersInvestor Neulogy VenturesInvestor ff Venture CapitalInvestor Flashpoint CapitalInvestor South Central VenturesInvestor MCI CapitalInvestor Traun Venture CapitalInvestor Elevator VenturesInvestor Impact VenturesInvestor

Partners making this happen

Vesta Software GroupHeadline partner
Bird & Bird Day 1 PortfoLion Global Tech Mergers

ScaleupFest Co-Creators

HUBAN SISA PROW Networksmith Saastanak Absolvo The RecursiveMedia

Venue Partners

BIG FISH Colossyan KLUSTER Coworking Baker McKenzie.

Ecosystem Partners

Elevator Ventures Datapao
Partner / sponsor teaser

Partner with ScaleupFest

ScaleupFest 2026 offers partners the opportunity to be part of a highly curated regional business community — not through generic logo placement, but through meaningful moments.

Get in touch with us about details.

Own a conversation, an audience or an experience — and meet the people who matter in the CEE/SEE scaling ecosystem.

Partnership

Be visible where the real conversations happen.

Become part of curated sessions, selected networking moments and high-quality experiences designed for founders, investors, operators and ecosystem leaders.

  • Curated business conversations
  • Relevant regional audience
  • Meaningful event moments
  • CEE/SEE scaleup ecosystem access
Partner with us

News & Articles

Latest updates

Fresh stories, programme updates and insights from the ScaleupFest ecosystem.

The room is taking shape for The ScaleupFest 2026

The room is taking shape for The ScaleupFest 2026

by Andrei Firoiu · Sep 4, 2026

Participants from seven countries are already confirmed, the programme is built around four themes, and the whole thing takes place across Budapest rather than in one conference hall.

Read more
Meet the ScaleupFest Co-Creators

Meet the ScaleupFest Co-Creators

by Andrei Firoiu · Sep 4, 2026

Five organisations with different backgrounds, networks and strengths are joining forces to make The ScaleupFest 2026 happen.

Read more
How to join The ScaleupFest 2026

How to join The ScaleupFest 2026

by Andrei Firoiu · Sep 4, 2026

ScaleupFest is intentionally more focused this year: 250 people, with most seats invite-only. Here are the four ways to be in the room.

Read more
View all articles

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