Lead: Last year's edition showed us what actually created value for participants. This year we are building around that insight.
Last year, ScaleupFest brought together 350+ founders, investors and ecosystem leaders from 10 countries.
Looking back, one thing became obvious. While the stage content mattered, founders wanted to meet other founders who had faced similar scaling challenges. Investors wanted more time for meaningful discussions instead of quick introductions. The smaller and more focused the setting, the deeper and more valuable the conversations became.
That insight shaped The ScaleupFest 2026. Rather than building a larger conference, we are building a more intentional experience.
This September, The ScaleupFest becomes a city-wide gathering of hand-picked founders, C-level operators, investors and ambitious tech leaders from across CEE and SEE, focused on scaling, funding and tech exits.
Across two days, participants will move between carefully curated meetups, roundtables and discussions hosted in venues across downtown Budapest. The city itself becomes part of the experience, replacing one large conference hall with smaller spaces designed for genuine interaction.
We are intentionally limiting attendance to around 250 participants, while maintaining the healthy founder to investor ratio that made last year's event so valuable. Most participants will attend by invitation, with only a limited number of public tickets available.
Not because we are aiming for exclusivity. Because we are aiming for relevance.
We believe the best business relationships are not built by meeting the most people. They are built by meeting the right people.
If that is how you like to connect, we would love to welcome you to Budapest this September.
Register here: https://luma.com/thescaleupfest2026