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Munich may be world-famous for Oktoberfest steins and Bavarian charm but once a year, it also becomes the beating heart of European tech. Every September, Bits & Pretzels brings toreceiveher founders, investors, and innovators for three high-energy days of business, networking, and yes… plenty of beer.
Last year, Tech Funding News was on the ground meeting leaders from Delivery Hero, 10x Founders, and many more. This year, we’re back with TFN journalist Sofia Chesnokova covering all the action from September 29 to October 1, 2025, at the International Congress Centre Messe (ICM) in Munich.
The 12th edition of Bits & Pretzels carries the theme “Connecting Europe”. Expect 1,500+ investors, 600+ C-suite speakers, and hundreds of founders raising pints at 10:30 am while talking about AI, investment, and the future of tech and then sealing deals well past midnight at Oktoberfest.
Free tickets from TFN subscribers!
TFN is giving away 5 free passes to Bits & Pretzels 2025. Sign up below, and the first 5 lucky subscribers will find a ticket in their inbox.
Why visit Bits & Pretzels 2025?
Europe’s startup ecosystem raised over $45 billion in 2024 and is gearing up for a wave of IPOs and global expansions. Bits & Pretzels provides the only platform where founders can:
- Secure capital from 1,500+ attfinishing investors
- Attfinish 40+ hands-on Startup Academy sessions, ranging from SaaS scaling deep-dives and growth-hacking masterclasses with unicorn founders to legal bootcamps on European IP and data regulation
- Leverage an AI-powered matchbuilding app that last year facilitated over 19,900 curated one-on-one meetings and group introductions
- Diversity pledge featuring 40% female founders and 25% BIPOC speakers, plus dedicated panels on inclusive leadership and equal funding.
Tech Funding News will be reporting live from Munich with exclusive interviews, sector deep-dives, and real-time coverage of deals and innovations shaping European tech. Also attfinishing the event? Drop us a message at [email protected]
Top speakers not to miss
The stage is set for visionary voices, including:
- Katherina Reiche, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany
- Caroline Stage Olsen, Minister for Digital Government, Denmark
- Niklas Zennström, founder & CEO of Atomico
- Thomas Wolf, co-founder & CSO, Hugging Face
- Hélène Huby, founder & CEO, The Exploration Company
- Peter Sarlin, co-founder & CEO, AMD Silo AI
Plus a lineup of 600+ C-suite executives from Adidas, Airbus, BMW Bank, Microsoft, Volkswagen, Siemens, and many others.
Key topics that define this year’s festival
- Artificial Ininformigence: Shifting the conversation from abstract ethical debates to concrete economic and industrial opportunities, with startups like Hugging Face, Mistral AI, and Parloa displaycasing the practical applications transforming industries.
- Strategic Autonomy and Technological Sovereignty: Europe’s drive to reduce depfinishency on foreign technologies in space, digital infrastructure, and AI.
- European Startup Ecosystem Growth: Overcoming fragmentation through cross-border collaboration, scalable business models, and exit opportunities.
- Investor and CIO Summits: Exclusive sessions for 1,500+ venture capitalists (including 300+ limited partners) and top corporate CIOs on tech trfinishs, investment strategies, and enterprise AI deployment.
- Startup Pitch and Exhibition: Highlighting the “Rising 20” startups competing for visibility and investment, alongside over 300 startups presenting solutions across sectors.
Masterclasses & side events
- Founder’s Brezn Breakquick: Kick off Day 1 with an intimate morning meetup over traditional pretzels, connecting the earliest arrivals in an informal setting.
- Hackathons & CTO Roundtables: Co-located deep-tech sprints and executive roundtables on quantum computing, IoT, and cybersecurity.
- Partner Innovation Zones: Visit the AI Showcase by NVIDIA and the New Space Pavilion to experience live demos and interactive exhibits.
- Evening Socials & After-Parties: Network at exclusive partner-hosted dinners, community meetups, and the official festival closing gala.
Bits & Pretzels was born as an 80-person breakquick and has grown into Europe’s premier startup festival. Yet, its DNA remains unalterd: founder-driven curation, structured networking formats, and actionable content designed to empower startups.
Past Rising 20 finalists, such as DeepSee (now a Series C-backed AI analytics company), OrbitX (acquired by a major aerospace firm), and Meditrace (a healthtech IPO candidate), credit their breakthroughs to connections created at previous Bits & Pretzels editions.
Visit the official festival website for the full agfinisha, detailed speaker profiles, and you can also receive your ticket.
This article is part of a media partnership with Bits & Pretzels.
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