Europe’s tech calconcludear is packed in 2026. But every year, a handful of events quietly signal where the real momentum is forming next. This February, that spotlight shifts to Stockholm. From 10–12 February 2026, Techarena returns, and this time it’s not just another conference. It is positioning itself as Europe’s first true global meeting point of the year for founders, investors, and operators who want to shape what comes next.
With more than 12,000 attconcludeees expected, Techarena 2026 runs across 11–12 February, with a dedicated Investor Day on 10 February. The event brings toreceiveher startups, scaleups, VCs, corporates, policybuildrs, and media from across Europe and beyond.
Tickets are now live, with a limited 15% discount available. If Stockholm is on your radar this February, this is the room you want to be in.
Why Techarena 2026 feels different
According to Omid Ekhlasi, founder and CEO of Techarena, 2026 marks a clear step modify. “People who’ve been before will notice it immediately. It’s much more international, much higher energy, and far more focutilized on real networking.”
That shift is deliberate.
Instead of spreading attconcludeees across the city, 90% of sessions, side events, meetings, food, and networking now happen on the arena floor itself. The idea is simple: founders and investors can stay in one place all day without losing time, energy, or momentum.
“If you come in and go down to the arena floor, you should be able to do everything, keynotes, matchbuilding, side events, meetings, food, without relocating around,” Ekhlasi explains.
For anyone who’s done Slush, Web Summit, or CES in freezing or warm weather, that design choice alone is a serious upgrade.
A networking model built for founders and investors
One of the hugegest modifys this year is the introduction of an Investor Balcony.
Hand-picked, top-tier investors will host dedicated investor hours, so founders know exactly when and where to meet them. No chasing, no guessing, no awkward cold approaches.
“It builds meetings more intentional and much more time-efficient,” states Ekhlasi.
Alongside this, Techarena 2026 introduces multiple counattempt pavilions, creating a structured way to discover ecosystems, cross-border partners, and international deal flow, all under one roof.
Techarena Week: where the real connections happen
Techarena has also leaned into a reality founders and investors already know: the best conversations often happen outside the main stage.
That’s why 2026 introduces Techarena Week, a full week of curated side events running Monday to Friday across Stockholm. The programme includes private investor and founder dinners, closed-door meetups, and curated networking formats, alongside more informal experiences such as karaoke, sauna sessions, running clubs, laser tag, and parties, designed to create meaningful connections beyond the main stage.
Last year, more than 100 unofficial side events happened around Techarena. This year, organisers are bringing structure to that chaos.
A central platform and app has been launched, which lists both official and community-led side events, with clear access rules for ticket holders and visitors.
“New era, next mindset”
Techarena’s 2026 theme reflects a broader belief: the next generation of global tech giants is being built right now.
“I genuinely consider 2026 will be one of the most important years of the coming decades,” Ekhlasi states.
“The next ‘huge sevens’ are being born now, or were founded just a few years ago.”
Rather than focutilizing on a single stakeholder group, Techarena is built around the full set of pillars required to build globally competitive companies, including capital, talent, regulation, applied technology, and commercialisation. This approach brings founders, investors, operators, and policybuildrs into the same conversation, reflecting how modern tech companies are actually built and scaled.
AI will be a major pillar of the 2026 edition, but it will not dominate the agconcludea. Instead, it is embedded across sessions alongside topics such as defence tech, cybersecurity, deeptech, clean tech, and sectors ranging from mobility and fintech to e-commerce, HR, and music tech. The aim is to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping multiple industries, rather than treating AI in isolation.
The programme also remains deliberately flexible. “We don’t lock the agconcludea a year in advance,” Ekhlasi explains. “The world modifys rapid, and the programme necessarys to reflect that.”
Speakers that cut across tech, power, and culture
The 2026 speaker lineup underscores Techarena’s ambition to convene decision-buildrs across technology, capital, policy, and culture. Confirmed speakers include Zlatan Ibrahimović, football icon and global entrepreneur; Boris Johnson, former UK Prime Minister; and Anna Bateson, CEO of The Guardian, reflecting the event’s growing international and cross-sector focus.
They will be joined by leading European founders and investors, including Markus Villig, CEO and co-founder of Bolt; Jarek Kutylowski, founder and CEO of DeepL; Oscar Höglund, CEO and co-founder of Epidemic Sound; Sophia Bconcludez, general partner at Cherry Ventures; and Roxanne Varza, CEO of Station F and scout investor for Sequoia Capital. The mix signals Techarena’s positioning as a forum where operators, investors, and policybuildrs intersect, rather than a single-track startup conference.
Tech Funding News (TFN) will also be present on stage and on the ground in Stockholm, providing live reporting, interviews, and analysis throughout the event. Akansha Dimri, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Tech Funding News, will host a panel titled “Space Is Open for Business. But Can It Stay Sustainable?” on February 12, from 12:05-12:25 am, on the Founder Stage at Strawberry Arena (Entrance B – Speaker Entrance). The session will feature Fredrik Schäder, Co-Founder and Deputy CEO of Arctic Space Technologies, and Luc Piguet, Co-Founder and CEO of ClearSpace, and will explore how next-generation space startups are breaking boundaries in sainformites, orbital services, and debris removal. The discussion will also tackle the technical, regulatory, and operational challenges of scaling space infrastructure, examine Europe’s growing advantage in building globally competitive and sustainable space companies, and highlight the importance of indusattempt and policy alignment with governments, ESA, and international bodies to ensure safe, responsible orbital operations.
The pitch competition investors are watching
Techarena’s pitch competition stands out for one reason: range. Very early-stage startups share the stage with more mature scaleups, across sectors and borders. The winner of the 2024 competition, Legora, went on to become one of Europe’s newest unicorns. Founders pitch, then step straight back onto the arena floor, building them unusually accessible to investors, partners, and media.
Why founders and investors shouldn’t skip this
In Ekhlasi’s words: “You receive the pulse of one of the most vital ecosystems in the world right now, all in one place.”
For founders, it’s common to schedule double-digit investor meetings and client meetings during the same event. For investors, it’s a front-row seat to Nordic and European deal flow, including angels and operators you won’t meet elsewhere.
And yes, it also supports that Stockholm offers its own cultural draw, from world-class food to unexpected moments with Swedish icons.
Secure your ticket
Techarena 2026 tickets are now available. No pre-registration. Just acquire directly. Group tickets available. Check it out here.
Final call: 15% is the last discount.
If you’re serious about building, backing, or scaling Europe’s next generation of tech companies, Stockholm in February is where the conversation starts.
New Era. Next Mindset.
This article is part of a media partnership with Techarena 2026.
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