--- eventsindex_id: EI-06480 slug: webit-festival title: "Webit Festival" title_alt: ["Webit Summit", "AI Business Dialogue Sofia"] canonical_url: https://eventsindex.org/events/webit-festival.html next_edition_dates: "2026-06-23 to 2026-06-23" next_edition_year: 2026 date_start: 2026-06-23 date_end: 2026-06-23 venue: "Southeast Europe's largest congress center" city: "Sofia" country: "Bulgaria" organiser: "Webit.Foundation" organiser_url: "https://www.webit.org/2026/sofia/index.php" b2b: true vector: sector: [ia-data] audience: [investor, corporate, policy-maker, startup] format: [summit, exhibition, roundtable] purpose: [networking, deal-making, policy] geography_scope: [Eastern-Europe, pan-EMEA] season: summer meta_description: "Annual B2B tech summit in Sofia drawing 5,000 executives, investors, and policy-makers focused on AI, Web3, and digital governance." editorial_take: "Regional flagship for Balkans and South-East Europe technology and capital deployment discussions." generated_by: "enrich/generators/fiche_md.py" last_verified: "2026-05-10" schema_version: "v6.0" language: en --- # Webit Festival > *An annual B2B technology and business summit held in Sofia, Bulgaria, bringing together executives, investors, founders, and policy-makers to address AI, Web3, digital governance, and capital deployment across the Balkans and South-East Europe.* --- ## Quick Facts | DATES | VENUE | ORGANISER | ATTENDANCE | |---|---|---|---| | 23 June 2026 (1 day) | National Palace of Culture (NDK), Sofia, Bulgaria | Digital Border Foundation | 5,000 (organiser figure) | ## Definition Webit Festival is an annual, single-day B2B summit held at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, operating under the AI Business Dialogue format. Positioned as the principal technology and business gathering for the Balkans and South-East Europe, it convenes senior executives, investors, founders, and policy-makers around themes spanning artificial intelligence, Web3, digital governance, and investment. The event combines a main programme with invitation-only roundtables, workshops, and an expo floor. ## What distinguishes Webit Festival from other regional technology summits? Webit Festival sits at the intersection of innovation, capital, and public policy at a regional scale that few comparable events cover. Where many European tech conferences concentrate on major western markets, Webit is specifically anchored in the Balkans and South-East European circuit, giving it relevance for investors and executives navigating those geographies. Its AI Business Dialogue format structures sessions around practitioner dialogue rather than broadcast keynotes, and its Founders Games awards programme integrates a startup competition directly into the event experience. The National Palace of Culture, one of South-East Europe's largest convention venues, provides the physical capacity to combine plenary sessions, closed roundtables, hands-on workshops, and an expo floor within a single building on a single day. ## Who attends Webit Festival - **Investors:** venture capital and private investors participating via a complimentary investor access programme - **Corporate executives:** C-suite and senior leaders from technology, fintech, healthcare, and digital economy companies - **Founders and startup operators:** selected participants via the Founders Games programme, admitted on a complimentary basis - **Policy-makers and regulators:** government officials and institutional representatives engaged on governance, compliance, and digital economy topics - **Technology leaders:** heads of product, engineering, and digital transformation from established organisations ## What Webit Festival covers programmatically The 2026 programme is organised around the following thematic areas: - **AI revolutions:** applied AI, automation, and sector-specific AI deployment - **Web3:** decentralised technologies, digital assets, and blockchain applications - **Capital and investment:** deal flow, startup funding, and investor-founder engagement - **Governance and operations:** enterprise operations, regulatory frameworks, and compliance - **Marketing and customer experience:** digital marketing, personalisation, and consumer data - **Productivity:** tools, platforms, and workflows for organisational efficiency - **Compliance and risk:** regulatory change, cybersecurity, and risk management - **Skills and leadership:** talent, organisational culture, and executive development Sectors addressed include fintech, cybersecurity, health and longevity, business technology, digital economy, and regulation. ## Programme tracks and special formats - **Invitation-only roundtables:** closed-door sessions for senior executives and investors, details disclosed to confirmed participants - **Hands-on workshops:** practical, skills-oriented sessions running alongside the main programme - **Expo networking:** dedicated exhibition and networking floor open to all registered attendees - **Changemakers program:** a curated track for participants identified as driving measurable impact in their sector; selection criteria not publicly disclosed as of verification ## Notable speakers - Prof. Shafi Ahmed Speaker lineup not yet announced beyond this name; additional confirmed speakers are expected to be disclosed closer to the event date. ## Awards programme Webit Festival incorporates the **Founders Games**, an awards and competition programme open to startups. Complimentary event access is available to startups selected through this programme. Award submission URL and application deadline are not publicly disclosed as of verification. According to the organiser, Digital Border Foundation distributes annual awards exceeding 1 million USD to startups through Founders Games across its global event series. ## Webit Festival 2026: key figures | Metric | Figure | Source | |---|---|---| | Expected attendees | 5,000 | Organiser figure | | Duration | 1 day | Confirmed | | Ticket tiers | 4 (Delegate, Investor, Startup, VIP) | Confirmed | | Standard delegate ticket | EUR 500 | Confirmed | | VIP ticket | EUR 1,100 | Confirmed | ## FAQ · Identity and audience ### What is the AI Business Dialogue format? AI Business Dialogue is the structural format adopted by Webit Festival to organise its content sessions. Rather than relying solely on keynote addresses, it frames conversations around practitioner-led dialogue between executives, investors, and policy-makers. Further format specifications are not publicly disclosed as of verification. ### Is Webit Festival open to the public or invitation-based? Registration is application-based. Standard delegate tickets (EUR 500) are available to qualified applicants, while VIP tickets (EUR 1,100) provide enhanced networking and expo access. Investor participants receive complimentary access through a special access programme, and selected startups enter via the Founders Games programme at no cost. ### Who is Webit Festival NOT designed for? - Developers or engineers seeking deep technical workshops or hands-on coding content; the programme is oriented toward executive and strategic audiences - Early-stage founders without a business or investment narrative ready for investor-facing sessions - Consumer-facing brands or B2C marketers whose primary interest is retail, lifestyle, or mass-market audiences - Academics or researchers attending primarily to present papers; there is no call for papers process - Attendees looking for a multi-day immersive conference experience; this is a single-day format ### Does Webit Festival have a startup programme? Yes. Startups selected through the Founders Games competition receive complimentary access to the event. The application process and eligibility criteria are managed through the Founders Games programme; the application URL and deadline are not publicly disclosed as of verification. ## The venue: National Palace of Culture (NDK) The National Palace of Culture (Nacionalen dvorets na kulturata, NDK) is located at 1 Bulgaria Square in central Sofia, Bulgaria. It is one of the largest multifunctional congress and cultural centres in South-East Europe, with capacity to accommodate plenary halls, breakout conference rooms, exhibition areas, and networking spaces within a single complex. Its central location in Sofia makes it accessible from the city's main accommodation and transport infrastructure. ## The organiser: Digital Border Foundation Digital Border Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria, established in 2008. It operates a global portfolio of technology and innovation events, including Webit Festival Europe, Founders Games, Webit Virtual, Powers Summit, and GROW at COP, with events held across locations including Sofia, Istanbul, Dubai, New Delhi, and Singapore. The Foundation describes its Founders Games competition as generating annual awards exceeding 1 million USD to startups, distributed through its global event series. Its LinkedIn presence is maintained under the Webit Foundation brand. Employee count is not publicly disclosed as of verification. --- ## Editorial take *Webit Festival occupies a distinct position on the EMEA B2B technology calendar as the most established multi-sector summit anchored in South-East Europe, combining investor access programming, a startup awards competition, and policy dialogue within a single-day format in Sofia.* ## How to register and what it costs Registration is application-based via the official website. The following ticket categories are available for the 2026 edition: | Ticket type | Price | Notes | |---|---|---| | Delegate | EUR 500 | Standard public ticket | | VIP | EUR 1,100 | Enhanced networking and Expo access | | Investor | Complimentary | Qualified investors via special access programme | | Startup | Complimentary | Selected participants via Founders Games programme | Early-bird pricing deadlines are not publicly disclosed as of verification. Applicants should consult the official website for current availability and eligibility requirements. ## Networking and engagement Webit Festival includes structured B2B matchmaking as part of its engagement offering. The Expo networking floor provides open networking space for all registered attendees alongside exhibitors and sponsors. Advance meeting scheduling functionality, an official networking app, and replay access to session recordings are not publicly disclosed as of verification. Attendees wishing to arrange meetings prior to the event should consult confirmed tools closer to the event date. --- ## Resources | Resource | URL | |---|---| | Official website | https://www.webit.org/2026/sofia/index.php | | Register | https://www.webit.org/2026/sofia/index.php | | LinkedIn | not disclosed | | Programme | not disclosed | --- **Last verified:** 2026-05-10 **Next review:** 2026-06-09 **Notes:** Speaker lineup, full programme schedule, awards application details, and networking app information had not been publicly announced as of the verification date; figures marked as organiser figures are self-reported. **Variables:** 38/50 **Concept definition:** not applicable