MeOut Summit 2026 to Put CEE’s Startup Ecosystem in Focus in Budapest This November

• MeOut Summit 2026 will welcome CEE founders, investors and innovators in Budapest on November 25–26th
• Its sessions will explore AI, international scaling, funding, SaaS, product development and emerging technologies
• Startup pitches, investor matchmaking, and Scaleup Fest will spotlight companies pursuing international growth
• Global Startup Awards and BizHack AI activities will extend the summit beyond its stages

The inaugural Budapest summit will connect founders, investors, corporates and policymakers around AI, funding, scaling, and innovation across CEE. The region’s startup ecosystem will take centre stage in Budapest on November 25–26th, when the first edition of MeOut Summit takes place at Akvárium Budapest. Organized by MeOut Group in partnership with EU-Startups, the two-day event will feature more than 50 speakers across two stages, with keynotes, panel discussions, fireside chats, startup pitches, and side events exploring the forces shaping the region’s innovation landscape.

The Summit is designed for founders, VC investors, corporate innovators, policymakers and other professionals active in CEE’s startup ecosystem. Alongside the main programme, attendees will have access to networking and matchmaking opportunities, while the event will also host the Central European Startup Awards Grand Finale as part of the Global Startup Awards network.

From CEE Startups to Global Markets

The programme will examine how companies from the region can move beyond local markets and build businesses with international reach.

• Day one will feature such discussions as Going Global Without Going Crazy: Scaling from CEE to 100+ Countries, with Kinga Jentetics of PublishDrive, Ekaterina Gorbacheva of Udora, and Dr Dorka Horváth of BOOKRkids sharing perspectives on international expansion.
• Funding will form another major part of the conversation, with investors from 3VC, SpinLab, OTB VC, and Impact Ventures examining what changes as startups progress from pre-seed through Series A and beyond. A separate session on alternative funding sources will feature Andrei Dudoiu of SeedBlink, Nora Szeles of TokePortal, and Ciprian Man of Growceanu, looking beyond traditional venture capital for ways startups can finance growth.
• The Summit will also look at the challenges of scaling SaaS businesses across borders, with speakers from PlanRadar, RealEyes, and Volteum discussing the strategies required to expand internationally. More founder stories will explore the transformation of products and companies, including Zsuzsa Kecsmar’s keynote on how Antavo moved from SaaS to AI and István Lám’s account of building Tresorit.

AI Reshapes Sales, Products and Startups

Artificial intelligence runs through much of the two-day programme, reflecting its growing impact on everything from sales and product development to fraud prevention and venture building.

• On the second stage, Jan van Schuppen, Drew Calin, and Christian Voss will examine how AI is moving beyond automation and changing sales, customer engagement, decision-making and growth.
• Day two will continue the discussion with a panel on How AI [Is] Shaping Product Development and Product Growth, featuring Lech Kaniuk of PizzaPortal, Ada Andruszkiewicz of Talkie AI, and Andre Marquet of Productized.
• Later in the programme, Albert Ortig of NXAI will address what it takes to build a frontier AI lab in Europe, while Tamas Kadar of SEON will share lessons from building a company focused on fraud prevention in the age of AI.
• The programme will also examine how AI is changing the broader startup operating model, from app development to marketing. Daniel Balla of Bitrise will explore the future of app development for startups, while Richard Bavlsík of InnoMaker Partners will open the BizHack AI Marketing Hackathon finale with a keynote on AI in marketing.

The CEE Ecosystem Under the Microscope

Beyond individual companies and technologies, the Summit will examine the development of the Central European startup ecosystem itself.

• A dedicated panel featuring representatives from Vienna Business Agency, Startup Macedonia, DEEP Ecosystems, and Techstars will discuss the current state and potential of Central European startups, while another session will ask why Europe still does not invest like one continent.
• The programme will also address some of the structural questions facing the region, including access to capital and the participation of women in entrepreneurship. A panel featuring leaders from Rubio Ventures, Transformation Lighthouse, Antavo, and Sensoneo will explore why there are still relatively few female founders in CEE and examine the funding and structural barriers that continue to shape participation.
• More sessions will expand the discussion beyond conventional software startups, covering areas such as circular economy, resource efficiency, healthtech and space biotechnology. Andrea Basilova of Sensoneo will share the company’s journey from startup idea to global scale, while Dr Bruno Santos of Exobiosphere will discuss how the company moved from an ambitious concept to a space biotech business in just 18 months.

Pitches, Investors, and Startup Opportunities

The second stage will give early-stage companies several opportunities to put their businesses in front of investors and ecosystem professionals.

• The Pitch Marathon will feature 10 selected startups, with the format focused on visibility, investor feedback and conversations rather than a competitive ranking.
• The Startup Arena powered by HunBAN (the Hungarian Business Angel Network), will add another investor-focused format, featuring six startups pitching alongside discussions about Europe’s fragmented investment landscape.
• Anikó Ivanics of Start it @K&H will also lead Your First Angel Cheque, an interactive session designed to introduce participants to startup investing through real investment decisions.
• Scaleup Fest will focus specifically on the challenges that emerge once startups move into international growth, with discussions covering go-to-market strategies, fundraising, exits, AI, talent, enterprise sales and building for global markets.

The programme therefore spans the startup journey from first investment and product development through scaling and international expansion.

From Budapest to the Wider CEE Ecosystem

The Summit will extend beyond its two main conference days through a wider programme of ecosystem activities.

• Day Zero on November 24th will feature the BizHack AI Marketing Hackathon, while official side events can include investor breakfasts, founder dinners, workshops, pitch sessions, demo nights, roundtables and community meetups. The BizHack AI programme will run across November 24–26th, giving teams from seven countries the opportunity to work on real SME marketing challenges using AI-powered and low-code or no-code tools. Its finale at MeOut Summit will feature live demonstrations from 10 teams, followed by results and awards.
• The Summit will also host the Global Startup Awards Grand Finale, connecting founders and ecosystem builders from 13 CEE nations through the wider Global Startup Awards network. Together with the conference programme, startup pitches and side events, the initiative positions Budapest as a meeting point for the different communities shaping Central and Eastern Europe’s innovation ecosystem.

In a Nutshell:

• Where: Akvárium, Budapest, Hungary
• When: November 25–26th, 2026
• Tickets are available here, use promo code ITKEYMEDIA30 for 30% off
• More information here