MeOut Summit 2025: Europe's Startup Hub in Budapest

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-14

Budapest is gearing up for a big moment this November. The first-ever MeOut Summit is set to take over the city on November 25-26, and it's not just another conference. This event has a real mission: to strengthen Europe's innovation ecosystem and make the continent more competitive on the global stage. Think of it as a massive gathering of the people who actually build, fund, and write about startups. We're talking over 1,000 entrepreneurs, startup enthusiasts, corporate leaders, angel investors, VCs, and journalists. They'll all be in one place for two days of talks, networking, and deal-making. ### Who's Behind This? The summit is built by MeOut, the same team that runs EU-Startups. They've got years of experience putting together high-quality event content. And they're teaming up with the Global Startup Awards, which means this isn't just a local thing. It's a cross-continent collaboration that brings together key stakeholders from all over Europe and beyond. ### Where It All Happens The venue is Akvarium Klub, one of Budapest's most iconic cultural spots. It's right in the heart of the city at Erzsebet Square, and you can't miss it thanks to that distinctive glass roof. It's the perfect setting for a debut event like this. ### What to Expect With over 1,000 attendees expected, you'll have access to a packed program. There are 50+ speakers across two full days, plus a Day Zero with a standalone hackathon. That's a lot of opportunities to connect and collaborate. Here's a snapshot of what's on the agenda: - Keynotes from industry leaders - Panel discussions on hot topics - Structured networking on the main stage - The Central European Startup Awards (CESA) Regional Finale, which celebrates the best startups from Central and Eastern Europe ### The Speakers You'll Want to Hear The lineup is impressive. Here are a few confirmed speakers: - Istvan Lam: A Forbes 30 Under 30 alumnus, he's an Advisory Board Member at Zero Emission Leadership, advising on product strategy, innovation, and responsible tech adoption. - Jack Mardack: Co-founder at Oyster, a global employment platform that helps companies hire, pay, and support distributed teams. - Kinga Jentetics: Another Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe alumnus, she's CEO and co-founder of PublishDrive, an all-in-one digital publishing platform for ebooks, print books, and audiobooks. - Dr. Arndt Schwaiger: An AI expert, entrepreneur, and business angel with a PhD in multi-agent systems. He's co-founded several tech companies and advised over 600 startups on AI, product strategy, and scaling. - Lech Kaniuk: A Swedish-Polish serial entrepreneur and investor. He's co-founder of SunRoof and previously co-founded PizzaPortal, which was later acquired by Delivery Hero. - Marius Istrate: Partner at 3VC, a European VC firm backing ambitious tech startups. He previously served as Chief People Officer at UiPath, where he helped scale the company from around 120 to 3,000 employees. - Domagoj Dolinsek: Founder of PlanRadar, a digital platform for construction and real estate project management. He's got over 10 years of experience in international construction projects. ### What They'll Talk About These speakers will dive into fireside chats and panel discussions on topics that actually matter. We're talking about going global without losing focus, like scaling from Hungary to over 100 countries. Or successfully expanding SaaS startups across borders. You'll also hear about how priorities shift from pre-seed to Series A and beyond, and how artificial intelligence is shaping product development and growth. > "Every format and discussion is designed to turn simple conversations into connections, and connections into opportunities." ### How to Get Involved If you're an experienced founder or investor interested in speaking, they want to hear from you. Speaker applications are open until July 31. You can find details about that and sponsorship opportunities on the event page. They're also looking for volunteers to help make the conference a success. You'd support the team across both event days, plus the afternoon before. ### Why You Should Go Whether you're building, investing, innovating, or supporting ecosystems, the MeOut Summit offers a space to connect with the people who matter. It's not just about the talks. It's about the conversations in between, the connections you make, and the opportunities that come from them. So mark your calendar for November 25-26. Secure your ticket and get ready for two days that could change the way you think about Europe's startup scene. We'll see you in Budapest.