The How to Web Conference 2026 partner ecosystem: capital, tech & scale on the floor

Behind every conversation, exhibitor booth and session at How to Web Conference 2026 is our partner ecosystem – a powerhouse collective of teams actively looking to back, scale or engineer the next wave of European tech.

Whether you’re hunting for seed capital, testing live AI tools or scaling transatlantic operations, here’s the curated blueprint of who’s in the room in Bucharest and how to connect with them.

BCR, the financial engine and sustainable growth partner

As Romania’s leading financial engine for tech entrepreneurship and sustainable growth, BCR is taking center stage across both days of the event. Catch BCR leaders sharing straight-talk insights during featured panel discussions, and keep an eye on the Spotlight competition, where BCR serves on the jury, mentors early-stage teams in the matchmaking program and awards an exclusive Spotlight wildcard spot to a breakout startup.

When you’re not catching them on stage, head over to the BCR booth in the Expo area. Drop by to grab a coffee, discuss smart financing and digital platforms, and test your growth strategy with their team to see how BCR can help turn your vision into a scalable regional success.

Google Cloud, global AI scale and startup ecosystem

As one of the core partners powering this year’s edition, Google Cloud brings its global tech scale and AI capabilities straight to the conference stage. Catch top experts breaking down how to scale high-impact AI products from CEE to the world using Google Cloud. Keep an eye on the stage agenda to see the team in action, meet them on-site and find out how your startup can plug directly into Google for Startups programs.

Underline Ventures, operator-backed pre-seed and seed checks

Led by Bogdan Iordache, CEE’s first operator-backed $20M fund is actively seeking pre-seed and seed founders building high-growth tech. Backed by 30+ founders and leaders from UiPath, Bitdefender, FintechOS and Telerik, Underline Ventures brings real building experience straight to early-stage venture checks. The team will be on site for Investors Summit, joining stage panels and hosting 1:1 founder office hours at its dedicated table in the VIP Area.

PPC, PowerTech leadership and AI energy innovation

Explore how technology is reshaping energy with PPC Romania. Part of PPC Group, the leader of the energy and technology (PowerTech) industry in South-Eastern Europe, PPC covers the entire energy chain in Romania, from renewable production and distribution to supply and electric mobility. Energy companies are investing not only in new technology, but also adapting – changing how they approach internal processes, how they relate to and model data, accelerating innovation and experimenting. Catch the PPC experts on stage during curated panels on how AI is reshaping the way energy companies operate.

Stripe, AI-native engineering and scaleup infrastructure

Bringing serious scale and engineering depth straight to this year’s lineup, Stripe takes center stage as one of our partners. Catch Aleodor Tabarcea, Site Lead at Stripe Romania, delivering an exclusive keynote on the Build & Grow Stage. In his talk, “The ‘Jetpack for the Mind’: How We Build AI-Native Products and Engineering Teams,” Aleodor will unpack how product and tech leaders can eliminate trust latency, avoid AI hype traps and build resilient systems that multiply human agency instead of replacing it.

Beyond their stage keynote, Stripe takes an active role across the conference, serving on the jury for our Spotlight competition, mentoring early-stage founders in the matchmaking program and awarding an exclusive Spotlight wildcard spot.

Bitdefender, tech sovereignty and cybersecurity excellence

Protecting millions of systems worldwide, Bitdefender brings serious building experience straight to the conference floor. Catch the team on stage talking tech sovereignty and make sure to stop by the Focus Stage for the Bitdefender Academy Season Finale to see who is taking home this year’s award. Plus, early-stage founders can tap into Bitdefender’s expertise firsthand through its mentor seat in the Spotlight matchmaking program.

Credo Ventures, day-zero backers of CEE regional champions

As early backers of regional powerhouses like UiPath and ElevenLabs, Credo Ventures brings a 17-year track record of supporting ambitious CEE founders from day zero. The investment team, including General Partner Ondřej Bartoš, Maximilian Kolowrat-Krakowsky & Jakub Krikava will be taking an active role across the event, joining featured stage panels, participating in the Investors Summit and keeping attendees refreshed at the official Credo Water Station.

If you are a pre-seed or seed-stage founder with global ambitions, seek out the Credo team during networking hours to pitch your vision, gain unfiltered investor feedback and discuss what it takes to build a regional champion.

Tukel Accounting, US entity setup and cross-border advisory

Built for non-US founders building and scaling in the US, Tukel Accounting brings accounting, tax, compliance, payroll, and CFO advisory together under one roof. Led by U.S. CPA and Strategic CFO Cenk Tukel, the team supports startups from their first steps into the US through fundraising, scaling and exit. Supporting the Investors Summit and exhibiting at its Business Booth, the team will be on site to help founders navigate US entity setup, cross-border tax and compliance, venture-ready financial foundations and more. Don’t miss Cenk leading the interactive roundtable “Is the U.S. the Right Move for Your Startup?”, where he’ll explore what founders should consider before making the move. Founders can also tap into his expertise firsthand through a dedicated mentor seat in the Spotlight matchmaking program.

3VC, founder-focused growth rounds and team execution

European VC firm 3VC partners with ambitious startups once product-market fit is established, supporting founders through early growth rounds with a selective, founder-focused approach. The team will be joining the conference throughout, including the Investors Summit, and contributing to the stage programme. Catch 3VC Partner Marius Istrate, former Chief People Officer at UiPath, on a panel exploring how team culture, founder velocity and execution are shaping early-stage teams in the AI era. You can also meet the 3VC Partner Eva Arh during networking sessions to discuss scaling GTM strategies, managing growth and preparing for Series A.

Cytowski & Partners, transatlantic legal mechanics and Delaware flips

Known for executing Delaware flips and transatlantic growth mechanics for CEE breakout stars like ElevenLabs, Bitrise and Booksy, Cytowski & Partners brings serious cross-border legal muscle directly to our event tracks. Beyond sharing actionable blueprints on reincorporating in the US without breaking your cap table, founder Tytus Cytowski will take the Startup Stage to moderate a high-stakes panel featuring Jakub Křikava (Credo Ventures) and Karol Szubstarski (OTB Ventures). Together, they’ll tackle whether AI regulation threatens startup speed or protects deep-tech investments, making Cytowski & Partners a key team to connect with throughout the conference.

Inovo.vc, early checks and category-defining AI VC

Inovo.vc backs pre-seed and seed founders across CEE with early checks up to €4M. The team will be deeply embedded across both days of the event, hosting 1:1 founder discussions in their branded Meetings Area, reserving a dedicated table in the VIP Area, and taking the stage for crucial industry debates. Don’t miss partner Karol Lasota on stage alongside Mark Palfalvi (PortfoLion) and Valeri Petrov (Eleven Ventures) for the panel “Is the AI Seed Round the New Growth Round?”, where they’ll unpack what a truly convincing early-stage AI company looks like in today’s market. Track down their team on site to talk round structuring, founder support, and scaling category-defining tech.

TechAngels, early-stage capital and defense tech mentorship

Having deployed €46M across 270+ tech startups, TechAngels is a central driver of early-stage capital and operator mentorship in CEE. The team will have a strong presence across both days of How to Web Conference, reserving a dedicated table in the VIP Area, participating in the Investors Summit and taking the stage for key strategic discussions. Catch TechAngels President Ana Maria Andronic joining the high-stakes panel “Defence in Eastern Europe” alongside leaders from NIAG, NATO Innovation Fund, and the European Investment Fund to unpack geopolitical resilience, dual-use tech and cross-border innovation.

Bek Ventures, top-performing VC and high-conviction bets

Ranked the #1 firm globally for VC performance per HEC Paris-Dow Jones and with early bets on CEE’s biggest breakout stars like UiPath and Payhawk, Bek Ventures knows what it takes to back enduring tech companies. Managing Partner Cem Sertoglu will join Creandum’s Jakob Stein on stage to challenge traditional VC decision-making, exploring whether the real edge in an unforecastable cycle is speed, conviction, or something in between.

Portfolion, regional VC and growth equity (€500k–€30M checks)

Managing €800M in AUM, Portfolion is a leading regional VC and growth equity firm backing tech champions from pre-seed through Series B with check sizes from €500k up to €30M. The team will be actively involved across this year’s How to Web Conference, on the ground at the Investors Summit and hosting high-level 1:1 conversations from its dedicated table in the VIP Area. You can also catch Partner Mark Palfálvi on stage joining a high-stakes panel on whether AI seed rounds have become the new growth rounds, breaking down what investors expect from early-stage founders today.

Lead Capital, B2B SaaS, data and enterprise AI implementation

Backing CEE-rooted tech champions across B2B SaaS, data infrastructure and cybersecurity, Lead Capital helps early-stage builders turn technical innovation into scalable global businesses. Meet the team across the event floor, hosting curated discussions from their personalized table in the VIP Area. You can also catch Lead Capital Partner Ádám Csuhai taking the stage alongside fellow industry leaders to analyze where AI is delivering true enterprise ROI, what separates quick pilots from scaled deployment, and whether startups or incumbents are winning the implementation race.

Orbit Capital, flexible venture debt and growth financing

One of the most active venture debt and growth financing providers in CEE, Orbit Capital backs high-growth scaleups with flexible, non-dilutive capital to fuel their next stage of growth. At How to Web Conference, Orbit Capital will join the Investors Summit to share perspective on non-dilutive capital structures, debt capacity and scaling dynamics. General Partner Radovan Nesrsta will be on stage, diving into the realities of startup financing alongside fellow growth-stage investors. He’ll be breaking down the tough choices between equity and venture debt, examining when borrowing accelerates growth, how predictable your revenue really needs to be, and when taking on debt actually delays a necessary equity reset.

Vienna Business Agency, launchpad into the DACH region

Come meet the Vienna Business Agency on the ground. Explore how Vienna can serve as your launchpad into the DACH region. They’ll be showcasing the Vienna Startup Package, exclusive soft-landing programme that brings up to 15 top international startups to Vienna each year. Winners enjoy hands-on business coaching, peer-to-peer exchange with international founders and direct access to Vienna’s innovation ecosystem. The agency also receives a travel budget and personalised track at ViennaUP, Vienna’s annual flagship startup festival that draws around 15,000 attendees from around the world. The team will be on hand for 1:1 conversations about market entry, funding and what it really takes to scale into German-speaking Europe, so if you’re weighing your next expansion move, find them at their booth in the Expo area to talk specifics and pick up details on how to apply.

GO GLOBAL South, expansion bridge to Southeast Asia

GO GLOBAL South is an international growth program designed for ambitious tech startups from Romania and CEE ready to think beyond their home markets. The 2026-2027 edition looks towards Southeast Asia, connecting selected founders with relevant market knowledge, experienced mentors, business leaders and networks that can help them understand and navigate one of the world’s most dynamic growth regions. The program creates a bridge between the Romanian and CEE tech ecosystem and Southeast Asia, opening new perspectives and opportunities for startups with global ambitions. Building something bold with global potential? Discover GO GLOBAL South created by Upgrade 100 and IMPACTUM and follow the 2026-2027 open call.

Explore the complete partner directory

Our partners are actively shaping the agenda, leading stage panels, hosting 1:1 office hours and setting up dedicated sessions across the event floor.

Want to dive deeper into their specific tracks, featured speakers and on-site locations? Browse the official agenda to explore the full lineup, see who’s on site and plan your conference floor strategy.