More than 300 curated guests from business, research, startups, investment, policy and media came together in Berlin to discuss Europe’s AI future — from technological sovereignty and trusted infrastructure to industrial AI implementation, regulation and competitiveness.
The result was a highly focused, high-trust gathering of the people shaping AI in Europe. A conference built not for volume, but for relevance, depth and meaningful connections.
Rise of AI brings together leading voices across research, policy, business, startups and investment.
For our 10th anniversary, we are welcoming back outstanding speakers from the past decade — alongside new voices helping define the next chapter of AI in Europe.
Over the years, more than 300 brilliant minds have taken the Rise of AI stage.
Rise of AI 2026 is supported by selected media partners who help bring Europe’s AI conversation to relevant technology, business and innovation communities. Thank you to GermanTechJobs and SIBB for sharing Rise of AI with their networks.
Following guests and attendees have confirmed their public presence at Rise of AI:
Rise of AI connects diverse stakeholders from across Europe. Here, you’ll encounter key representatives from business, society, and research within the German AI ecosystem.
At our conference, decision-makers are in the majority. Most of our attendees hold top-tier positions such as CEO, CIO, CTO, or Managing Partner. At Rise of AI, leaders converge.
We also facilitate vital interactions with innovation drivers. 21% of our guests are Heads of AI, Transformation Managers, or Heads of Digitalization, underscoring our commitment to fostering progress.
Research and development of AI are strongly represented as well, with 11% of our guests being esteemed professors and senior researchers. We champion knowledge exchange at the highest level.
In addition, key roles like Data Scientists, Developers, Engineers, and AI Architects make up nearly 10% of our participants, enriching our professional tapestry.
With our AI Ecosystem Pass, we open doors for promising young talents, offering them an opportunity to engage with potential future employers or project partners.
Moreover, AI startups and companies are presented with invaluable opportunities to network with reputed investors and economic influencers, making Rise of AI an essential hub for AI advancement.
Your attendance at Rise of AI Conference 2026 paves the way to the frontline of European AI expertise, enabling direct interaction with leading speakers and key figures in the industry. We ensure you have ample private spaces, breaks, side events, and lounges for meaningful networking.
NETWORKING
Our focus is on fostering genuine and valuable connections. To facilitate optimal networking, we carefully design our conference with ample time and space for interactive dialogue. Instead of impressing with high attendance numbers, we value quality over quantity in interactions.
We believe in building lasting connections that fuel progress and collaboration. To maintain this intimate networking environment, we limit the participant count to 200.
WORKSHOPS
Experience the thrill of exploring vital topics in an informal, small-group setting. Our workshops, consistently a favorite among attendees, allow for hands-on exploration and learning. In 2026, we’ll continue this tradition with live workshops on various topics in Berlin.
APPLIED AI STAGE
Our Applied AI Stage centers on practical insights into launching, scaling, and going global with AI businesses; securing funding; hiring talent; and adopting best practices for integrating market-ready solutions.
META STAGE
At the Meta Stage, we delve into overarching policy and business concerns such as the Geo AI Strategy and the European AI Act. We also focus on critical aspects of AI Sustainability, AI Security and the ongoing wave of Generative AI.
Over the years, we have succeeded in creating a wide, interactive AI network with real interpersonal connections. It is a personal wish of Fabian and Veronika to be there for the Rise of AI community before, during and after the event.
We are very happy to hear that founders and investors meet at Rise of AI, or that researchers won new project partners. We have countless of these stories. Therefore the best thing is to attend and experience it for yourself.
We personally take care, that Rise of AI is sustainable as an event for itself.
Our min contribution is streaming the event for free. Thousands have and will attended Rise of AI without the need to travel.
However for our 300 physical guests, we provide a high quality experience.
Our catering is vegan-first, we offer gluten free options and our partners source only organic products.
Due to working for years with the same partners, we reduce waste and improve energy efficiency.
Our print materials are recycled, we only use reusable porcelain and avoid useless give aways.
Furthermore, we only use living plants for decoration and plant them in our forest afterwards.
Rise of AI started with 10 people discussing the Singularity in 2014. Today Rise of AI is Europe’s most influential platform for the growing Artificial Intelligence industry.
Our mission is to build a thriving European ecosystem. We aim for AIs, which serve us and all human benefit with a longer and happier life.
Therefore we organize the yearly Rise of AI Conference. Furthermore, we educate, create awareness, advise and invest within the young but growing AI industry.
Our CEO, Fabian Westerheide, is an international expert on Artificial Intelligence strategy, entrepreneur and venture capitalist. An avid sci-fi lover from childhood, Fabian has turned his lifelong passion for technology and human progress into his mission.
As CEO of Pandora Events Berlin and Co-Founder and COO of Rise of AI Conference, Veronika Westerheide has many years of experience in organizing high-quality, exciting tech and AI events. She is well-connected with leading AI companies, associations and other stakeholders.
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