Please complete your partner profile on the Attendee hub if not done yet!
Our partner startup programme offers you the chance to bring a selection of exciting startups to join a global community of ALPHA, BETA and GROWTH startups. We want to bring innovators together to share their potential, uniqueness and world-changing ideas!
Your Partner Success team will send you a form that you will share with startups you want to bring to Web Summit
Your startups should fill this form out themselves
The deadline to submit is September 26
Please read and share this Partner Startup information document below with the startups you hope to bring to the event.
Startups must meet the following criteria to be accepted
Must be less than 6 years old
Must have a unique software product/solution or be working on connected hardware devices
Consultancies, agencies, developers, marketing/ad agencies, and public companies will not be accepted
Must be an independent company, not a subsidiary
Must have an active website at a minimum
Cannot already be registered to exhibit at the event
Must provide a logo in .eps format
Startups that do not meet the above criteria will not be accepted
This could result in delays in onboarding approved startups
Startup Profile
Featured online and shared with investors, media, and strategic partners
Company Scanning Mode:
It can be enabled from the ticket owner's ticket dashboard for certain people within your organisation. All leads gathered by your chosen team members can be viewed in a single consolidated report
Exhibition Board :
Printed for you and ready at your stand on your designated exhibition day
Access to Masterclasses & Roundtables :
Specialised sessions for startups
Startup Activations:
Opportunity to participate in PITCH, Mentor Hours, Startup Showcase, 40 Words
Web Summit Mobile App :
Network and plan your schedule before the event.
Startup Lounge Access:
Access to a dedicated lounge on the exhibition floor.
Startup Success Team Support:
Assistance with event preparations.
Three-day access tickets:
ALPHA Startups: 3 event tickets
BETA Startups: 4 event tickets
GROWTH Startups: 5 tickets
Once approved, startups will be assigned to the relevant track (ALPHA, BETA, or GROWTH)
ALPHA – To qualify for the ALPHA track typically, the startup can have raised up to US$1 million in funding
BETA – To qualify for the BETA track typically, the startup can have raised between US$1 million to US$5 million in funding
GROWTH – To qualify for the GROWTH track typically, the startup will have raised more than US$5 million in funding
Note: These are general guidelines and other criteria are considered when assigning startups to tracks.
Next Steps:
Acceptance email
They will receive an email informing them of this
+ Partner notification: The partner contact (you or a team member) will be copied on the email.
Startup Success Team Assigned
The startup will be supported by our Startup Success Team and will begin receiving weekly updates starting August 2025.
Missing information
If they fail to provide important information, they will receive an email asking them to resubmit the form. This can often be due to their website not working correctly.
Unchangeable reasons
If they do not meet the criteria (e.g., over 6 years old or outside the suitable industry), they will receive an email informing them of the rejection. Resubmission will not be possible.
Already Registered at the Event
Startups already registered as exhibitors cannot apply again through the partner program and will be informed of their ineligibility.
Partner responsibility in this case
Replace unsuccessful Startups
Partners have the opportunity to replace unsuccessful startups before the deadline.
Unused Startup packages
If packages are not used by the deadline (September 26), they will be exchanged for general attendee tickets.
Partner Startup Islands
Option A: (8 Startups)
+ If a partner brings 8 startups, they will exhibit together for the full 3 days of the event.
+ Minimum Requirement: 6 startups.
Option B: (24 Startups)
+ If a partner brings 24 startups, each will exhibit for one day only.
+ Startup boards will be switched daily to accommodate all 24 startups.
+ No specific exhibition days can be requested.
+ Minimum Requirement: 18 startups.
+ If the minimum is not met, startups will exhibit in their industry-vertical area.
Important Note
Partner startup islands are not guaranteed to be located near your booth. Allocation is based on floor space availability closer to the event.
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Partner Startups Exhibiting in Industry-Vertical
Startups not assigned to a dedicated partner startup island will exhibit for one day alongside other startups in their industry.
No specific exhibition days can be requested.
If you would like to have dual-branded startup boards, please let your Partner success team know. You must submit your logo via your onboarding form as soon as possible so the boards can be sent to print.
Partners with startup islands are afforded a branded hanging banner above their startup island. If you would like to have a branded banner, please let your partner success team know.
Each startup's dedicated point of contact will be the Startup Success Team, who will share all relevant information through our support system. However, if you'd like a preview of what's involved - or wish to share this with your startups in advance - you'll find more information below.
PITCH is the startup competition at Web Summit, showcasing the world’s most promising early-stage startups in a live, onstage pitching battle.
Startup Showcase shines the spotlight on your idea. Expect quickfire presentations with startups showcasing their solutions to the biggest issues in their fields.
Web Summit's startup masterclasses help you learn directly from tech’s leading investors, accelerators, incubators, and executives.