Brussels, 12 June 2026

We are proud to announce the successful conclusion of the 26th edition of the EBAN Congress, held on June 1-2, 2026, in the vibrant city of Vilnius, Lithuania. 

Co-organised with Lithuanian Business Angel Network (LitBAN) and the European Commission, this year’s congress brought together hundreds of business angels, VCs, founders, policymakers, and innovation leaders from across Europe and beyond, all united around a theme that could not be more timely: Europe’s Resilience. From Space & Defence Tech to BioTech and CleanTech, the conversations were moving, insightful, forward-looking, and deeply necessary. 

And Vilnius proved to be the perfect host for it: a city brimming with energy, warmth, and a startup ecosystem that left many attendees genuinely impressed. The Congress was also marked by a truly unforgettable Gala Dinner & Awards ceremony at the National Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, where history, elegance, and the ecosystem came together in one iconic evening. 

After all, we can say the message is clear: European angel investment is alive, ambitious, and ready for what comes next.

EBAN Congress 2026 Key Highlights

As always, the Congress was a glimpse into the future of angel investing, and here you can read the main takeaways from the 2026 edition:

The Lithuanian Startup Ecosystem – A Breakout Moment: Vilnius didn’t just host the Congress, it made the case for itself. With 10 unicorns, over 1,300 startups, and the lowest scaleup relocation rate in Central and Eastern Europe, Lithuania’s ecosystem is in full breakout mode. A fireside chat with Milda Mitkutė, co-founder of Vinted (Lithuania’s first unicorn, now valued at $8 billion) brought the human story behind the numbers to life. The message from ecosystem builders, founders, and institutions alike was clear: Lithuania is ambitious, globally connected, and just getting started.

Space & Defence Tech – Europe’s Most Urgent Investment Frontier: One of the most valued forums of the Congress, the Space & DefenceTech track (powered by InvestEU and CASSINI) set the tone from the opening address by EU Commissioner for Defence & Space Andrius Kubilius, who issued a clear call to action: without startups and innovation, Europe cannot close its defence gap. With the EU committing billions to domestic defence by 2030 and Germany alone pledging €35 billion to space defence technologies, the message resonated: this is no longer a niche, it is a strategic imperative. Panels on space investment, NATO procurement, and satellite sovereignty made the case that angels and early-stage investors have a critical role to play in Europe’s security future.

CleanTech & DeepTech – The Infrastructure of Growth: CleanTech and DeepTech (powered by Sunrise TechPark & WE-Rise) were framed not as verticals, but as the foundation every other industry depends on. With 33% of European investments now in deep tech and entry valuations reset after the 2021 bubble, speakers highlighted a rare window for angels to back the technologies that will define Europe’s strategic autonomy, from energy storage to new materials to advanced chip design. Conversations also turned to a persistent gap: bridging the world of science and commercialisation, and ensuring more women-led deep tech companies get the capital and rooms they deserve.

Life Sciences – Where Angels Make a Difference: The life sciences forum underscored a compelling truth: serial entrepreneurs go to VCs, but it is scientists with a business idea who come to angels, and that is precisely where angel investment can make the greatest difference. With healthcare emerging as one of the most active areas for cross-border and transatlantic deals, participants focused on the importance of regulatory pathway awareness, founding team depth, and disciplined investment criteria in a sector where the stakes are uniquely high.

Creative Industries – Culture as a Competitive Asset: The Creative Industries Forum, led by EIT Culture & Creativity, made a timely argument: creative industries are no longer peripheral to Europe’s innovation agenda; they are central to its resilience. With AI transforming what creatives can build, and IP and proprietary technology emerging as key investability signals, the forum called for a new wave of investors willing to back culture, content, and creativity as strategic assets.

SportsTech – Going Global: The EBAN Sports Track, organised by the EBAN Sports Community, led Audra Shallal and Juan Fuentes, brought ambition and a landmark announcement: the launch of the Sports Innovation Alliance, a new cross-continental collaboration platform uniting investors, ecosystem builders, accelerators, universities, and sports federations. With speakers joining from Europe, Asia and North America, the forum made the case for sports tech as a platform industry, one where the next generation of successful companies will be global by design, not by accident. Practical sessions on EU funding pathways and cross-border market entry rounded out a track that is growing in both depth and reach.

Angel Investment – Learning from Experience: Portfolio management or cross-border deals… the angel-focused sessions were refreshingly honest. (Powered by dealum) Investors shared hard-won lessons on cognitive bias in refinancing rounds, the dangers of falling in love with technology over fundamentals, and the importance of being there when it counts, not just at the cheque-writing stage. Angel Gambino‘s keynote brought a personal, motivational dimension, while sessions on cross-border investment reframed the conversation: as one speaker put it, “we are not in the investment sector – we are in the exit sector.” Think exits first, and borders become far less of a barrier.

BAN Managers Programme

The BAN Managers Programme brought together network leaders to exchange on operational models and investment discipline. They shared a transatlantic perspective on BAN structure, revenue models, and the contrasting realities between US and European angel networks. But also they addressed the risks of refinancing rounds, presenting practical governance frameworks to protect members from cognitive bias and portfolio overconcentration.

Key themes from the track included:

  • Diversifying BAN revenue models and reducing dependency on any single funding stream
  • Strengthening internal governance around follow-on investment decisions
  • Protecting angel members, particularly newer ones, through better risk education and structured refinancing policies
  • Learning across geographies, with transatlantic perspectives informing European practice

Startup Competition Winners

A 3-minute pitch may be all the audience sees, but behind it are years of dedication, countless challenges, and an incredible amount of perseverance. Throughout the Congress, startups took the stage across multiple sessions to present their solutions. Although the competition was fierce, we want to celebrate every founder who had the courage to take the stage. And of course, a special congratulations to the winners of each category:

Gala Award Winners

One of the undisputed highlights of this year’s congress was the Gala Dinner & Awards, held at the magnificent Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, a setting where centuries of history and culture provided the perfect backdrop for celebrating the best of Europe’s angel investment community. Huge congratulations to this year’s winners:

Congratulations to all the winners, your work is shaping the future of European innovation.

A Heartfelt Thank You

An event of this scale is never the work of one team alone. The EBAN Congress 2026 in Vilnius was made possible through the dedication, generosity, and partnership of an exceptional community of organisations, speakers, startups, and attendees, and we are deeply grateful to every one of them.

A warm thank you to the EBAN and LitBAN teams, whose tireless work brought this congress to life, and to the European Commission, whose co-organisation and support made it possible to gather Europe’s angel investment community at this level.

We also extend our sincere gratitude to all our sponsors and partners: Go Vilnius • Sunrise Tech Park • WE-RISE • Startup Lithuania • Innovation Agency Lithuania | Global • Research Council of Lithuania | Lietuvos mokslo taryba • Coinvest Capital • ILTE Lietuva • EIT Culture & Creativity • Business Angels Mitteldeutschland (BAM!) e.V. • futureSAX – die Innovationsplattform des Freistaates Sachsen • WIDEN Legal Lithuania • Dealum • BMI Executive Institute • Delfi.lt • LOGIN • Government of Canada • Unicorns Lithuania • Baltic-American Freedom Foundation 

Together, you helped create a top-notch event.

What's Next for EBAN?

Next up, we head to Luxembourg for the European Angel Investment Summit (EAIS 2026), taking place October 14–15. This year’s edition is particularly special: for the first time, EAIS joins forces with Luxembourg Venture Days, bringing together European founders, private capital, institutional investors, and innovation leaders for two days of curated deal-flow, high-level dialogue, and strategic connections. It’s shaping up to be one of the most significant gatherings in the European early-stage investment calendar, one you must attend.

And looking further ahead… Leipzig 2027. The next EBAN Congress will be hosted by FutureSAX, in collaboration with Business Angels Deutschland e.V. (BAND) and Business Angels Mitteldeutschland (BAM!) e.V.. More details to come, but definitely mark your calendars!

Congress Photos
Congress Video