On June 18, the grand finale of the Innovators Arena 2026 will take place — an evening where promising startups, investors, and partners come together around tangible innovation and growth opportunities.
The Innovators Arena is not a standard pitch event. It is the starting point of a continuous innovation pipeline: from idea → validation → real-world application within the Living Lab of the E|SPORTS TECH CAMPUS.
During the finale, 8 selected startups will present themselves — ready for the next step in growth, collaboration, or investment.

What can you expect?

• Pitches from selected startups
• Panel discussion with industry experts
• An active exhibition floor featuring all participants
• Direct access to founders, investors, and partners

Moderator:

• Bart Krull – Amsterdam Economic Board

Jury

• Bas van Petten – Bambuu
• Jorn Eiting van Liempt – ROM InWest
• Ties Hagemeijer – Arches Capital
• André Hundman – InformAR
• Karin Kuin – Rabobank

Programme

• 19:00 – Doors open
• 19:30 – Opening & introduction
• 19:40 – Panel discussion
• 20:00 – First pitch round
• 20:40 – Networking & exhibition floor
• 21:00 – Second pitch round
• 21:40 – Jury deliberation & exhibition floor
• 22:00 – Award ceremony
• 22:15 – Networking drinks

Exhibition Floor (where the real work begins)

Throughout the entire evening, the exhibition floor will be open:

• All participants of the Innovators Arena will be present — including startups that are not pitching on stage
• Here, they will showcase their innovations, demos, and practical applications
• Accessible before, between, and after the pitch rounds (setup starts at 18:30)

This is the place where you can connect directly with founders — and where collaborations or investments often take their first step. In many cases, the real opportunities are found here, beyond what is visible on stage.

Would you like to attend?
Register via: [email protected]
Please let us know what your main interest is (investment, collaboration, launching customer), so we can connect you with the right people.