Startups
From 7–8 October, the Pyramid of Tirana will host the Plug and Play Tirana Expo 2026, a two-day gathering that bridges Albania and the Western Balkans with Silicon Valley and the broader Plug and Play global network. The event marks the finale of the second Plug and Play Tirana Accelerator Programme, drawing startups, investors, corporate executives, and innovation experts from Europe, the UK, and the US. Confirmed speakers include Jeff Burton, co-founder of Electronic Arts; Jackie Hernandez, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships at Plug and Play; Fatos Ismali, Chief AI Architect at Microsoft; Aditya Kathpalia, Managing Director at Orbit Startups; Max Gurvits, Managing Partner at Vitosha Venture Partners; Ekaterina Gianelli, Venture Partner at Storm Ventures; Julien Coustaury, Managing Partner at Fil Rouge Capital; Alexandra Lazar of Elevator Ventures; Raymond Chow, Senior Manager, Business Innovation at Daimler Truck; Sheila Gemin, Partner Digital Services at KPMG; Mikael Kretz, Founder of QGroup; and Matthias Timm of IFC, among others. They will join regional founders and ecosystem leaders to connect local talent with international capital and expertise.
The Expo features pitches from the second accelerator cohort, international keynotes, startup-corporate panels, investor discussions, and dedicated networking. Tracks cover HealthTech & Wellness; ConTech, DesignTech & Logistics; Marketplaces, E-commerce & Mobility; DeepTech, GovTech & Public Safety; and AI-powered B2B SaaS & Enterprise. Founders will pitch on the Main Stage, while speakers explore AI adoption, digital transformation, HealthTech, scaling, and corporate innovation. Investor engagement is central. A session titled “From Acceleration to Scale: What CEE & European VCs Actually Look For” will feature investors from Storm Ventures, Vitosha Venture Partners, Elevator Ventures, and Earlybird. The broader investor community includes venture capital firms, corporate investment teams, and the Plug and Play network, giving founders a chance to build relationships beyond domestic markets. Plug and Play Tirana was created to link Albania’s startup scene with global markets. Through its accelerator, startups access mentors, investors, and corporations to prepare for growth and international expansion. The Expo opens with remarks from Plug and Play and the Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF), followed by startup presentations.