Bits & Pretzels 2026 announces Trevor Noah as keynote speaker

The Bits & Pretzels startup festival has announced its 2026 lineup for the event held in Munich from September 28 to 30. Emmy Award winner and former 'The Daily Show' host Trevor Noah is confirmed as a keynote speaker.

Under the theme 'Human after all,' the conference aims to focus on human qualities like resilience and judgment as a counterpoint to the current artificial intelligence hype. The event expects approximately 7,500 participants and will feature over 200 speakers, including podcast host Steven Bartlett.

In discussions regarding the evolving startup landscape, Bits & Pretzels co-founder Bernd Storm van’s Gravesande noted that while venture capital remains essential, some startups may find more value in securing anchor customers rather than just anchor investors. He suggested that having paying customers provides a more significant proof of concept than market analyses alone.