Bits & Pretzels

Bits & Pretzels
Name	Bits & Pretzels
Type	Conference
Founded	2014
Founder	Andreas Bruckschlögl; Bernd Storm van's Gravesande; Andreas Rodlauer
Location	Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Bits & Pretzels is an annual founder and startup festival held in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and political figures. The festival combines keynote talks, panel discussions, masterclasses, networking sessions, and festival-style events that draw participants from technology hubs, venture capital firms, and cultural institutions. Organized by founders with roots in Munich's startup community, the event features founders from Silicon Valley, Berlin, London, Paris, Tel Aviv, and other global ecosystems.

History

The event was founded in 2014 by Andreas Bruckschlögl, Bernd Storm van's Gravesande, and Andreas Rodlauer, who had connections to Munich's startup ecosystem and organizations such as UnternehmerTUM, UnternehmerTUM GmbH, and the LMU Munich incubation initiatives. Early years saw participation from figures tied to Google, Facebook, Amazon (company), Microsoft, Apple Inc., and Airbnb alongside representatives from Deutsche Telekom, Siemens, and BMW. Over time the festival attracted leaders from Y Combinator, Techstars, Sequoia Capital, and Accel Partners as sponsors and speakers, and collaborations with institutions like IHK München and cultural venues such as the Münchner Stadtmuseum. Growth coincided with Munich's rise as a European hub alongside Berlin, London, Paris, Tel Aviv, and Stockholm.

Format and Program

The program blends main-stage keynotes, breakout sessions, and hands-on masterclasses featuring founders and investors affiliated with Andreessen Horowitz, Benchmark Capital, Index Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, and Balderton Capital. Sessions often include panels with representatives from SAP SE, Allianz, Commerzbank, Deutsche Börse, and HubSpot, and workshops run by incubators like Seedcamp, Wayra, Station F, and Numa. Festival elements reference startup acceleration programs such as 500 Startups, Plug and Play Tech Center, MassChallenge, and Startupbootcamp, while pitch competitions attract angel networks including TechCrunch, Forbes, Wired (magazine), and Business Insider. Topics have ranged across product launches from companies similar to Spotify, Uber, Lyft, Delivery Hero, Zalando, and TransferWise as well as policy discussions referencing institutions such as the European Commission, Bundestag, and Bavarian State Parliament.

Speakers and Notable Participants

Keynote and panel participants have included founders and executives associated with Elon Musk-linked ventures, executives from Stripe, Dropbox, and Slack (software), and politicians from Angela Merkel's era, Emmanuel Macron's circles, and regional leaders like Markus Söder. Venture investors from Peter Thiel's networks, partners from Benchmark, Index, and Sequoia have appeared alongside startup founders associated with N26, SoundCloud, HelloFresh, Klarna, Rovio Entertainment, Supercell, Minecraft, GitHub, Reddit, Pinterest, Square (company), WeWork, Palantir Technologies, and TikTok. Academic and institutional guests have included representatives from Technical University of Munich, LMU Munich, Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, and University of Oxford.

Locations and Events

Main festival stages have been hosted in Munich venues tied to cultural landmarks and business hubs, with ancillary events in locations reminiscent of Messe München, Deutsches Museum, Olympiapark, and historic sites near Marienplatz and Hofbräuhaus am Platzl. Evening festival events mirror civic celebrations and networking formats similar to those used by conferences in San Francisco, New York City, London, and Berlin. International outreach has led to satellite or partner events that echo programs in startup centers such as Silicon Valley, Tel Aviv, Singapore, and Shanghai.

Audience and Impact

Attendees typically include founders, angel investors, venture capitalists, corporate innovation officers from Bosch, Allianz, Adidas, Vodafone, and Siemens Energy, as well as representatives from accelerator and incubator networks such as Startup Wise Guys, European Investment Fund, and EIT Digital. The festival has been cited by media outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Forbes, TechCrunch, Wired (magazine), and Der Spiegel for its role in facilitating dealmaking, recruitment, and cross-border partnerships among startups and established firms like BMW Group, Daimler AG, and Volkswagen Group. Alumni startups have proceeded to raise funding from firms such as SoftBank, Tiger Global Management, and Goldman Sachs.

Organization and Funding

Organizers collaborate with corporate sponsors, venture funds, public institutions, and media partners including Deutsche Bank, Allianz, Microsoft Corporation, Amazon (company), Google LLC, SAP SE, Munich Re, Bayern Innovativ, and media outlets like Handelsblatt and Die Zeit. Funding models combine ticket revenue, sponsorship agreements, and partnerships with public bodies such as the Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs and local chambers of commerce associated with IHK München und Oberbayern. Production and programming draw on event firms and agencies with ties to European conference circuits like DMEXCO and Web Summit.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques mirror those leveled at global startup conferences, including debates over diversity and inclusion highlighted in discussions with advocates linked to European Parliament initiatives, concerns about commercialization voiced by commentators from Die Zeit and Süddeutsche Zeitung, and scrutiny over sponsor influence similar to controversies at events involving Web Summit and CES. Other controversies have involved debates on startup valuation practices critiqued in outlets like The Economist and Financial Times, and discussions around political neutrality when involving figures associated with parties represented in the Bundestag or regional politics in Bavaria.

Category:Technology conferences