The Future 500 Forum is a high-level European platform connecting promising scale-ups with investors, corporations, policymakers and international networks. The 2026 forum moves from discussing Europe’s scale-up challenge toward practical execution through a new selection methodology, the presentation of Future 100 Slovenia, focused working sessions and structured matchmaking.
The event takes place on 31 August 2026 in Bled, in partnership with the Bled Strategic Forum. It is a strategic initiative of IEDC – Bled School of Management.
About the Forum
Europe does not lack innovation. Its central challenge is turning that innovation into companies capable of scaling globally.
On 31 August 2026, the Future 500 Forum will bring together high-growth entrepreneurs, investors, corporate leaders, policymakers and representatives of leading European institutions in Bled. Conceived as a high-level working forum, the event will move beyond recognising Europe’s scale-up challenge and focus on building practical mechanisms for action.
The Forum is part of Future 500 – Champions of Growth, a long-term initiative dedicated to identifying, connecting and strengthening European companies with the potential to become tomorrow’s global champions.
Building on the dialogue initiated in Brussels and at the first Future 500 Forum, the 2026 gathering will translate strategic insights into a structured approach connecting promising companies with capital, international markets, talent, industrial partners and supportive public policy.
What to Expect
Participants will experience:
- The first public presentation of the Future 500 methodology for identifying Europe’s next generation of high-potential companies
- The presentation of Future 100 Slovenia—a strategic signal of scale-up potential rather than a traditional ranking
- A high-level plenary on European competitiveness and the conditions companies need to scale
- Curated working sessions addressing capital, deep technology, market access, talent and industrial transformation
- Structured matchmaking between companies, investors, corporations and policymakers
- Direct exchange with European business leaders, institutional investors, entrepreneurs and public-sector decision-makers
Who Should Attend
The Forum is designed for a focused audience of:
- Founders and executives of ambitious, high-growth companies
- Venture capital, private equity and institutional investors
- Corporate and industrial leaders
- Policymakers and representatives of European institutions
- Innovation, entrepreneurship and economic-development organisations
- Academic and ecosystem leaders working on European competitiveness
Confirmed Speakers and Contributors
The programme brings together senior representatives from the European Commission, European Innovation Council, European Investment Bank, European Investment Fund, Atlantic Council, Nasdaq, EBRD, Google DeepMind and IEDC, alongside leading entrepreneurs, investors and public-sector decision-makers.
The complete and continuously updated speaker list is available on the official Future 500 Forum website.
From Signal to Execution
The Future 500 Forum is where Europe’s scale-up conversation becomes a system for action: identifying potential, building stronger connections and enabling execution.
The event is organised as a strategic initiative of IEDC – Bled School of Management and in partnership with the Bled Strategic Forum.