Startup World Cup Announces World

Startup World Cup Announces World-Class Executive Speaker Lineup for 2026 Grand Finale

November 4-6, 2026 | Hilton San Francisco Union Square | San Francisco, California

SAN JOSE, Calif., September 23, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Startup World Cup today announced a distinguished lineup of technology, business, and innovation leaders who will take the stage at its 2026 Grand Finale, taking place November 4-6 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. The three-day global event will bring together more than 5,000 entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives, media, and innovation leaders, alongside 200 regional startup winners from around the world competing for a $1M investment prize. For event details and registration, visit Startup World Cup registration page.

The speaker lineup brings together executives and entrepreneurs from some of the world's most influential technology companies, representing industries spanning artificial intelligence, automotive, cloud computing, enterprise software, and consumer technology. Attendees will hear directly from leaders who have built companies, products, and organizations at the forefront of technological and business transformation.

The 2026 featured speakers include:

Marc Tarpenning, Co-Founder at Tesla

Will Grannis, CTO at Google Cloud

Paul Fipps, President at ServiceNow

Manoj Leelanivas, President at HP Solutions

Jihong Kim, Managing Director at Samsung Ventures

Rajesh Swaminathan, Partner at Khosla Ventures

Scott Beechuk, Partner at Norwest Venture Partners

Rachel Slaybaugh, General Partner at DCVC

Jaya Gupta, Partner at Foundation Capital

And more speakers to be announced

The lineup builds on Startup World Cup's history of bringing accomplished entrepreneurs, executives, investors, and technology leaders together with the global startup community. Previous speakers have included:

Reid Hoffman, Founding CEO, LinkedIn

Marc Randolph, Co-Founder, Netflix

John Chambers, Chairman Emeritus, Cisco

Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder, Apple

Vinod Khosla, Co-Founder, Sun Microsystems

Court Lorenzin, Founding CEO, Docusign

And many other distinguished global leaders

Beyond the opportunity to hear from these influential leaders, the Grand Finale brings together the global startup, investment, and corporate innovation communities. Startups can showcase their companies, gain exposure to investors and potential partners, and build relationships with leaders across the technology ecosystem. Founders can gain visibility, build relationships, learn from experienced executives, and connect with potential sources of capital and strategic opportunities.