Malta's startup calendar has two busy seasons: October to November, when the national Startup Festival, MedTech World and a run of tech conferences take place, and May, when the EU-Startups Summit and the iGaming summits fill Valletta's Mediterranean Conference Centre.
This guide lists the startup, tech and investor events in Malta and Gozo from October 2026 to the end of 2027. We checked every date on the organiser's own website. Where a date isn't published yet, we say so, and we mark each event as Confirmed (date on the official site), Announced (date from a reliable second source) or Expected (based on past editions only).
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
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Best Startup Events in Malta 2026–2027: Calendar from October 2026 to May 2027
Autumn 2026: October to December
Startup Festival Malta: 16 October 2026
This is Malta's national startup day, run under the Start in Malta brand with Malta Enterprise. The 2026 programme includes the Minister, the Malta Enterprise CEO, a keynote by Piers Linney and a session called "The Reverse Pitch". Registration for 2026 has already closed, so treat it as one for next year: the festival has been held every October since 2023.
AWS Community Day Malta: 15–16 October 2026
The third edition has 44 talks and 17 workshops for more than 300 attendees. It is the most hands-on event in this list if you build your own product.
Entrepreneurship for Creatives: 15 October to 12 November 2026
Run by the University of Malta, the series covers business models, intellectual property, branding, pricing and funding. A good free starting point if you are a designer, maker or freelancer thinking about your first company.
Digital Health Hackathon: 30 October to 1 November 2026
Organised by the IEEE Malta Section with the University of Malta. Teams build a digital health prototype with mentors over one weekend.
Youth4Entrepreneurship Gozo final: 6 November 2026
The Gozo Business Chamber's pitch competition is the only Gozo-specific startup stage in this period.
DevFest Malta: 7 November 2026
Google Developer Group Malta's yearly conference, run with DiHubMT. Free, so register early.
MedTech World Europe and the Gozo Investors Retreat: 9–13 November 2026
The organisers say about 35% of attendees are startups and 20% are investors, which makes this the most investor-dense event in Malta this autumn for health and medtech founders. The Startup Pass includes a 1x1m booth and a chance to reach the top-10 pitch.
FinanceMalta Annual Conference: 11–12 November 2026
This year's theme is "Financing the Next Generation Economy". Go if you build for banks, funds or regulators.
Global Semiconductor Conference Malta: 16–17 November 2026
The third edition is run by Malta Enterprise with Silicon Catalyst.EU, and startups are one of the named audiences. A niche event, but a useful one for hardware and deeptech founders.
Global Entrepreneurship Week Malta: 16–22 November 2026
Global Entrepreneurship Week runs worldwide on 16–22 November 2026. In Malta the national host is the Edward de Bono Institute at the University of Malta, and events are usually free. The 2026 Malta programme isn't published yet. The 2025 programme included a session for women entrepreneurs. Check the GEN Malta page closer to the date.
DeAI Summit Malta: 25–26 November 2026
Run by the HumanAIx Foundation. Some event listings show other dates and venues; we use the dates on the official site.
TECHXPO Malta: 26–28 November 2026
A free, government-backed expo. The dates come from the Malta Digital Innovation Authority's events calendar; the expo site doesn't show them yet.
2027: February to May
NextGen Payments & RegTech Forum: 25 February 2027
A one-day forum where payments and compliance buyers meet. Useful if you sell fintech or regtech.
SiGMA Europe and the SiGMA Startup Pitch: 3–5 May 2027
SiGMA's main Malta summit is now in May. The six best startups pitch for equity investment in front of more than 30 VCs. Note that SiGMA's November 2026 summit is in Rome, not Malta.
EU-Startups Summit 2027: 13–14 May 2027
The biggest founder and investor event in Malta, with about 2,500 attendees. The 2026 edition drew more than 2,400 people, and the pitch was won by AlterEcho from Denmark. Pitch applications for 2027 open in December 2026, and the prize package is worth €1 million. Malta Enterprise is the headline sponsor.
NEXT Focus and NEXT Summit Valletta: 25–27 May 2027
NEXT Focus is the most startup-focused day of Malta's iGaming week, with deal clinics and investor panels. The main summit follows over the next two days. If you are in Malta for the EU-Startups Summit, these fall less than two weeks later.
Dates not announced yet
- Startup Festival Malta 2027. Expected in October 2027: the festival has taken place every October from 2023 to 2026.
- Chain of Blocks Summit 2027. Expected around May 2027. The 2026 edition ran on 20–22 May at the Grand Hotel Excelsior, Floriana, with tickets from €69.90.
- Malta Enterprise Women in Business event. The 2026 edition was on 6 March at the Hyatt Regency, St Julian's; a 2027 edition around International Women's Day is expected but not announced.
- TAKEOFF Seed Fund Award 2027. The 2026 call closed on 12 June 2026, so the next round is expected around mid-2027.
Recurring meetups and communities
- Malta Tech Talks (by Altenar): two to four meetups a year in St Julian's, open in person and online. The most recent edition is on 14 October 2026; the next date isn't out yet. maltatechtalks.com
- GDG Malta (Google Developer Group): free meetups for developers, three so far in 2026. GDG Malta
- AWS community in Malta: the group behind AWS Community Day also runs regular meetups.
Some groups from earlier versions of this guide are no longer active. Crypto Hub Malta's weekly events have stopped (its website is offline), Startup Grind Valletta lists no events since 2023, and SHE Malta's last networking event was in 2019.
Events for women founders in Malta
We found no women-founder event in Malta confirmed between October 2026 and the end of 2027. The closest options are the women entrepreneurs session that was part of Global Entrepreneurship Week in 2025, which may return in November 2026, Malta Enterprise's Women in Business event (held in March 2026), and the community events we run ourselves, like the Fe/male Switch startup villa party.
If you organise an event for women founders in Malta or Gozo, send it to us and we'll add it.
Past events and events that left Malta
- EU-Startups Summit 2026 took place on 7–8 May 2026 in Valletta, with more than 2,400 attendees.
- NEXT Summit Valletta 2026 ran on 25–30 May 2026, and Chain of Blocks 2026 on 20–22 May 2026.
- Start Up Festival Malta 2025 was held on 23–24 October 2025 at Montekristo Estate.
- SuperCharger FESTA last ran on 23–28 June 2025 at Verdala Palace, Buskett. We found no 2026 or 2027 edition.
- EFECS was in Malta in December 2025; the 2026 edition is in Helsinki.
- All Digital Summit was in Valletta in September 2025; the 2026 edition is in Belgrade.
- AIBC (AI and blockchain) now runs alongside SiGMA in Rome; no Malta edition is listed for 2026–2027.
Funding and support to know before you go
Malta Enterprise and the government agencies come to most of these events, so it helps to know the schemes before you talk to them:
- Business Start (Malta Enterprise): a grant of up to €10,000 for small startups. The current deadline is 30 October 2026. Details
- Start-up Finance (Malta Enterprise): a repayable advance for payroll, assets and set-up costs, also with a 30 October 2026 deadline. Details
- Startup Residence Programme: residence for non-EU founders of a company up to 7 years old, with at least €25,000 invested. The permit runs for 3 years and can be renewed for 5 more. Read our guide to the Malta start-up residence permit.
- TAKEOFF Seed Fund Award (University of Malta): €155,000 in total for proof-of-concept and seed funding in 2026.
- Tech.mt inMalta business missions: subsidised trips to fairs like Web Summit and London Tech Week; startups paid €500 to €1,000 for the 2026 LEAP mission.
For more options, see our list of Malta startup funding sources and the Malta startups to watch.
How to get the most out of Malta startup events
- Apply for pitch slots early. EU-Startups opens its pitch applications in December 2026, and applying to the SiGMA Startup Pitch is free. See more startup competitions.
- Register on time. Startup Festival Malta closed registration before the 2026 event, and some conferences raise prices weeks ahead.
- Plan a May trip. The EU-Startups Summit (13–14 May) and the NEXT events (25–27 May) are less than two weeks apart, and SiGMA Europe is in early May.
- Pick events by sector. Medtech: MedTech World. Fintech: FinanceMalta and NextGen Payments. Gaming: SiGMA and NEXT. Deeptech: GSCM. Early-stage generalists: EU-Startups and Startup Festival Malta.
- Use the free ones. Global Entrepreneurship Week, TECHXPO, GDG meetups and the University of Malta workshops cost nothing and are the easiest way into the local network.
List your event in this guide
Do you run a startup, tech or investor event in Malta or Gozo? Send us the name, dates, venue and official link, and we'll check whether it fits this guide. We list events for founders, with a real date and an official page.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.
🔗 Add an awesome event
Startup events in other countries
- Best startup events in Europe (with all country guides)
- Startup events in Italy
- Startup events in Cyprus
FAQ
What is the biggest startup event in Malta?
The EU-Startups Summit, with about 2,500 attendees. The 2027 edition is on 13–14 May at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.
When is Startup Festival Malta 2026?
Friday 16 October 2026 at Villa Overhills, Birżebbuġa. Registration for 2026 is closed. The festival has been held every October since 2023.
Are there free startup events in Malta?
Yes. The University of Malta's Entrepreneurship for Creatives workshops, TECHXPO Malta, DevFest Malta (7 November 2026), Global Entrepreneurship Week events and GDG Malta meetups are free.
Where can I pitch my startup in Malta?
At the EU-Startups Summit pitch (applications open in December 2026), the SiGMA Startup Pitch on 5 May 2027, the MedTech World startup pitch in November 2026, and the Youth4Entrepreneurship Gozo final on 6 November 2026.
Are there startup events for women founders in Malta?
None are confirmed for the coming year. Global Entrepreneurship Week included a women entrepreneurs session in 2025. If you know of one, send it to us through the form above.
When is the best time to visit Malta for startup events?
May, when the EU-Startups Summit, SiGMA Europe and the NEXT summits take place within a few weeks, or October to November for the Startup Festival and MedTech World.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
