SWIPE DOWN
The Story of Romania’s Premier Technology Festival
2012 - 2015
It all started with a single conference—Innovation Summit—a gathering of international and local experts eager to discuss how technology was reshaping industries.
Year after year, this event brought together professionals who shared a passion for innovation, but by 2016, it was clear that Bucharest needed something bigger—an event that not only provided insights but also created real opportunities for collaboration and technological adoption.
2016
It all started with a single conference—𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁—a gathering of international and local experts eager to discuss how technology was reshaping industries.
Year after year, this event brought together professionals who shared a passion for innovation, but by 2016, it was clear that Bucharest needed something bigger— 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
In 2016, Bucharest Tech Week was created, placing the Romanian capital among the great cities of the world with its very own technology festival. The first edition featured four Business Summits: Innovation, Brands + Tech, Enterprise-IT, and Java Dev, setting the stage for an event that would soon become a hub for the latest trends, ideas, and technologies. Bucharest Tech Week was built around three core components: Business Summits – a series of premium business summits Tech Expo – a public exhibition showcasing groundbreaking tech solutions and products for personal use. Partner Events – a city-wide initiative involving tech-related workshops and networking events.
𝗕𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹. The first edition featured four Business Summits: Innovation, Brands + Tech, Enterprise-IT, and Java Dev, setting the stage for an event that would soon become a hub for the latest trends, ideas, and technologies. Bucharest Tech Week was built around three core components: 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀 – a series of premium business summits 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼 – a public exhibition showcasing groundbreaking tech solutions and products for personal use. 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 – a city-wide initiative involving tech-related workshops and networking events.
With its second edition, Bucharest Tech Week expanded its focus. New Business Summits were introduced—HR Masters, Sales Leaders, and PHP—offering industry-specific insights. Over the course of a week, experts and professionals gathered at the Athénée Palace Hilton, while Tech Expo in Piața George Enescu transformed the city center into a playground of cutting-edge technology. A major highlight of the year was the presence of InMoov, the first-ever 3D-printed humanoid robot, marking its debut in Romania at Bucharest Tech Week.
2017
With its second edition, Bucharest Tech Week expanded its focus. 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝—𝐇𝐑 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐇𝐏—𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲-𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬. Over the course of a week, experts and professionals gathered at the Athénée Palace Hilton, while Tech Expo in Piața George Enescu transformed the city center into a playground of cutting-edge technology. A major highlight of the year was the presence of InMoov, the first-ever 3D-printed humanoid robot, marking its debut in Romania at Bucharest Tech Week.
By 2018, Bucharest Tech Week had already established itself as Romania’s premier tech festival. The event adapted to the latest industry trends, featuring Business Summits on Innovation, HR, Fintech, Java, and .NET. Tech Expo moved to Piața Universității, bringing innovative technology closer to the people for them to test, learn about it and impove their lives.
2018
By 2018, Bucharest Tech Week had already established itself as 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥. The event adapted to the latest industry trends, featuring Business Summits on 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐇𝐑, 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡, 𝐉𝐚𝐯𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 .𝐍𝐄𝐓. Tech Expo moved to Piața Universității, bringing innovative technology closer to the people for them to test, learn about it and impove their lives.
The 2019 edition reinforced Bucharest Tech Week’s role as a key meeting point for business and tech professionals in Central and Eastern Europe. The lineup included summits on Innovation, HR, Fintech, Java, and .NET, while Tech Expo continued to grow, showcasing hundreds of cutting-edge products and solutions. A highlight of the 2018 edition was Furhat, an advanced AI social robot capable of natural communication through speech, listening, emotional expressions, and eye contact—offering a glimpse into the future of human-robot interaction.
2019
This edition reinforced Bucharest Tech Week’s role as a key meeting point for business and tech professionals in Central and Eastern Europe. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐇𝐑, 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡, 𝐉𝐚𝐯𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 .𝐍𝐄𝐓, while Tech Expo continued to grow, showcasing hundreds of cutting-edge products and solutions. A highlight of the 2019 edition was Furhat, 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐈 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡, 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭—𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧-𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
For the first time, Bucharest Tech Week was fully online due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the power of technology to keep industries connected despite unprecedented challenges. With Business Summits on Innovation, HR , Fintech, Retail, Java, and Software Architecture, the event attracted a global audience. Virtual networking, live Q&As, and interactive panels allowed participants to stay ahead of the curve, even from a distance. Bucharest Tech Week brought a new dimension to the event experience with a 3D-projected exhibitors' area at both Business Summits and Tech Expo, enabling participants to explore virtual booths, connect with companies, and engage in interactive networking.
2021
For the first time, 𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃-𝟏𝟗 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜, demonstrating the power of technology to keep industries connected despite unprecedented challenges. With Business Summits on Innovation, HR , Fintech, Retail, Java, and Software Architecture, the event attracted a global audience. Virtual networking, live Q&As, and interactive panels allowed participants to stay ahead of the curve, even from a distance. Bucharest Tech Week brought a new dimension to the event experience with a 𝟑𝐃-𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬' 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚 at both Business Summits and Tech Expo, enabling participants to explore virtual booths, connect with companies, and engage in interactive networking.
In 2022, Bucharest Tech Week embraced a hybrid format, blending in-person and virtual experiences. With over 2,000 professionals attending six thematic summits—Innovation Summit, Future Retail Summit, Metaverse Summit, HR Masters Summit, Java Summit, and Software Architecture Summit—the event made history by hosting Romania’s first-ever Metaverse-focused conference. This groundbreaking edition explored how emerging technologies were reshaping both digital and physical realities. Tech Expo returned in full force at the Piața Universității, offering a hands-on experience of the latest innovations.
2022
In 2022, Bucharest Tech Week embraced a 𝐡𝐲𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭, blending in-person and virtual experiences. With over 2,000 professionals attending six thematic summits—𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭, 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭, 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭, 𝐇𝐑 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭, 𝐉𝐚𝐯𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭—the event 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞-𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. This groundbreaking edition explored how emerging technologies were reshaping both digital and physical realities. Tech Expo returned in full force at the Piața Constituției, offering a hands-on experience of the latest innovations.
Bucharest Tech Week continued to grow, bringing together top companies and experts to explore AI, automation, cybersecurity, and digital transformation. The event featured 5 summits—Innovation Summit, HR Masters Summit, Future Retail Summit, Java Summit, and Software Architecture Summit—solidifying Bucharest’s role as a key innovation hub in Eastern Europe. Business Summits moved to a new location, Nord Events Center by Globalworth, while Tech Expo expanded to Romexpo’s B1 Pavilion, offering an even larger exhibition space filled with the latest technologies and innovations.
2023
Bucharest Tech Week continued to grow, bringing together top companies and experts to explore AI, automation, cybersecurity, and digital transformation. The event featured 5 summits—Innovation Summit, HR Masters Summit, Future Retail Summit, Java Summit, and Software Architecture Summit—solidifying Bucharest’s role as a key innovation hub in Eastern Europe. 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡, while Tech Expo expanded to Romexpo’s B1 Pavilion, offering an even larger exhibition space filled with the latest technologies and innovations.
This landmark edition featured for the first time in Romania a keynote by Dhiraj Mukherjee, co-founder of Shazam, adding global prestige to the event. As the only technology festival in Romania offering both high-level business insights and an integrated, cutting-edge exhibition space, Bucharest Tech Week continues to define the future of tech events in the region.
2024
This landmark edition featured 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐚 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐣 𝐌𝐮𝐤𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐣𝐞𝐞, 𝐜𝐨-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐦, 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭. As the only technology festival in Romania offering both high-level business insights and an integrated, cutting-edge exhibition space, Bucharest Tech Week continues to define the future of tech events in the region.