Daily networking drinks
Day 1: Tuesday, September 2916:30–17:30
Day 2: Wednesday, September 3016:30–17:30
Day 3: Thursday, October 116:00–17:00
Attendee guide & tips
SBC Summit Startup Zone Attendee Guide & Tips
Maximize Your Experience at SBC Summit Lisbon.
SBC Summit Lisbon is the premier betting & gaming event for the global marketplace, bringing together 40,000+ operators, investors, and industry leaders.
BettingStartups and Defy the Odds want to welcome you as attendees to this incredible event.
Section one
The SBC Summit Startup Hub
The SBC Startup Hub is made up of three areas:
The SBC Startup Zone
The Startup Zone is the dedicated space on the show floor where a record 36 founders and emerging businesses will be represented. This will be the destination for your key meetings with investors, partners and prospects! The Startup Zone can be found between Halls 1 & 2 at the entrance of the Startup Zone Networking Lounge (S170)
The Startup Zone Networking Lounge
The Networking Lounge is a meeting space adjacent to the Startup Zone, where startups and stakeholders can connect informally and move conversations forward.
Networking Lounge Events: The Networking Lounge will be hosting the following networking events for our Startup Zone attendees:
Investor & startups networking breakfast
Day 2: Wednesday, September 3010:30–11:30
Feel free to invite partners and investors to participate in any of the above!
Product Innovation Showcase Stage
The Product Innovation Showcase Stage is situated directly across from the Startup Zone Networking Lounge on Days 2 and 3, the stage will largely focus on amplifying both startups and investors. For attendees and fellow-startups, it’s a great opportunity to discover and learn about the next generation of industry innovation and what is really driving the startup ecosystem from all perspectives. SBC Summit ends on Day 3 with the showpiece First Pitch competition for Startups!
12:45–13:30
Building the Next Big Category
Every major vertical in this industry started as a bet on a category that didn't exist yet. This panel brings together founders building in prediction markets, skill gaming, prize draws and sweepstakes to talk about what it actually takes to turn a new idea into a novel category that regulators, operators, and consumers take seriously, and what lessons carry over from categories that already made that leap.
Moderator
Kelly Kehn
Co-Founder, Defy the Odds & SheEOs
Speakers
Jack Everitt
Co-Founder, THNDR
Harry Collins
Founder & CEO, Network Gaming
Travis Geiger
Co-Founder, WagerWire
13:30–14:15
The View From Here: Global Investor Perspectives
Capital doesn't move the same way in every market. This panel puts investors from across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Africa side by side to talk about where they're actually putting money right now, which categories and regions are earning attention and which are being quietly passed over, and what a founder needs to prove to be considered investable in today's climate.
Moderator
Rosalind Wade
Co-Founder, WinnaMedia
Speakers
Paris Smith
Partner, BettingStartups Capital and Principal at Life Winning LLC
Connor Williams
Partner, Offsuit.vc
Tom Waterhouse
Chief Investment Officer, Waterhouse VC
14:15–14:55
Investor Office Hours
Real founders, real problems, live in front of the room. Three founders bring a challenge they're actually wrestling with right now, and a panel of investors works through it with them in real time;no rehearsed pitch, no polished case study. It's the closest thing to sitting in on an actual advisory conversation, and the lessons apply well beyond whoever's in the hot seat that day.
Moderator
Jesse Learmonth
Host, The Betting Startups Podcast
Speakers
Daniel Mariussen
General Partner, Dreamcraft VC
Andrew Gonzalez
CEO, ParlayX
Paris Smith
Partner, BettingStartups Capital and Principal at Life Winning LLC
Tyler Amirault
CEO, Hot Takes Sports
Karolina Pelc
Advisor
Fraser Dunk
CEO, Jurnii
15:10–15:45
Fireside Chat: How Operators Bring Startup Innovation to Market
Getting a great product built is the easy part. Getting a major operator to actually adopt it is where most startups stall. This fireside pulls back the curtain on how operators evaluate innovation internally, why so many promising products never make it past a pilot, and what it actually takes for a startup to look “enterprise ready” to the people who control the budget.
Host
Jesse Learmonth
Founder, BettingStartups
Speaker
Sam Sadi
CEO, LiveScore Group
15:45–16:30
Panel: From Starting to Scaling
Product market fit is a milestone, not a finish line. This panel gets into what actually changes once a startup finds real traction, when to shift into growth mode, and the tactics being used right now to scale without giving away the store, including how non-dilutive funding stacks up against equity capital for user acquisition.
Moderator
Sue Schneider
Co-Founder, Defy the Odds
Speakers
David Williams
Partner, Discerning Capital
Dmitry Belianin
Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO, Belianin.com
Osmin Callis
Founder and CEO, Mode8 Labs
On Day 3, the stage is dedicated entirely to startups, putting product demos, innovation showcases, and founder presentations in the spotlight. Built to maximise visibility, the Product Innovation Showcase Stage will give select startups the chance to present their products directly to operators, investors, affiliates, suppliers, and media actively looking for new ideas and solutions.
Startup Showcase Series: Between 11:00am and 4:00pm, the stage will host nine startups consecutively pitching their products and services.
Returning for SBC Summit 2026, the First Pitch competition will give five emerging companies the opportunity to present their products and growth plans in front of investors, operators and industry decision-makers. Each finalist will have three minutes to pitch, followed by a three-minute Q&A with the judging panel, as they compete for a prize package valued at €139,400, designed to accelerate the winning company’s next stage of growth. This year’s finalists are:
Betsy
a social prediction gaming platform designed to turn bets and predictions into shareable content, making participation itself part of the entertainment experience.
Gmonitor
an AI-powered competitive intelligence platform that tracks market activity, including promotions, games, advertising, rankings and regulation. Helping operators understand where competitors are gaining ground and how they can respond.
InsightPlay.ai
an AI workforce for player engagement, using autonomous agents for acquisition, retention, reactivation and customer support.
Safefy
Uses AI to monitor transactions to prevent suspicious activities and losses.
Whizgen AI (Whizdom AI)
Gives iGaming operators three interconnected AI tools for handling player support queries, giving players personalised game recommendations, and flagging players at risk of leaving an operator.
Feel free to come to the First Pitch final to support the finalists and potentially engage with his year’s esteemed panel of judges, including Rob Duboff (Director, Velo Partners), Willy Joseph (Global SA Leader, Games, Betting & Gaming and Sports, Amazon Web Services), Paris Smith (Partner, BettingStartups Capital) and Tom Waterhouse (Founder and CIO, Waterhouse VC).
01
Pre-Show Prep: Readiness gives you the advantage.
- Lock your pitch in three versions: 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 10 minutes
- Time your demo and trim it (keep it under 3 minutes)
- Sort lead capture and follow-up logistics
- Assign roles: Who will handle meetings, demos and foot traffic?
- Design an agenda to maximize your time
02
Set clear event goals
Know what success looks like for you before arriving.
03
Book meetings ahead of time
The best outcomes happen before the show even starts. Reach out early to your targets and prospects to lock in meetings and capture contact details. Your Startup Zone booth is your home base — use it strategically.
04
Prepare to pivot
Meetings will shift - prepare for it. Forget emails. Call or text your prospects if you need to. It’s all part of the dynamic
05
Use the SBCConnect app & attendee list
Combined with LinkedIn and your own network, the SBCConnect tool and attendee overviews are invaluable for identifying targets, planning outreach, and setting meetings.
06
Maximize your VIP Tickets
As a Startup Zone attendee, you will have access to VIP Tickets, unlocking top-tier advantages to maximize your experience. View and use your benefits to the max!
07
Be social & proactive
Our industry thrives on relationships. Introduce yourself. Join conversations. Attend networking events. Speak to people. You’ll be surprised how quickly meaningful connections happen!
08
Prepare your collateral
Bring all hardware needed for product demos (laptops, iPads, etc). Business cards still play a role so get some printed to share. Bonus points: get some branded stickers printed for people to grab! Everybody loves stickers, so create some new brand ambassadors!
09
Your booth is your brand
Be prepared, present, approachable and engaged. Great conversations start with great visibility.
Here’s what works
- Ask, don't pitch. “How are you?” “Where are you from?” “What brings you to the conference?” This beats “Let me tell you about us”. Start building rapport.
- Read the badge. Tailor the opener to their company or role.
- Have a hook line you actually believe in.
- Take lots of notes and always take down names.
Here’s what kills momentum
- Standing behind the booth like a guard at a bank.
- Founders on phones. Never face away from your audience.
- Don’t eat at your booth. Coordinate a food break.
10
Attend sessions strategically
Choose conference topics aligned with your business goals and connect with speakers, moderators, and attendees afterward.
11
Explore the show floor
Take time between meetings and booth shifts to walk the expo, discover relevant exhibitors, and create unexpected opportunities.
12
Don’t skip the socials
SBC is famous for its great networking parties and happy hours. The VIP passes you receive as a Startup Zone participant will grant you access to all official networking events. Some of the best business relationships and lasting friendships start here!
13
Focus on the Follow-Up
The conference doesn't end when you fly home. It ends when the last follow-up email is sent.
Phase 1: Within 24 hours
- Send personalized emails to hot leads
- Connect on LinkedIn with a one-line note about what you discussed.
- Send anything you promised: deck, demo link, intro.
Phase 2: Within 7 days
- Schedule formal follow-up meetings
- Team debrief on performance and strategy
- Explore all additional networking opportunities here
BettingStartups and DTO will be at the Startup Zone throughout the event, so don’t hesitate to connect with us for any questions or to explore opportunities around pitch preparation, fundraising, advisory support, or becoming part of the Empower by DTO community alongside other ambitious startups.
Our contact details are
