After taking place in INMerge Istanbul and INMerge Tashkent, INMerge Innovation Summit concluded its 2026 International Event Series in with INMerge Berlin on June 29 in AXICA Convention Center. The Took place on 29 June 2026 at the AXICA Convention Center in Berlin, the summit event brought together founders, investors, corporate innovators, C-level executives, startups, venture capital representatives, and technology leaders to explore new opportunities for investment, partnerships, and market expansion across Europe and Central Eurasia.
As the third and final international stop before the flagship INMerge Innovation Summit in Baku this November, INMerge Berlin served as an official side event of GITEX Europe. Organized in partnership with Plug and Play, the event created a platform for high-impact discussions, meaningful networking, and cross-border collaboration between Europe’s innovation ecosystem and the rapidly growing markets of Azerbaijan, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and beyond.
“INMerge Berlin marks an important milestone in the evolution of the INMerge Innovation Summit. By bringing INMerge to Europe for the first time, we are expanding the conversation beyond regional borders and creating a stronger bridge between Europe, Azerbaijan, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and emerging innovation markets. This event reflects our commitment to connecting founders, investors, corporate leaders, and ecosystem builders around ideas that can shape the future of technology and entrepreneurship”, said Farid Mammadov, CEO at PASHA Financial Holding.
The program opened with a keynote by Martin Gutmann opened with his keynote, “Are We Celebrating the Wrong Leaders?” .The session set the tone for the day by reflecting on the evolving qualities of leadership in a fast-changing global innovation landscape and challenging conventional ideas about what effective leadership looks like.
Followed by the panel discussion “Trust Corridors: Rebuilding Financial Bridges Between Europe and Emerging Markets” focused on financial connectivity and market access, highlighting how stronger institutional trust and cross-border partnerships can drive growth between Europe and emerging markets. Speakers included Ekaterina Galitsyna,Director Business Development Origination at KfW IPEX-Bank, Bahruz Naghiyev, Deputy CEO at PASHA Bank Azerbaijan, Zuzana Franz, Managing Director, Head of International Banking Sales at ODDO BHF. The panel was moderated by Rza Aliyev, chief strategy officer at NGIC . The discussion emphasized rebuilding confidence, enabling investment flows, and strengthening links between innovation ecosystems.
The fireside chat “Beyond Efficiency: Wellbeing, Culture and the Future of Work” featured Ad Boon, Deputy CEO, Group Chief People Officer at PASHA Holding and Martin Gutmann, professor at Lucerne School of Business and was moderated by Maria Ivanova, co-founder of Gingo Partners. The discussion explored how organizations can balance productivity with employee wellbeing, inclusive culture, and long-term resilience, highlighting the growing importance of human-centered approaches in evolving work models.
The panel “From Berlin Labs to Emerging Market Scale: AI, Big Tech and the Next Innovation Bridge” explored how AI, global tech companies, and emerging market opportunities are shaping the next wave of innovation. Speakers included Mammad Karim, general partner at Caucasus Ventures, Mehti Aslanov, group chief AI officer at PASHA Financial Holding, Alexandra Begue, Global Portfolio Co-Creation & Co-Innovation Hub Principal at SAP and Valeria Sadovykh, Data and AI senior specialist at Microsoft Germany. The panel was moderated by Tughra Musayeva, head of Innovations at PASHA Financial Holding. The discussion focused on how ideas from leading tech hubs can scale into high-growth markets through partnerships, investment, and ecosystem collaboration.
The International Event Series concluded with a Startup Pitch Competition evaluated by leading investors. Three selected startups earned the opportunity to participate in the main INMerge event in Baku on 30 November - 1 December, 2026. The first-place startup “Sintro” will receive a fully funded package, while two additional startups “Datfid” and “Lan fly” will receive partial funding support.
As the final stop in the 2026 International Event Series, Berlin underscored highlighted INMerge’s role in connecting Europe with Central Eurasia and strengthening collaboration across borders. The event reaffirmed reinforced INMerge Innovation Summit’s mission to bring together ecosystems, capital, and ideas ahead of the main INMerge event on 30 November - 1 December, 2026.
