THE FRAMEWORK
The 3 innovation events that power the open innovation cycle
Every event PNP runs is designed around a single purpose: bringing the right people together at the right moment. Selection Days identify the best startups, Summits celebrate and give them exposure, and Innovation Days align the outcome for corporate partners.
Selection Day
The in-person event where startups chosen for the accelerator program meet, pitch, and compete for a spot in the batch. All of the program's partners, investors, and institutional stakeholders are present in the room, the same collective that will later score and select the final cohort of 10 startups.
20–30 startups pitch per day
10 selected per cohort
All partners in the room, voting
PNP's Summit
The Summit is the moment the entire ecosystem comes together: it surfaces deals, triggers investments, and launches partnerships at scale. These are graduation events where startups that have completed one of our accelerator programs get up on stage and deliver their pitch to an audience of attendees, corporate partners, VCs, governments, and universities.
4,000+ attendees per Summit
300+ startups presenting
Our reach? Global, 30+ countries
Innovation Days
Tailored events designed specifically for corporate partners. Innovation Days go deeper than a Summit, they are focused sessions where a specific corporation or partner group engages directly with startups on pilots, proofs of concept, and strategic priorities. Purpose-built to move from introduction to commercial outcome.
Partner-led tailored to each corporate
Pilots & PoCs primary focus
Regular cadence throughout year
PNP's Global Innovation Events by Region
Explore All Events ->Silicon Valley Summit
Americas · Bi-Annual
- 4,000+ Attendees
- 150+ Speakers
- 300+ Startups
- 20+ Industries
Hosted at Plug and Play's Sunnyvale, California headquarters. Three days of startup pitches, networking, panels, and keynotes on the forefront of innovation, spanning various industry programs.
"What Plug and Play does is actually bring the rest of the world to us. The Summit is a great example to just come out, experience it, and see what's going on."
— Scott Anderson, SVP Head of Strategic Partnerships, Huntington National Bank
Startup Autobahn Expo
Europe · Annual
- 1,800+ Attendees
- 140+ Speakers
- 200+ Startups
- 10+ Industries
Stuttgart-based open innovation platform connecting Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Bosch, and leading corporations with the most innovative startups worldwide to enable real collaboration projects.
"STARTUP AUTOBAHN Expo is more than just an event — it's a catalyst for innovation."
— Florian Bankoley, Chief Digital Officer, Bosch Mobility
Japan Summit
Asia · Annual
- 2,000+ Attendees
- 50+ Speakers
- 100+ Startups
- 5+ Industries
Plug and Play Japan brings together Tokyo's corporate innovation ecosystem with global startups, with partners including Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and leading Japanese corporations.
"Plug and Play has always been there to introduce startups and provide us with new ideas, helping our innovation."
— Youhei Tsuchikawa, Manager Co-Creation Planning, Daido Life Insurance
APAC Summit
APAC · Annual
- 1,000+ Attendees
- 60+ Speakers
- 20+ Startups
- 5+ Industries
Spanning the Asia-Pacific region from Japan to Australia, the APAC Summit has grown significantly year over year, reflecting the surge in Southeast Asian startup activity and corporate innovation demand.
"I was here last year, and I think it's grown almost 100%. It was standing room only."
— Melvin Ng, Senior Director, Airalo
Italy Summit
EMEA · Annual
- 500+ Attendees
- 15+ Speakers
- 20+ Startups
- 5+ Industries
The Italy Summit connects Mediterranean innovation with global partners, anchored in Modena and Catania with strong ties to STMicroelectronics and the local deep-tech ecosystem.
"I had the opportunity to see where real innovation is coming from the companies, the people present today."
— Alberto Coen, System Research & Applications, STMicroelectronics
Middle East Summit
Middle East · Annual
- 250+ Attendees
- 20+ Industries
Centered in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the Middle East Summit connects regional governments, sovereign investment funds, and global corporations with the most relevant startup innovators for Gulf market priorities.
"Plug and Play's Middle East Summit has been instrumental in allowing us to actually drive our ecosystem of startups."
— Julia Timms, Chief Commercial Officer, IFZA
"What I appreciate most about Plug and Play is not only the ability to introduce us to disruptive technology companies, but bringing the outside into our organization and sharing key success factors with like-minded corporations."
Greg Hocking
VP Global R&D New Innovation Territories, Mars Wrigley
“Plug and Play have been great partners. It’s such a great event with the kind of amalgamation of the broader industry, be it the startups, VCs, or the whole ecosystem.”
Pahal Patangia
Head of Global Industry Business Development, Payments, NVIDIA
“STARTUP AUTOBAHN powered by Plug and Play always fills me with a sense of eager anticipation. We value the chance to meet a range of startups exhibiting exciting new ideas and joint projects on future technologies.”
Markus Schäfer
Former Member of the Board of Management & CTO, Mercedes-Benz Group AG
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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What types of events does PNP run?
PNP runs three core event types, each serving a distinct purpose in the open innovation cycle:
• Selection Days: Where startups competing for a spot in the accelerator batch pitch to the assembled partner group, who collectively vote to select the final cohort.
• Summits: Graduation events where startups that have completed the 3-month program pitch on stage to 3,000+ attendees, including corporate partners, VCs, governments, and universities.
• Innovation Days: Tailored events for specific corporate partners, designed to move from startup introductions toward pilot projects and commercial outcomes.
Beyond these three, Plug and Play also runs weekly University Pitch Sessions and Friday Pitch Sessions, which together keep the ecosystem in constant motion throughout the year.
What is a Selection Day at PNP?
A Selection Day is the in-person event where startups that have been shortlisted for an accelerator cohort pitch directly to the assembled partner group to compete for a spot in the batch. Corporate partners, investors, government entities, and universities are all physically present in the room, shoulder to shoulder, to evaluate each startup.
The top 20–30 shortlisted startups present on the day. After presentations, all partners vote collectively. The aggregate votes, not any single partner’s preference, determine the final cohort of 10 startups admitted to the program. This collective format is what Plug and Play describes as “the opinion of many, not just one.”
How many events has PNP hosted, and in how many countries?
Over the past 20 years, Plug and Play has hosted more than 5K events worldwide, bringing together over 68K attendees, 700+ speakers, and 400+ startups per event, on average, across 30+ countries.
Who attends a Selection Day and what role do they play?
Selection Day attendees are the program’s full partner group, every corporate partner, investor, government entity, and university that co-designed the program and reviewed the startup shortlist. Their roles on the day:
• Startups: Present their company and technology in pitches to the assembled audience, answering questions from partners
• Corporate partners: Evaluate startups against their strategic priorities, vote on which companies to admit to the cohort
• Investors: Assess portfolio fit, flag investment interest, and contribute to the collective scoring
• Government & university partners: Evaluate for ecosystem relevance, local market fit, and alignment with institutional mandates
The event is deliberately designed so no single stakeholder controls the outcome — the final 10 are the startups that scored highest across the entire room.
Who attends a PNP Summit?
A PNP Summit brings together the full innovation ecosystem in one event:
• Cohort startups: Companies graduating from the 3-month accelerator program, presenting their solutions on stage.
• Corporate partners: Innovation teams from 500+ global corporations, including Visa, Mercedes-Benz, Roche, Walmart, and Intel, attending to identify pilot and partnership opportunities.
• Venture capitalists: Investors from the Plug and Play network of 200+ VCs evaluating the cohort for investment.
• Government representatives: EDCs, city and state officials, and national agencies engaged with local innovation ecosystem development.
• University partners: Faculty, innovation offices, and research teams from 100+ partner universities.
• Founders and alumni: From previous cohorts, who return as part of the extended Plug and Play community.
The Silicon Valley Summit’s 4,000+ attendees represent 20+ industries and span the Americas, EMEA, and Asia — making it one of the most globally diverse innovation gatherings in the world.
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