Rock Legend, World Champion, Blizzard President and ESA Astronaut Unveiled as First Techarena 2027 Speakers

Techarena 2027 has announced the first names in its speaker line-up for 3rd and 4th February 2027 at Strawberry Arena in Stockholm. Iron Maiden lead singer, pilot and entrepreneur Bruce Dickinson, Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Faries, Olympic pole vault champion Mondo Duplantis and ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti top the first drop, alongside EU Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva and Corgi co-founder Emily Yuan.

Under the theme “Brave New World”, the 2027 edition will bring together thousands of founders, investors, decision-makers and policymakers to explore how technology, capital and regulation are reshaping business in Europe and beyond.

From Rock Stages and Record Heights to Outer Space

Few speakers embody reinvention like Bruce Dickinson. Best known as the voice of Iron Maiden, Dickinson is also a commercial airline pilot and entrepreneur, with a career spanning music, aviation and business. He is joined by Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, Olympic gold medalist and world record holder, whose habit of raising the bar centimetre by centimetre has made him one of the most dominant athletes of his generation.

Looking further up, ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti brings the perspective of a career spent at the frontier of science and exploration, as Europe’s space sector gains strategic and commercial momentum.

Policy, Platforms and Capital

On the policy side, Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, takes the stage at a time when Europe’s ability to build, fund and scale its own technology companies sits at the top of the political agenda.

From the world of entertainment and platforms, Blizzard Entertainment President Johanna Faries leads the studio behind some of the world’s most-played game franchises, while Corgi COO and Co-Founder Emily Yuan represents a new generation of fast-moving founders. They are joined by prominent investors, as well as leaders from some of Europe’s biggest brands.

Stepping Into a “Brave New World” in Stockholm

Techarena 2027 is set to gather 12,000 attendees from 125 nationalities, with some 300 speakers across four stages. The event connects startups and scaleups with investors, executives and international delegations, with matchmaking, pitching and side events running alongside the main programme.

Previous editions have welcomed speakers such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Steve Wozniak, Al Gore, Richard Branson, Sanna Marin and Boris Johnson.

Additional speakers announced include:

• Felix Martinez, Partner, Seedcamp
• Wasiq Bokhari, CEO, Pasqal
• Andrew Smith, Senior Director Brand, Vinted
• Helena Hedblom, CEO, Epiroc
• Kaiwei Tang, CEO & Co-Founder, Light Phone
• Marie-Helene Ametsreiter, General Partner, Speedinvest
• Janneke Niessen, Founding Partner, CapitalT
• Ricardo Mendes, Co-Founder & CEO, Tekever
• Daniel Svärd, COO, Rovio
• Dr. Anne Lamp, Founder & CEO, Traceless Materials
• Edoardo Mosca, Founding Scientist, Liquid AI
• Paul Bazin, Partner, Daphni
• Simon Thomas, Co-Founder & CEO, Paragraf
• Oscar Höglund, Co-Founder, Epidemic Sound
• Rishabh Kaul, Venture Partner, Hoxton Ventures
• Eleonore Nygårds, Co-Head of AI Academy, H&M Group
• Nadja Tham, Co-Head of AI Academy, H&M Group
• Edgeir Aksnes, CEO & Co-Founder, Tibber

Techarena 2027 takes place on 3rd and 4th February 2027 at Strawberry Arena, Stockholm. For tickets and more information, visit techarena.se.