SBC Summit 2026: The Future of Gaming Takes Center Stage with the Product Innovation Showcase
SBC Summit 2026: The Future of Gaming Takes Center Stage with the Product Innovation Showcase
Overview: A New Chapter in Gaming Innovation
From live product demonstrations and high-stakes investment discussions to the emergence of next-generation startups, the SBC Summit is setting a new benchmark for the global gaming industry. At the heart of this transformation is the newly introduced Product Innovation Showcase Stage—a dedicated platform designed to spotlight the products, ideas, and businesses that are actively reshaping the future of betting and gaming.
Scheduled to take place from 29 September to 1 October 2026 at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the adjacent MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal, this edition of the SBC Summit expects to host over 40,000 industry professionals. The event will offer three full days of conference content, an expansive exhibition floor, and extensive networking opportunities. The Product Innovation Showcase Stage is a key component of the summit’s broader conference program, accessible to attendees holding a Conference, Business, or VIP Pass.
Why a Dedicated Innovation Stage Matters
The Challenge of Defining Innovation
Innovation is a term often used—and sometimes overused—in the gaming sector. As Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, explains: “Innovation can be found everywhere in this industry. It can be a product, an idea, a strategy or even a way of thinking. But its scope also means the word is used so often that, in some ways, it has lost some of its power.”
This new stage aims to restore that power by offering a focused environment where genuine, actionable innovation is demonstrated, debated, and celebrated. It is not merely a showcase but a curated experience that connects the dots between concept, funding, execution, and scaling.
A Three-Day Structure for Maximum Impact
The Product Innovation Showcase Stage is structured to cover the full lifecycle of innovation:
- Day 1 (29 September): Live product showcases from established and emerging companies.
- Day 2 (30 September): A dedicated Investment track, exploring how ideas are funded, launched, and scaled.
- Day 3 (1 October): Return of the First Pitch startup competition and additional product showcases.
This deliberate sequencing moves from seeing what’s new to understanding how it gets funded, and finally to witnessing the next wave of disruptors.
Day 1 & Day 3: Putting New Products in the Spotlight
Live Demonstrations of Cutting-Edge Solutions
Across the opening and closing days, the stage will feature companies presenting their latest products, technologies, and concepts. Delegates will gain a first-hand look at the solutions emerging across the industry, from AI-driven customer support to blockchain-based asset management.
Tuesday, 29 September – Showcase Lineup
| Company | Focus Area | Innovation Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Comm100 | AI-powered customer support | Next-gen conversational AI for gaming operators |
| Top Premier Cloud | Digital asset management | Cloud infrastructure optimized for gaming |
| Oddin.gg | Live casino & esports betting | Real-time odds and data integration |
| In Game Media | In-play advertising | Dynamic ad placements within live gaming streams |
| Algosport | Sports data & analytics | Algorithmic prediction models for betting markets |
Thursday, 1 October – Showcase Lineup
| Company | Focus Area | Innovation Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Stellar Bets | Alternative betting markets | Blockchain-based, decentralized betting platform |
| PYMSTR | Social gaming & community | User-generated prediction challenges |
| Pyramid Gaming | Gamification & engagement | Tiered reward systems with NFT integration |
What Attendees Can Learn
These showcases are not just presentations—they are interactive demonstrations. Attendees will be able to:
- Test new platforms and interfaces in real time.
- Ask questions directly to product designers and engineers.
- Evaluate how these solutions could integrate into their own operations.
Example: An operator looking to improve customer retention might watch the Comm100 showcase to see how AI chatbots can reduce response times and personalize player interactions, then visit the PYMSTR session to understand how social gaming mechanics can boost engagement.
Day 2: Investments – From Building Ideas to Scaling
The Investment Track: A Deep Dive into Funding and Growth
On Wednesday, 30 September, the stage transforms into a hub for investment discourse. The dedicated Investments track brings together startup founders, venture capitalists, and industry leaders to explore the full journey of an innovation—from concept to market dominance.
Session Breakdown
1. Building the Next Betting Category
- Explores how emerging verticals (e.g., fantasy sports, micro-betting, esports) create new betting categories.
- Panelists discuss market gaps, regulatory hurdles, and consumer demand.
2. The View From Here: Global Investor Perspectives
- Leading investors share their current focus areas, risk appetite, and sector predictions.
- Insights into which regions (e.g., Latin America, Africa, Asia) offer the highest growth potential.
3. Investor Office Hours
- A unique format where early-stage founders can receive direct, candid feedback from investors.
- Reserved slots for pre-selected startups to pitch their ideas in an informal setting.
4. How Operators Bring Startup Innovation to Market
- Case studies from major operators on their processes for evaluating and integrating third-party technology.
- Discussion of common pitfalls (e.g., compatibility issues, scaling bottlenecks) and solutions.
5. From Starting to Scaling
- Practical advice on building a scalable business, including hiring, tech stack choices, and go-to-market strategies.
- Features founders who have successfully grown their startups to mid-stage operations.
Featured Experts and Speakers
| Name | Role | Company | Key Expertise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Everitt | Co-founder | thndr | Fintech & micro-investing |
| Harry Collins | Founder & CEO | Network Gaming | iGaming platform development |
| Travis Geiger | Co-Founder | WagerWire | Secondary betting markets |
| Paris Smith | Founder | Life Winning/Defy The Odds | Women in gaming leadership |
| David Williams | Partner | Discerning Capital | Venture capital in gaming |
| Dmitry Belianin | Founder & CEO | Belianin.com | Entrepreneur & startup acceleration |
Why This Track Matters
The gaming industry has seen a surge in startup activity, but many promising ideas fail due to lack of funding or poor scaling strategies. This track provides attendees with:
- Actionable strategies for securing investment.
- Networking opportunities with decision-makers who have the capital to deploy.
- Real-world examples of what works—and what doesn’t—in the current market.
Day 3: First Pitch – The Next Generation of Innovation
The Startup Competition Returns
The Product Innovation Showcase Stage concludes on Thursday, 1 October, with the return of First Pitch, SBC’s flagship startup competition. Held in partnership with BettingStartups, this event gives five emerging businesses the opportunity to pitch their products in front of a panel of investors, operators, and industry decision-makers.
Competition Format
- Each finalist receives 3 minutes to pitch their product.
- Followed by a 3-minute Q&A session with the panel.
- The winner receives a prize package valued at €139,400, designed to accelerate their next stage of growth (including mentorship, software credits, and exhibition booth space).
Meet This Year’s Finalists
| Startup | Product Description | Innovation Angle |
|---|---|---|
| Betsy | A social prediction gaming platform that turns bets and predictions into shareable content. | Merges betting with viral social media mechanics; users create and share prediction challenges with friends. |
| Gmonitor | An AI-powered competitive intelligence platform tracking promotions, games, advertising, rankings, regulation, and wider market activity. | Provides real-time, actionable insights for operators to stay ahead of competitors. |
| InsightPlay.ai | An AI workforce for player engagement, using autonomous agents across acquisition, retention, reactivation, and customer support. | Replaces multiple human roles with a unified AI system that learns and adapts to player behavior. |
| Safefy | An AI-powered platform that monitors transactions to help identify suspicious activity and prevent losses. | Focuses on fraud detection and AML compliance, reducing false positives while catching real threats. |
| Whizgen AI (Whizdom AI) | A suite of interconnected AI tools helping operators manage player support, deliver personalized game recommendations, and identify players at risk of churning. | Combines support, recommendations, and churn prediction into one integrated system. |
What Makes First Pitch Unique
Unlike traditional pitch competitions, First Pitch offers:
- Access to high-quality feedback from seasoned investors who understand the gaming sector.
- Immediate exposure to a global audience of operators and decision-makers.
- A tangible prize that directly supports growth, not just bragging rights.
For startups, winning—or even just participating—can open doors to partnerships, funding, and media coverage that might otherwise take years to achieve.
Conclusion: A Blueprint for the Future of Gaming
The SBC Summit’s Product Innovation Showcase Stage is more than a venue for presentations—it is a carefully orchestrated ecosystem designed to accelerate the pace of innovation in global gaming. By combining live demonstrations, investment insights, and a startup competition, the stage addresses three critical needs for the industry:
- Discovery: Seeing what’s possible today.
- Funding: Understanding how to turn ideas into businesses.
- Talent: Identifying the next wave of disruptors.
As the gaming industry continues to evolve, events like this serve as a crucial bridge between creative vision and commercial reality. Whether you are an operator seeking the next big technology, an investor looking for the next unicorn, or a founder ready to take your startup global, the Product Innovation Showcase Stage at SBC Summit 2026 is the place to be.
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