Investor accreditation policy
Last updated: September 2021Web Summit investor accreditation includes:
- One investor ticket to access the entire event.
- Assistance from Web Summit’s dedicated in-house investor team, which facilitates pre-arranged meetings with founders and networking opportunities with investors.
- Access to Web Summit’s filterable startup and investor database.
- Access to exclusive VC roundtables and VC-related content.
Investor accreditation is reserved for investors actively investing in startups and venture funds. This can be verified by providing Web Summit with proof of recent investments and company affiliation. These investors can include fund managers, for example:
- General partners
- Limited partners
- Managing partners
- Managing directors
Investor accreditation will not be provided to:
- Service providers, accountants, legal advisors, marketing or public relations firms.
- Consultants: advisers that connect startups and investors.
- Company founders.
- Government and trade agencies.
- Property and real estate investors.
- Non-investing employees of investment funds, accelerators, and incubators without funds under management, for example heads of community, entrepreneurs in residence or marketing and project managers.
Angel investors, junior members of investment funds and partners in family offices and foundations may apply for investor accreditation. These roles will however be subject to a stricter assessment process and will be required to provide information including but not limited to the following:
- Proof of recent investments provided by an independent source
- Proof of funds under management and dedication to venture investment
- Details of investment focus: industry, geography, and stage of development
- Proof of track record of investments: successful exits of previous investments
- Proof of affiliation with fund/company
Web Summit monitors the investments carried out by attending investors. We do this to ensure the investors who participate in our events are most relevant to attending startups. Investors with no proof of investment may be declined accreditation for future Web Summit events.
Legitimate investor applicants include partners of venture funds, corporate venture funds, angel investors, limited partners, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, corporate M&A teams, and private equity actively investing in ventures.
All Web Summit attendees, including investors, are required to adhere to our anti-harassment and accessibility policies, as well as our Terms and conditions.
We do not tolerate anything that contradicts, compromises, violates or defames the following:
- Equality, diversity and inclusion (for example gender-, sex- and sexuality-based discrimination)
- Religious beliefs and ideologies
- Any real, verified, or factual truths (no fake news or conspiracies)
- People’s individual privacy and dignity
Gaining investor accreditation is subject to assessment and approval by Web Summit’s investors team, which reserves the right to approve or deny accreditation via the online application process.
Web Summit also retains the right to cancel any investor accreditation at their discretion and at any time. This includes revoking invitations made by Web Summit.
Grounds for cancellation cover anyone with investor accreditation who has had a change in circumstances and no longer meets the above criteria or standards held by Web Summit.