What Collision Conf does

Collision Conf is a major technology conference brand, originally founded in Toronto in 2014 and acquired by Web Summit Ltd. in 2017. The legal entity is Web Summit Ltd., an Irish private company founded in 2009 that operates a global portfolio of premium tech conferences including Web Summit Lisbon, Web Summit Vancouver, Web Summit Rio, Web Summit Qatar, and RISE in Hong Kong. In 2025, the North American event was rebranded from Collision to Web Summit Vancouver, with the next edition scheduled for May 25-28, 2027 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The Collision Conf entity itself lists only 6 employees, reflecting the lean operating structure of an event-driven business.

The core product is a multi-day in-person conference featuring keynote speakers, multi-track content (AI, fintech, healthtech, sustainability), an exhibitor floor, a startup showcase (PITCH competition, Alpha/Beta stands), and structured networking programs including Night Summit evening events, Women in Tech, Indigenous Attendee Program, Developer Program, and Investor Network. Supporting technology includes a mobile companion app on iOS and Android (event schedule, session discovery, attendee networking) and a website ticketing platform. The event-driven go-to-market relies on PR-driven speaker announcements, newsletter marketing, and earned media coverage from outlets including BBC, New York Times, CNN, Forbes, and Bloomberg.

Revenue is generated primarily through three streams: attendee ticket sales (marketed with promotional 2-for-1 offers), corporate exhibitor and sponsor packages (Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Oracle, SAP, IBM, JPMorgan, Cisco, and others are listed as past exhibitors), and startup program fees. The company does not publicly disclose revenue or funding. The customer base spans enterprise exhibitors, early-stage and growth-stage startups, VC investors, and individual attendees, with a dispersed mix that includes both large anchor sponsors and long-tail individual ticket buyers. The unemployment of founder/management team names in the data is notable; the company is privately held and backed by institutional investors including Sequoia Capital.

Name

Collision Conf

Legal name

Web Summit Ltd.

Website

https://vancouver.websummit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Collision Conf is a premium technology conference brand under Web Summit Ltd., operating the annual Web Summit Vancouver event (formerly the Collision conference in Toronto) alongside a global portfolio of tech conferences including Web Summit Lisbon, Rio, Qatar, and RISE Hong Kong. It serves enterprise exhibitors, startups, investors, and developers through multi-track content, networking, and startup showcase programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technology Conferences and Events

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (71132)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Association Conferences (MPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meeting & Conference Planning & Coordination (HSACADAA), Hybrid Conferences & Conventions (In-Person + Streamed) (MPAGAOAC), Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Technology conferences
• Startup networking events
• Exhibitor sponsorships
• Investor deal flow
• Event management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Attendee Tickets: Revenue generated from individual attendee tickets to the conference events, with promotional pricing such as 2-for-1 offers
2. Startup Program Fees: Fees from startups applying for and participating in the startup program, including showcase opportunities
3. Exhibitor and Sponsor Packages: Revenue from companies exhibiting at events or sponsoring various program elements
4. Developer Tickets: Discounted tickets offered to developers, creating a specialized revenue stream

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Collision Conf (operating as Web Summit Vancouver) organizes a large-scale annual technology conference at the Vancouver Convention Centre featuring speaker keynotes, multi-track content sessions, exhibitor booths, startup showcase programs, and structured investor networking. Supporting products include the official iOS/Android mobile application, the Night Summit evening networking program, and the Startup Program including the PITCH competition, with attendee tickets sold individually and exhibitor/sponsor packages sold to enterprises.

Product overview

Web Summit Vancouver operates as a multi-faceted technology conference platform organized by Web Summit, featuring the core annual event (May 25-28, 2027 at Vancouver Convention Center) complemented by dedicated mobile applications (iOS/Android), evening networking through Night Summit, and specialized programs. The product portfolio includes the main conference with multiple content tracks covering AI, fintech, healthtech and sustainability, plus supporting services such as the Startup Program (with PITCH competition and Showcase stages), Developer Program with discounted tickets, Women in Tech Community network, Indigenous Attendee Program, Investor Network, Meetups, and a Volunteer Program. The official mobile app enables attendees to plan schedules, discover sessions, and connect with other participants. This is a platform-plus-services model where the annual event serves as the central product supported by digital tools and specialized community programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alpha: Startup exhibition program featuring early-stage companies
• Night Summit
• PITCH
• Impact Startups

Products and services

• Web Summit Vancouver Conference The main annual technology conference event held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, featuring speaker keynotes, multi-track content sessions on AI, fintech, healthtech, and sustainability, startup showcases, exhibitor booths, and structured investor networking opportunities for attendees from over 100 countries.
• Web Summit Vancouver Mobile App

Quantifiable outcome

• Alumni companies including Stripe, Revolut, Uber, and others grew to unicorn status after Web Summit participation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vancouver Convention CentrecoreOthersPrimary venue partnership for Web Summit Vancouver events, providing the physical space for multi-day conference operations
• Bentall CentreminorOthersNight Summit venue partner for evening networking events during Web Summit Vancouver
• Destination VancouverminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTourism and destination marketing partnership supporting local engagement for attendees
• RBC (Royal Bank of Canada)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWomen's in Tech Lounge sponsor bringing visibility to diversity and inclusion initiatives
• Animikii Indigenous TechnologyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndigenous technology company contributing to Indigenous Attendee Program

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Regional players

• North Star: North Star is a Dubai-based startup and technology conference focused on the MENA region. It competes with Web Summit Qatar for Middle East sponsors and regional attendees, serving as a regional alternative in adjacent geographies.

Direct peers

• TechCrunch Disrupt: TechCrunch Disrupt is the leading startup-focused tech conference with global editions. It directly competes with Web Summit's startup program, PITCH competition, and investor networking tracks, attracting overlapping early-stage company applicants and venture capital attendees.
• Dreamforce: Dreamforce is Salesforce's annual user conference in San Francisco, drawing tens of thousands of enterprise attendees and major sponsors. It competes with Web Summit for enterprise software marketing budgets and senior technology decision-maker attention.
• CES: CES, produced by the Consumer Technology Association, is the world's flagship consumer electronics trade show held annually in Las Vegas. It is the most direct competitor to Web Summit in scale, enterprise sponsorship depth, and global tech-industry draw, attracting similar Fortune 500 exhibitors and tech media coverage.
• Slush: Slush is a Helsinki-based annual startup and tech conference with strong European VC and founder attendance. It competes directly with Web Summit for the same European startup community, investor network, and tech-media coverage in the startup-track segment.
• Money 20/20: Money 20/20 is the premier global fintech conference. It overlaps with Web Summit's fintech content tracks and competes for the same enterprise fintech sponsors and financial services attendees, including many of the same enterprise customers in Web Summit's roster.
• Mobile World Congress (MWC): MWC, organized by the GSMA in Barcelona, is the world's largest mobile and telecom industry conference. It is a direct competitor for telecom, hardware, and platform enterprise exhibitors (Huawei, Cisco, etc.) that also sponsor Web Summit events.
• SXSW: SXSW (South by Southwest) combines tech, film, and music programming in Austin, Texas. It competes directly with Web Summit for enterprise tech sponsorships, high-profile speakers, and the cross-section of media, entertainment, and technology attendees.

Broad incumbents

• Informa Tech: Informa is one of the world's largest events and exhibitions companies, owning Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Money 20/20, and many enterprise tech events. As a broad incumbent with extensive event portfolio and scale advantages, Informa competes with Web Summit for both corporate sponsors and enterprise audiences across multiple verticals.

Emerging players

• Tech Open Air (TOA): Tech Open Air is a Berlin-based tech and music conference. While smaller than Web Summit, it competes for the European tech-community audience and emerging-segment sponsors with a more music-festival-style positioning, partially overlapping with Web Summit's Night Summit concept.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/websummit
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@websummit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/collision
• Instagraminstagram.com/websummit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Collision Conf