Italian Tech Week has rebranded as Wave by Vento, marking a new chapter for one of Europe’s most influential tech conferences as it unveils a bold new identity and confirms Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei as headliner for 2026.
Italian Tech Week, one of Europe’s largest and most influential tech events, has announced its evolution into Wave by Vento, alongside the Anthropic Co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei as the headliner for its 2026 edition.
Held annually in Turin, the name change reflects how the event has evolved since 2018. What began as Italian Tech Week has grown far beyond a national conference, becoming a global meeting point for founders, investors and leaders shaping the future of technology. Wave by Vento better reflects this movement: built in Italy, designed for the world.
Following a landmark 2025 edition, headlined by Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and welcoming more than 15,000 founders, investors and operators to Turin, Wave by Vento 2026 signals a step-change in scale, depth and global relevance.
Built by Vento, Italy’s leading early-stage fund, Wave by Vento is designed as a place where Europe meets the world and where global leaders engage directly with the continent’s next generation of builders.
First speakers for 2026 announced
Dario Amodei is the headliner announced for the 2026 programme, which will take place on 7-9 October. Founded in 2021, Anthropic has developed the Claude family of large language models and has become one of the most prominent AI safety and research companies globally.
Amodei is part of a cross-section of global technology, business and policy leaders at Wave by Vento, enabling conversations across AI, robotics, Fintech and the physical economy. Other speakers include:
• John Elkann, CEO and Chairman, Exor, Stellantis and Ferrari
• Jony Ive, former Chief Design Officer, Apple and Founder, LoveFrom
• Antonio Filosa, Chief Executive Officer, Stellantis
• Joe Tsai, Co-founder and Chairman, Alibaba Group
• Linda Rottenberg, Co-founder and CEO, Endeavor
• Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief, The Economist
• Sebastian Mallaby, Author of The Power Law
• Charlie Songhurst, Board Member, Meta
• Dorothy Chou, Director of Public Engagement Lab, Google DeepMind
• Bryan Kim, Partner, a16z
• Anas Biad, Partner, Sequoia Capital
• Kitty Mayo, CEO, Project Europe
• Eléonore Crespo, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Pigment
• Luana Lopes Lara, Co-founder and COO, Kalshi
• Zhaopeng Chen, Founder and CEO, Agile Robots
Additional speakers will be announced in the coming months.
Diyala D’Aveni, CEO of Vento, said: “Wave by Vento reflects our belief that technological progress doesn’t arrive all at once; it builds, accelerates and rewards those who move early. With Wave by Vento, we’ve created a platform for founders, investors, corporate leaders and policymakers who are shaping what comes next before it becomes obvious – and having Dario Amodei, one of the most consequential figures in AI today, speak at this year’s event is a testament to that ambition. But more than that, it’s becoming a real networking and deal flow engine, where Europe’s next generation of founders meet tier-one investors and global leaders to turn ambition into execution and build the next generation of innovation giants.”
More details on the 2026 programme, speakers and ticket sales will be announced soon.
