4YFN: dates, who attends, and how founders get in
“4YFN brings together the founders, investors and corporates building what's next.”
Verified ·30 official sources·Organised by GSMA (GSMA 4YFN Event Management, S.L. is named as organiser of the 4YFN Awards)
- Next edition
- Mar 1–4, 2027 · 4YFN27 source
- Where
- Fira Gran Via, Hall 8 (North Entrance), Barcelona, Spain source
- Format
- in-person · Four days (2026; 2027 is scheduled for four days)
- Tickets
- €399–€1,299 with VAT (4YFN27/2027; published Attendee through VIP Pass prices). source
- 4YFN Awards (4YFN27)
- Top 20: €1,500 cash prize each; finalists: €2,500 cash prize each; overall winner: €20,000 cash prize (2027). source
- Cadence
- Annual alongside MWC in Barcelona, usually in March. MWC Barcelona 2020 was cancelled; 4YFN returned in 2021 on 2021-06-28 to 2021-07-01 at Fira Gran Via, its first edition at that venue. The 2026 edition ran 2026-03-02 to 2026-03-05; the next is scheduled for 2027-03-01 to 2027-03-04.
- Economic impact
- No 4YFN26 host-city economic-impact figure appears in the official published scale figures. source
GeneralistAIFintechHealth & biotechClimateGamingPre-seedSeedSeries AGrowthPublicFoundersInvestorsCorporatesPressPolicy & governmentResearchers
Next edition
| Dates | Mar 1–4, 2027 source |
|---|---|
| Edition | 4YFN27 |
| Venue | Fira Gran Via (North Entrance), Barcelona, Spain source |
| Timezone | Europe/Madrid |
| Tickets | 4yfn.com source |
Deadlines that matter to founders
- Oct 26, 2026 — 4YFN Awards (4YFN27) application · apply
Ticket tiers as published
| Tier | Price | Includes | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attendee Pass source | €399 with VAT; €362.73 excluding VAT (2027). | Four days of 4YFN exhibition access (2027), MWC exhibition access on Wednesday and Thursday (2027), networking activities and meetings via the MWC App. | 2027 |
| Investor Pass source | €1,099 with VAT; €999.09 excluding VAT (2027). | Four-day access to 4YFN and MWC Barcelona (2027), investor zone, investor roundtables, pitching committees, curated founder meetings and an invitation to the 4YFN VIP night. | 2027 |
| VIP Pass source | €1,299 with VAT; €1,180.91 excluding VAT (2027). | Premium access to 4YFN and MWC Barcelona and exclusive face-to-face engagement with ecosystem leaders (2027). | 2027 |
How founders get in
4YFN27 is presented as a startup-focused showfloor and networking experience: founders can exhibit, meet investors and corporates, seek curated introductions, and connect with media and other founders. The organiser also promotes conference insights, partnerships and global visibility. The Attendee Pass includes four days of 4YFN access (2027).
- For 4YFN27 (2027-03-01 to 2027-03-04), choose between attending with a pass, exhibiting, or applying to the 4YFN Awards.
- For general attendance, purchase the Attendee Pass online. Complete online registration and identity validation before arriving; onsite registration is not available.
- For the competition route, apply online to the 4YFN Awards by 2026-10-26. Applicants must meet the published startup criteria; selected Top 20 startups must exhibit for the full four days (2027).
- To apply to speak, submit a proposal through the Call for Speakers by 2026-11-05 at 23:00 CET.
| Includes | Attendee Pass: 4YFN exhibition access for four days (2027), MWC exhibition access on Wednesday and Thursday (2027), networking activities and use of the MWC App for meetings. The pass is described as suitable for founders and startups. |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | The Attendee Pass is described as ideal for founders and startups; no founding-date or funding-stage test is stated. Separate 4YFN27 Awards criteria require an incorporated, registered startup no more than seven years old when applications opened (founded September 2019 onwards) and based in an eligible country. Selected Top 20 startups must agree to exhibit for four days (2027). |
| Exhibiting | Exhibitor packages are available for 4YFN27, but no stand or booth prices are published on the official exhibitor page. The organiser asks prospective exhibitors to submit an enquiry and says its team will design a presence around their needs. |
| Sponsoring | Sponsorship is offered, including headline sponsorship and options such as keynote sessions, track ownership and exclusive networking. Published tier names and prices were not found on the organiser’s sponsor or participation pages; those pages direct prospective sponsors to make an enquiry. |
| Investor pass | Purchase the Investor Pass online through the organiser’s registration link; no application is stated for this pass. source |
| Investor eligibility | Designed for VCs, CVCs, business angels and private-equity firms (2027). |
| Press | Media members and industry analysts apply through the Press Zone and are subject to the organiser’s accreditation criteria and approval. The 4YFN registration FAQ directs applicants there and states a review time of 5–10 working days (2026). No media-pass price is stated. |
| Application required | No, tickets are purchased |
4YFN Awards (4YFN27)
| Prize | Top 20: €1,500 cash prize each; finalists: €2,500 cash prize each; overall winner: €20,000 cash prize (2027). source |
|---|---|
| Format | 4YFN Awards (4YFN27): investor-panel selection of a Top 20, semi-final pitches, five category finalists, then a live final before an investor panel. |
| Eligibility | Applicants must be incorporated and duly registered startups, no more than seven years old when the application period opened (founded September 2019 onwards), from an eligible country. Top 20 startups and finalists must agree to exhibit for four days (2027). No purchase is necessary to apply. |
| Application deadline | Oct 26, 2026 source |
Winners
- Biorce (2026) — €20,000 cash prize, courtesy of GSMA Foundry, Pedro Coelho; José Faria source
Judges
- Itxaso Del Palacio, General Partner at Notion Capital source
- Karine Peters, VC Investor at T.Capital source
- Raymond Liao, VP & MD Ventures at Samsung NEXT source
- Vikram Taneja, Head of AT&T Ventures at AT&T Ventures source
- Cristina Fonseca, General Partner at Indico Capital Partners source
Meeting investors there
Investors can access a curated startup database and prepare meeting agendas ahead of the event. The organiser describes curated founder meetings, investor roundtables, pitching committees and dedicated investor spaces; founders are also directed to curated matchmaking and networking activities. source
| Investors attending | 1,000+ investors, CVCs and VCs (2026) source |
|---|---|
| Matchmaking | MWC App source |
| Formats | Curated investor–founder meetings and meetings arranged through the MWC App (2027). · Investor roundtables, pitching committees and a dedicated investor zone (2027). · The completed-edition investor programme also described investor–founder speed dating and an investor summit (2026). · The Investor Pass includes an invitation to the 4YFN VIP night (2027). |
| Meetings arranged | 700+ curated meetings; more than 60% were between startups and investors (2026) source |
Investor firms the organiser lists
Muster VenturesAlstin CapitalAdara VenturesFortino VenturesAbac Nest VenturesIndico Capital PartnersSwisscom VenturesMundi VenturesActon Capital Partners GmbHAAlchemy Ventures LimitedP101 VenturesAtomicoBurda Principal Investments
The full investor list is available to registered attendees; see the official investor page.
Before you go: the hub's cold email to VCs playbook covers the pre-event outreach that fills a meeting calendar, and Causo matches your stage and thesis to the funds in its database so you know who to ask for a meeting.
Who speaks
- Azeem Azhar, Founder · Exponential View
- Carmen Palacios-Berraquero, Founder and CEO · Nu Quantum
- Rodrigo Liang, Co-Founder & CEO · SambaNova
- Benedict Evans, Analyst
- Caroline Chayot, Partner · Atomico
- Atif Rafiq, CEO & Co-Founder · Ritual
- Rob Moffat, General Partner · Balderton
- Jesse Zhang, Co-Founder & CEO · Decagon AI
- Hendrik Brandis, Founding Partner · Earlybird Venture Capital
- Cristina Fonseca, General Partner · Indico Capital Partners
- Alvaro Martinez, CEO · Luzia
- Enrique Lizaso, CEO · Multiverse Computing
- Itxaso Del Palacio, General Partner · Notion Capital
- Karine Peters, VC Investor · T.Capital
- Daniel Hulme, Chief AI Officer · WPP
- Martin Kon, President Emeritus · Cohere
- Pedro Duque, President & Astronaut · Hispasat
- Elisenda Bou Balust, Co-Founder & CEO · Cala
- Lukas Saari, CEO & Co-Founder · Tandem Health
Full lineup: official speakers page.
Notable past speakers
- Caroline Chayot, Partner · Atomico (2026)
- Rob Moffat, General Partner · Balderton (2026)
- Andrew Feldman, Co-Founder and CEO · Cerebras Systems (2026)
- Jesse Zhang, Co-Founder and CEO · Decagon AI (2026)
- Hendrik Brandis, Founding Partner · Earlybird Venture Capital (2026)
- Azeem Azhar, Founder · Exponential View (2026)
- Jordi Romero, Founder and CEO · Factorial (2026)
- Arvind Jain, Founder and CEO · Gleam (2026)
- Cristina Fonseca, General Partner · Indico Capital Partners (2026)
- Alvaro Martinez, CEO · Luzia (2026)
- Enrique Lizaso, CEO · Multiverse Computing (2026)
- Itxaso Del Palacio, General Partner · Notion Capital (2026)
- Carmen Palacios-Berraquero, Founder and CEO · Nu Quantum (2026)
- Eynat Guez, Co-Founder and CEO · Papaya Global (2026)
- Daryan Dehghanpisheh, Co-Founder · Protect AI (2026)
- Rodrigo Liang, Co-Founder and CEO · SambaNova (2026)
- Edward Kliphuis, Partner · Sofinnova Partners (2026)
- Karine Peters, VC Investor · T.Capital (2026)
- Daniel Hulme, Chief AI Officer · WPP (2026)
- Benedict Evans, Analyst (2026)
Sponsors and partners
Main Sponsor (2026) 2
Theme Headline Sponsor (2026) 1
Host Sponsor (2026) 2
Barcelona ActivaMWC
4YFN Awards Prize Sponsor (2026) 1
Track Sponsor (2026) 1
Wayra
Listed on the 4YFN27 Sponsors & Partners page; individual tier not specified 7
Government partners: ACCIÓ — Host Sponsor (2026), Barcelona Activa — Host Sponsor (2026), ICEX — Host Sponsor (2026), Ajuntament de Barcelona (BCA) — listed on the 4YFN27 sponsors and partners page
Full list: official partners page.
Startups there
Over 1,000 startups and exhibitors (2026) · official startup directory
Alumni the organiser highlights
- TaxDown (2026) — The organiser highlighted a 4YFN meeting that turned into a €4M fintech deal between BBVA Spark and TaxDown. source
Programme
| Tracks | 4YFN26 (completed, 2026): Infinite AI was the theme. The ten listed content tracks were Climate Tech, Corporate Innovation, Creativity, Cybersecurity, Fintech, Founders, Gaming, Health Tech, Investors, and Universities & Spin-Offs. · 4YFN27 (announced, 2027): the theme was marked as coming soon; published speaker-programme tracks included Agentic AI, Health Tech, Corporate Innovation, Founders, Investors, Climate Tech, and University & Spin-offs, among others. source |
|---|---|
| Side events | The organiser described investor–founder speed dating, investor roundtables and an investor summit in the 4YFN26 investor programme. The 4YFN27 Investor Pass includes an invitation to the 4YFN VIP night. |
| Awards | The 4YFN Awards are a global digital-startup competition. For 4YFN27, the published path is application, investor-panel selection of a Top 20, semi-final pitches, five finalists (one per category), and a live final judged by an investor panel. Top 20 startups receive €1,500, a free exhibition pod and four passes (2027); finalists receive €2,500 each, and the overall winner receives €20,000 (2027). The completed 4YFN26 overall winner was Biorce, awarded €20,000 (2026). |
| Call for speakers | For 4YFN27, speaker applications opened on 2026-08-10 and close on 2026-11-05 at 23:00 CET. Submit an online proposal under the track that best matches the subject; the organiser’s content team reviews submissions. source |
| Official app | MWC Barcelona Series App |
| Hashtag | #4YFN27 |
Past editions, as published
| Edition | Dates | Attendees | Investors | Startups | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 source | Mar 2–5, 2026 | 105,000 total MWC & 4YFN attendees (2026) | €70bn+ in investor funds (2026) | 1,000+ startups and exhibitors (2026) | recap · video · photos |
| 2023 source | Feb 27 – Mar 2, 2023 | — | €45 billion in funds represented by attending investors (2023) | — | recap |
| 2022 source | Feb 28 – Mar 3, 2022 | — | More than €4 billion in potential investment available (2022) | 500+ international startups (2022) | recap |
| 2021 · Moved from Fira Montjuïc to Fira Gran Via; rescheduled to 28 June–1 July (2021). source | Jun 28 – Jul 1, 2021 | — | — | — | |
| 2025 source | — | 109,000+ combined MWC Barcelona/4YFN attendees (2025) | 900+ investors; €60 billion in investment funds represented (2025) | 1,000+ startups and exhibitors (2025) | recap |
| 2024 source | — | — | 1,000+ investors; €50 billion in collective funds (2024) | 900+ exhibitors (2024) | recap |
| 2020 · MWC Barcelona 2020 was cancelled; 4YFN did not take place as a co-located event. source | — | — | — | — | |
| 2019 source | — | — | — | — | |
| 2018 source | — | — | — | — | |
| 2017 source | — | — | — | — | |
| 2016 source | — | — | — | — | |
| 2015 source | — | — | — | — | |
| 2014 source | — | — | — | — |
Cities: Barcelona
Who attends
| Geography | Investors represented 53 countries (2026); this is the published investor-programme figure, not a whole-event country count. source |
|---|---|
| Roles | Founders, Investors, Corporates, Press, Policy & government, Researchers |
| Stages | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Growth, Public |
Official links and socials
Travel & apps
In the press
- Biorce crowned champion of electrifying 4YFN26 Awards at MWC26 Barcelona — GSMA / 4YFN official newsroom (2026)
- Bankuish Triumphs at Prestigious 4YFN25 Awards at MWC25 Barcelona — GSMA / MWC Barcelona official newsroom (2025)
- Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech Crowned Winner of the 4YFN Awards at MWC Barcelona 2024 — GSMA / 4YFN official newsroom (2024)
Prepare for it
- How to cold email VCs — book the meetings before you land.
- The 12-slide seed deck — what to have ready when a partner says "send me the deck".
- Pitch Deck Roaster — a slide-by-slide pass before you submit to 4YFN Awards (4YFN27).
- Accelerator deadlines — the application windows that open around the event.
Sources
Every fact above was read from one of these official pages on Oct 7, 2026:
- event-assets.gsma.com/pdf/4YFN26_Social_Assets.pdf
- 4yfn.com
- 4yfn.com/agenda/sessions/5869-4yfn-awards-finale
- 4yfn.com/agenda/speakers
- 4yfn.com/app
- 4yfn.com/articles/4yfn26-barcelona-ignites-the-global-startup-ecosystem-as-founders-investors-and-world-changing-technologies-set-to-converge-in-barcelona
- 4yfn.com/articles/4yfn26-in-numbers-innovation-startups-and-infinite-ai
- 4yfn.com/articles/ai-community-and-impact-insights-from-4yfn25
- 4yfn.com/articles/biorce-crowned-champion-of-electrifying-4yfn26-awards-at-mwc26-barcelona
- 4yfn.com/articles/from-4yfn-to-4m-how-a-startup-meeting-turned-into-a-fintech-deal-between-bbva-spark-and-taxdown
- 4yfn.com/articles/qilimanjaro-quantum-tech-crowned-winner-of-the-4yfn-awards-at-mwc-barcelona-2024
- 4yfn.com/attend/investors
- 4yfn.com/event-resources
- 4yfn.com/highlights
- 4yfn.com/highlights-2024
- 4yfn.com/passes/attendee-pass
- 4yfn.com/passes/faq
- 4yfn.com/passes/investor-pass
- 4yfn.com/passes/vip-pass
- 4yfn.com/press-analysts
- 4yfn.com/programmes/investors/attending
- 4yfn.com/rules-of-entry
- 4yfn.com/sponsors-partners
- 4yfn.com/turn-european-expansion-into-growth
- gsma.com/newsroom/press-release/4yfn-moves-to-the-heart-of-mwc-putting-startups-in-the-centre-of-the-mobile-ecosystem
- gsma.com/newsroom/press-release/gsma-statement-on-mwc-barcelona-2020
- gsma.com/newsroom/press-release/payflow-crowned-winner-of-the-coveted-4yfn-awards-2023
- mwcbarcelona.com/articles/4yfn-connecting-start-ups-at-mwc-barcelona
- mwcbarcelona.com/articles/bankuish-triumphs-at-prestigious-4yfn25-awards-at-mwc25-barcelona
- mwcbarcelona.com/articles/celebrating-10-years-of-4yfn
4YFN: frequently asked
When is 4YFN 2027?
4YFN 2027 runs Mar 1–4, 2027 at Fira Gran Via, Hall 8 (North Entrance), Barcelona, according to the organiser's published dates.
How much does 4YFN cost?
Published ticket prices run €399–€1,299 with VAT (4YFN27/2027; published Attendee through VIP Pass prices)..
How many investors attend 4YFN?
The organiser reports 1,000+ investors, CVCs and VCs investors for the 2026 edition. Investors can access a curated startup database and prepare meeting agendas ahead of the event. The organiser describes curated founder meetings, investor roundtables, pitching committees and dedicated investor spaces; founders are also directed to curated matchmaking and networking activities.
What is 4YFN Awards (4YFN27)?
4YFN's pitch competition. Prize as published: Top 20: €1,500 cash prize each; finalists: €2,500 cash prize each; overall winner: €20,000 cash prize (2027).. Eligibility: Applicants must be incorporated and duly registered startups, no more than seven years old when the application period opened (founded September 2019 onwards), from an eligible country. Top 20 startups and finalists must agree to exhibit for four days (2027). No purchase is necessary to apply.
How big is 4YFN?
105,000 total attendees across MWC & 4YFN (2026; combined figure, not a 4YFN-only count) attendees, 1,000+ startups & exhibitors (combined figure; 2026) startups, from 53 countries represented among 4YFN26 investors countries, per the organiser.