Startup Arena October - special guest: István Szanda

Everyone talks about Silicon Valley. Far fewer people can tell you what it is like to sit at the tables. Forget the keynote version. This edition of Startup Arena goes for the real one: the culture, the vibes, the unwritten rules, and the stories that never make it onto a stage. István Szanda is an Angel Investor and B2C Co-Chair at Sand Hill Angels, one of Silicon Valley's angel investor groups, based in the Palo Alto area. They screen about 2,000 startups every year, and he will share how angels in the Valley actually think, decide and bet and all this as a genuine conversation. Expect stories about the deals, the dynamics and the culture, plus an honest look at what founders here in Budapest can borrow from the Valley and what they can leave behind. Hosted by Ádám Brándisz, Community & Operations Manager at HunBAN. Alongside the fireside chat, the evening features live pitches from 6 startups and open Q&A with founders, angel investors, and the audience. Startup Arena is HunBAN's monthly meeting point in Budapest for early-stage founders, business angels, and the wider ecosystem, a place to see fresh dealflow, test ideas, and meet the people building Hungary's startup scene. Agenda: 18:00 - 18:30 - pre-event networking 18:30 - 19:00 - Beyond the Hype: What Silicon Valley Is Actually Like, a fireside chat with István Szanda 19:00 - 20:00 - 6 startups pitching their investment case live 20:00 - 22:00 - Community meetup with bites, drinks and the HunBAN network in the room The evening does not stop when the pitches end. Stay for the community meetup, where the best conversations usually start.