SHAKA Festival 2026: The Startup Challenge that Puts Founders Face to Face with Investors

In Biarritz, the SHAKA Festival stage is not reserved for headliners. From September 24 to 26, 2026, the SHAKA Startup Challenge gives selected startups a few minutes to convince an audience where investors sit in the front row. For a founder, whether in crypto or not, this might be the real reason to make the trip.

In Brief

• The SHAKA Startup Challenge allows selected startups to pitch on stage in front of investors during the three days of the festival (September 24-26, 2026, Cité de l'Océan, Biarritz).
• The festival brings together a sought-after profile of investors and operators: Allianz Accelerator, Le Fund, Alegria Groupe, BPI France among partners.
• A Web3 partner village (Binance, Crypto.com, Polkadot, Solana, CES Web3 Tokenization Village) places crypto projects in direct contact with funds.
• Ticket sales in waves: Early Bird 120 € sold out, Regular 190 € ongoing, Last Wave 240 € to come.

A Pitch Contest, Not Just a Round Table {#h-a-pitch-contest-not-just-a-round-table}

Many tech events put startups on stage for a photo op. The SHAKA Startup Challenge aims for something else: to put project leaders in a real fundraising situation, in front of people who write checks. We briefly mentioned this Challenge in our event overview; it deserves more attention because it is the point where the festival's "casual" format transforms into a concrete opportunity.

The mechanics remain classic in principle (pre-selection, limited speaking time, exchanges with the audience), but it takes on a particular hue in the setting of the Cité de l'Océan. The details of selection and the 2026 jury have not yet been publicly communicated; therefore, interested founders should keep an eye on the organizer's announcements in the weeks leading up to the event. What is certain is access: a festival ticket opens up the entire program, including the Challenge.

Who is in the Room: The Investor Profile that Adds Value to the Pitch {#h-who-is-in-the-room-the-investor-profile-that-adds-value-to-the-pitch}

A pitch is only as valuable as the audience it targets. SHAKA precisely aggregates the type of interlocutors that a founder seeks to meet. Among the confirmed speakers and partners: Sylvain Theveniaud, who leads the Allianz Accelerator, Hervé Bloch, president of Le Fund, Francis Lelong, a serial entrepreneur with several ventures now heading Alegria Groupe, and Rachel Delacour, CEO of Sweep. On the institutional side, the presence of BPI France anchors the ecosystem of public financing for innovation.

For a Web3 project, the interest is twofold. On one hand, the partner village includes Binance, Crypto.com, Polkadot, Solana, and the CES Web3 Tokenization Village: the crypto infrastructure is physically present. On the other hand, pitching in front of generalist funds forces one to step out of jargon and defend a use case, an often salutary exercise for teams used to speaking only to native crypto investors.

How Much Does It Cost, and What Changes with the Code {#h-how-much-does-it-cost-and-what-changes-with-the-code}

Access is through a single ticket valid for all three days, including meals, drinks, sports activities, and evening events. Ticket sales progress in tiers: the Early Bird at 120 € is sold out, the Regular price at 190 € is currently available, and a final Last Wave level at 240 € is announced. In other words, each week of waiting brings you closer to the highest price.

The remaining question that every team asks before blocking three days: does a pitch contest by the ocean really open doors that an emailed deck wouldn't? The answer depends less on the format than on the follow-ups after the festival. To measure this, we will need to look, by the end of the year, at how many projects that passed through the Biarritz stage will have turned the opportunity into success.