Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2027 (GEC Doha)

The Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) is the annual flagship gathering of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, which runs programmes in some 200 countries. Each year it moves to a rising entrepreneurial city; the 2027 edition comes to Doha, co-hosted with Qatar Development Bank, and brings founders at every stage together with investors, ministers, researchers and startup support organisations to compare what actually works in growing new firms.

Who attends

GEN expects more than 3,000 delegates from around 200 countries. The congress is deliberately mixed, so founders sit in the same rooms as the people who fund, regulate and support them.

• Founders and early-stage startups, in tech and beyond
• Angel investors, VC funds, family offices and institutional investors
• Ministers, government officials and policymakers
• Accelerators, incubators and ecosystem builders
• Academics and researchers studying entrepreneurship

Programme formats

Over four days the congress mixes keynote stages with working sessions and deal-making. The 2027 agenda has not been published yet; GEN describes these recurring formats for the Doha edition.

• Headliner and keynote sessions with well-known founders
• Startup Nations Ministerial for government leaders on entrepreneurship policy
• Investor matchmaking between funds, investors and founders
• Workshops and masterclasses across all tracks
• Ecosystem Expo exhibitor hall
• GEN Village networking space
• Compass Awards for entrepreneurs and ecosystem champions

Why Doha

GEN chose Doha for Qatar's push to build a startup economy: anchor institutions such as Qatar Development Bank, Qatar Science & Technology Park, the Qatar FinTech Hub and the Digital Incubation Center, plus the Qatar Investment Authority's fund-of-funds programme for venture capital. Previous hosts include Dubai (2010), Bahrain (2019), Riyadh (2022), Melbourne (2023) and Indianapolis (2025).