Online is no longer a nice-to-have. Online is a must-have – even, and especially, for traditional print shops. Why no company will be able to avoid translating its business into digital business models in the future will be demonstrated at the Online Print Summit on 12 and 13 March at the Alte Kongresshalle in Munich. There, high-caliber speakers, C-Level Classrooms, and Executive Briefings will provide insights into the most important trends and developments in the online print industry. The Insight Pitches will once again deliver valuable impulses in 2026. Four start-ups from the USA, Serbia, Italy, and Germany will take part. In short, the Online Print Summit brings together the who’s who of the print industry.
“The days when online print was a separate category within the market are over. Online is now the reality in which every print company operates, regardless of size or specialization,” says Jens Meyer, Managing Director of Verband Druck und Medien Beratung GmbH and co-organizer of the Online Print Summit. “Whether web shops, automated order processing, or digital customer communication: the mechanisms of the digital world reach deep into traditional production and corporate structures. Those who ignore this in the long term put their competitiveness at risk.”
Bernd Zipper, Founder and Managing Director of zipcon consulting and also co-organizer of OPS, continues this line of thought: “The question is no longer whether a print company is active online, but how strategically it thinks online. Online is no longer a channel, but the structural framework in which the print industry operates. That is why it is crucial for traditional print shops to engage intensively with online print and digital developments – it is a guarantee of survival for the entire industry. Today, this no longer means having to launch your own shop. Rather, it means becoming part of the online print ecosystem – through partnerships, cooperation, and marketplaces.”
With this clear message, the Online Print Summit explicitly addresses traditional print companies that want to future-proof their business models. Investing in modern printing presses alone is not sufficient to strategically secure a company’s position. What is needed is a view beyond one’s own organization as well as exchange and collaboration with potential partners. The Online Print Summit on 12 and 13 March in Munich provides both.
Four Start-ups Deliver Exciting New Perspectives
Particularly strong impulses and new perspectives are expected from the Insight Pitches. In this deliberately compact format, start-ups present their innovative business ideas with a clear focus on business model, scalability, and strategic relevance for the industry. This year, authentic.network, Dynamic Mockups, Print Profit, and Revibes are ready to take the stage, addressing different challenges: product security, visualization in the on-demand business, profitability, and the digital extension of physical photo products.
authentic.network: Anti-Counterfeiting Without Specialized Technology
Behind authentic.network from Chemnitz is a technology company specializing in the development of solutions for protecting physical products against counterfeiting. At the core of the technology is a crypto-optical QR code that cannot be copied or manipulated, yet can be scanned without an app, login, or even network access.
Authentic.network turns a standard CMYK print into a highly effective protection against counterfeiting. Print service providers do not need new machines or special inks for implementation, and no retrofitting is required.
The technology is used across industries, from manufacturing and retail to security-critical applications, and is considered a building block for initiatives such as the EU Digital Product Passport. For its development, the company, co-founded by CEO Frank Theeg, received the G20 Innovation Award in autumn 2025.
Dynamic Mockups: Mockup Generator for AI Commerce
The Serbian start-up Dynamic Mockups is rethinking product visualization in the print-on-demand and e-commerce environment. CEO and Co-Founder Luka Filipović has developed a platform and mockup generation API that already supplies thousands of print-on-demand and e-commerce companies worldwide with photorealistic product visualizations.
AI commerce requires high-quality images in real time that are scalable while remaining precise in representation. In his Insight Pitch, Filipović demonstrates how automated mockup generation and AI-supported editing can be integrated into existing shop and enterprise workflows, and why visual infrastructure is becoming a strategic foundation for e-commerce-driven companies.
Print Profit: Transparency Instead of Rear-View Controlling
Print Profit, a start-up from the USA, brings a topic to the OPS stage that concerns every company but is rarely discussed openly: profitability. From his professional experience at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, HP Indigo, Mimeo, and the Taylor Corporation, founder Nick Gawreluk knows all too well that modern online print companies operate highly automated production systems and workflows, yet often manage their profits using outdated cost models.
With his start-up, he has set himself the goal of providing decision-makers with clarity about which products, customers, and processes truly create value. Print Profit delivers a platform for real-time financial KPIs and AI-supported recommendations, acting as a co-pilot for print service providers. Based on data, strategic decisions such as product pricing can be simplified.
Revibes: Rethinking Photo Products
The Italian start-up Revibes, founded by CEO Gian Luigi Bacchi, builds a bridge from the physical product – in this case printed photographs – to the digital world. Without QR codes or visible additional features, the technology he developed literally transforms prints into digital touchpoints.
Based on a photo, additional content such as videos, further images, audio recordings, or playlists can be unlocked, entirely without an app and with a single tap. This is made possible by a special paper that feels like classic photo paper but is equipped with an additional layer containing Revibes’ invisible, patented technology. The start-up thus transforms paper-based print products into intelligent, integrated, and immersive products.
Mind-on-Tap Stage: Dialogue Among Equals
While the Insight Pitches are an established element of the Online Print Summit program, the Mind-on-Tap stage represents a new addition to the event concept. In the foyer of the Alte Kongresshalle in Munich, an open discussion forum will be created to contextualize and reflect on the themes of the day and to discuss them together with the audience in an intentionally informal atmosphere, allowing space for spontaneous questions and perspectives.
In addition, this year the official kick-off of the Online Print Summit 2026 will not only be marked by the shared evening event “Cheers & Thoughts” on the eve of the conference, but also by the first Mind-on-Tap Talk on 11 March at 6:00 p.m. The content of the discussion forum will be shaped by the community sponsor, Initiative Online Print, covering topics from intelligent infrastructure to connected sales and customer-centric innovation.
On the first conference day, 12 March, the Mind-on-Tap stage will be hosted by major partner Durst and will once again serve as a meeting point for in-depth discussions beyond the Summit Hall.
An Evening Event for Networking and New Partners and Supporters
Networking remains a central component of the Online Print Summit in the evening as well. The event “Connect & Celebrate – The Night of Visionaries & Changemakers” on 12 March is supported by The Customization Group and brings together speakers, partners, start-ups, and participants in the Summit Hall. Spreadshirt joins the circle of OPS 2026 supporters as a new addition this year.
The Online Print Summit 2026 is also continuing to grow on the partner side. As new Gold Partners, Gelato Connect, Cloudprinter, and Interflag are contributing additional international platform and production expertise to the summit environment. As Silver Partners, Canon, Scodix, and Koenig & Bauer support OPS with technological expertise across the entire value chain, from digital printing and enhancement to mechanical engineering. The partner network is further complemented by the new Bronze Partners Ricoh, Komori, Steinemann, and Agfa. OPS 2026 once again reflects the full spectrum of the industry, from global platform providers to established technology manufacturers.
Secure Your Ticket Now
The Online Print Summit 2026 will take place on 12 and 13 March at the Alte Kongresshalle in Munich, with the official kick-off on 11 March featuring the Mind-on-Tap stage, hosted by Initiative Online Print. Tickets are available at www.online-print-summit.com. With their booking, participants receive access to the OPS community in the event app. There, they can also register for the Executive Briefings and C-Level Classrooms.
The organisers
zipcon consulting GmbH is a global consulting company for the communications, print and media industry with a focus on online print and digital transformation. The company sees itself as an independent and comprehensive technology and strategy consultant. zipcon also produces market studies and various case studies for e-business print, mass customization and multichannel publishing. Leading companies in the online print industry rely on the expertise of this company. www.zipcon.de
Verband Druck und Medien Beratung GmbH is the consulting company of the Printing and Media Associations. With in-depth industry expertise in management, controlling, environmental issues, sustainability, as well as production and processes, it supports the industry and positions itself as a driver of innovation and business success. Backed by the regional associations and the German Printing and Media Industries Federation, it consolidates expertise and future perspectives for the industry under the umbrella brand “Verband Druck und Medien.” www.vdm-beratung.de
“The days when online print was a separate category within the market are over. Online is now the reality in which every print company operates, regardless of size or specialization,” says Jens Meyer, Managing Director of Verband Druck und Medien Beratung GmbH and co-organizer of the Online Print Summit. “Whether web shops, automated order processing, or digital customer communication: the mechanisms of the digital world reach deep into traditional production and corporate structures. Those who ignore this in the long term put their competitiveness at risk.”
Bernd Zipper, Founder and Managing Director of zipcon consulting and also co-organizer of OPS, continues this line of thought: “The question is no longer whether a print company is active online, but how strategically it thinks online. Online is no longer a channel, but the structural framework in which the print industry operates. That is why it is crucial for traditional print shops to engage intensively with online print and digital developments – it is a guarantee of survival for the entire industry. Today, this no longer means having to launch your own shop. Rather, it means becoming part of the online print ecosystem – through partnerships, cooperation, and marketplaces.”
With this clear message, the Online Print Summit explicitly addresses traditional print companies that want to future-proof their business models. Investing in modern printing presses alone is not sufficient to strategically secure a company’s position. What is needed is a view beyond one’s own organization as well as exchange and collaboration with potential partners. The Online Print Summit on 12 and 13 March in Munich provides both.
Four Start-ups Deliver Exciting New Perspectives
Particularly strong impulses and new perspectives are expected from the Insight Pitches. In this deliberately compact format, start-ups present their innovative business ideas with a clear focus on business model, scalability, and strategic relevance for the industry. This year, authentic.network, Dynamic Mockups, Print Profit, and Revibes are ready to take the stage, addressing different challenges: product security, visualization in the on-demand business, profitability, and the digital extension of physical photo products.
authentic.network: Anti-Counterfeiting Without Specialized Technology
Behind authentic.network from Chemnitz is a technology company specializing in the development of solutions for protecting physical products against counterfeiting. At the core of the technology is a crypto-optical QR code that cannot be copied or manipulated, yet can be scanned without an app, login, or even network access.
Authentic.network turns a standard CMYK print into a highly effective protection against counterfeiting. Print service providers do not need new machines or special inks for implementation, and no retrofitting is required.
The technology is used across industries, from manufacturing and retail to security-critical applications, and is considered a building block for initiatives such as the EU Digital Product Passport. For its development, the company, co-founded by CEO Frank Theeg, received the G20 Innovation Award in autumn 2025.
Dynamic Mockups: Mockup Generator for AI Commerce
The Serbian start-up Dynamic Mockups is rethinking product visualization in the print-on-demand and e-commerce environment. CEO and Co-Founder Luka Filipović has developed a platform and mockup generation API that already supplies thousands of print-on-demand and e-commerce companies worldwide with photorealistic product visualizations.
AI commerce requires high-quality images in real time that are scalable while remaining precise in representation. In his Insight Pitch, Filipović demonstrates how automated mockup generation and AI-supported editing can be integrated into existing shop and enterprise workflows, and why visual infrastructure is becoming a strategic foundation for e-commerce-driven companies.
Print Profit: Transparency Instead of Rear-View Controlling
Print Profit, a start-up from the USA, brings a topic to the OPS stage that concerns every company but is rarely discussed openly: profitability. From his professional experience at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, HP Indigo, Mimeo, and the Taylor Corporation, founder Nick Gawreluk knows all too well that modern online print companies operate highly automated production systems and workflows, yet often manage their profits using outdated cost models.
With his start-up, he has set himself the goal of providing decision-makers with clarity about which products, customers, and processes truly create value. Print Profit delivers a platform for real-time financial KPIs and AI-supported recommendations, acting as a co-pilot for print service providers. Based on data, strategic decisions such as product pricing can be simplified.
Revibes: Rethinking Photo Products
The Italian start-up Revibes, founded by CEO Gian Luigi Bacchi, builds a bridge from the physical product – in this case printed photographs – to the digital world. Without QR codes or visible additional features, the technology he developed literally transforms prints into digital touchpoints.
Based on a photo, additional content such as videos, further images, audio recordings, or playlists can be unlocked, entirely without an app and with a single tap. This is made possible by a special paper that feels like classic photo paper but is equipped with an additional layer containing Revibes’ invisible, patented technology. The start-up thus transforms paper-based print products into intelligent, integrated, and immersive products.
Mind-on-Tap Stage: Dialogue Among Equals
While the Insight Pitches are an established element of the Online Print Summit program, the Mind-on-Tap stage represents a new addition to the event concept. In the foyer of the Alte Kongresshalle in Munich, an open discussion forum will be created to contextualize and reflect on the themes of the day and to discuss them together with the audience in an intentionally informal atmosphere, allowing space for spontaneous questions and perspectives.
In addition, this year the official kick-off of the Online Print Summit 2026 will not only be marked by the shared evening event “Cheers & Thoughts” on the eve of the conference, but also by the first Mind-on-Tap Talk on 11 March at 6:00 p.m. The content of the discussion forum will be shaped by the community sponsor, Initiative Online Print, covering topics from intelligent infrastructure to connected sales and customer-centric innovation.
On the first conference day, 12 March, the Mind-on-Tap stage will be hosted by major partner Durst and will once again serve as a meeting point for in-depth discussions beyond the Summit Hall.
An Evening Event for Networking and New Partners and Supporters
Networking remains a central component of the Online Print Summit in the evening as well. The event “Connect & Celebrate – The Night of Visionaries & Changemakers” on 12 March is supported by The Customization Group and brings together speakers, partners, start-ups, and participants in the Summit Hall. Spreadshirt joins the circle of OPS 2026 supporters as a new addition this year.
The Online Print Summit 2026 is also continuing to grow on the partner side. As new Gold Partners, Gelato Connect, Cloudprinter, and Interflag are contributing additional international platform and production expertise to the summit environment. As Silver Partners, Canon, Scodix, and Koenig & Bauer support OPS with technological expertise across the entire value chain, from digital printing and enhancement to mechanical engineering. The partner network is further complemented by the new Bronze Partners Ricoh, Komori, Steinemann, and Agfa. OPS 2026 once again reflects the full spectrum of the industry, from global platform providers to established technology manufacturers.
Secure Your Ticket Now
The Online Print Summit 2026 will take place on 12 and 13 March at the Alte Kongresshalle in Munich, with the official kick-off on 11 March featuring the Mind-on-Tap stage, hosted by Initiative Online Print. Tickets are available at www.online-print-summit.com. With their booking, participants receive access to the OPS community in the event app. There, they can also register for the Executive Briefings and C-Level Classrooms.
The organisers
zipcon consulting GmbH is a global consulting company for the communications, print and media industry with a focus on online print and digital transformation. The company sees itself as an independent and comprehensive technology and strategy consultant. zipcon also produces market studies and various case studies for e-business print, mass customization and multichannel publishing. Leading companies in the online print industry rely on the expertise of this company. www.zipcon.de
Verband Druck und Medien Beratung GmbH is the consulting company of the Printing and Media Associations. With in-depth industry expertise in management, controlling, environmental issues, sustainability, as well as production and processes, it supports the industry and positions itself as a driver of innovation and business success. Backed by the regional associations and the German Printing and Media Industries Federation, it consolidates expertise and future perspectives for the industry under the umbrella brand “Verband Druck und Medien.” www.vdm-beratung.de
