Rules
How the auction works, in plain English. The Terms of Service are the binding version - if the two ever disagree, the Terms win.
1. What you are bidding on
One physical water bottle carries 15 numbered sticker slots. The 15 sponsors with the highest confirmed totals get one each, and a higher rank means a larger sticker. The bottle goes to Web Summit Lisbon 2026 and to events throughout the year.
2. Your total, not your last bid
Rank is decided by everything you have contributed added together, not by your biggest single payment. When you come back and raise your target, you are charged only the difference between what you have already contributed and the new total - never the full amount again.
3. Amounts
Everything is in US dollars, and only whole dollars - no cents. The minimum is $5, both to start and to top up. The campaign goal is $12,000.
4. Tax is added at checkout
The amount you enter is the contribution that counts toward your rank, and it is net of tax. Any VAT or sales tax due is worked out by Stripe from your location and added on top, so the total you actually pay can be higher than the figure you typed. If you are a business, you can enter your VAT number on Stripe's page and receive an invoice.
5. Being outbid
Ranks move as other sponsors contribute, so your position can drop after you pay. Nothing is refunded when that happens - your contribution still counts toward the goal and still appears in the directory. You can raise your total at any time to move back up. If you would rather not hear about it, every notification email has a one-click unsubscribe.
6. One sponsor per website
You are identified by your website address, not by an account or an email. Submitting the same website again always tops up the same sponsor, whichever email you use. There is nothing to sign up for and no password to forget.
7. Your logo
Logos must be SVG files under 200KB. SVG only, because the sticker is printed physically and needs to stay sharp at any size. Submit only artwork you have the right to use.
8. When the campaign closes
Final ranks are whatever stands when the campaign closes. The bottle is then printed with each sponsor's sticker at the size their final rank earned, and placement is done by hand.