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Here's a guide to spending the correct amount of time and money on events as a founder.
Last week, I spent three days at Bits and Pretzels in Munich — a startup-focused event with a distinctly Bavarian flavor. Think Oktoberfest meets startup conference, complete with dirndls, lederhosen, and more beer than you might expect. As someone building an AI-powered event platform, I went in with a specific mission: Observe how startups actually market themselves at events. Here’s what I discovered: GoodBytz: The power of good demos What they did: Robotics startup GoodBytz set up a booth where its robots prepared kaiserschmarrn (a traditional German dessert) all day long. Why it worked: Nothing beats seeing a product in action. While other booths had brochures and demos, GoodBytz’s robots were actually cooking. The smell, the movement and the end result stirred together an experience that people will remember and talk about. The lesson: If you have a physical product, show it in action. The old writing adage generalizes well: Show, don’t tell. Let people see, hear and touch the product. WeRoad: The bathroom hack What they did: Posted “Missing Investor” flyers in bathroom stalls with QR codes pointing to their website. Why it worked: Pure genius. Every startup at the event was looking for investors, but the “Missing Investor” headline, while a bit on the nose, proved irresistible. Plus, bathroom stalls are one of the few places where people have 30 seconds to actually read something. The lesson: Think about where your target audience’s attention will remain undivided. Sometimes, the most effective marketing leverages the most unexpected places. Emqopter: Visual impact matters What they did: Designed a bright orange booth that displayed their drone prominently. Why it worked: In a sea of grey, white, beige and brown, Emqopter’s bright orange booth was impossible to overlook. The drone was real, too, and proved a real conversation starter. The lesson: Your booth is competing with hundreds of others. Make it visually distinctive and ensure your product is the hero. Quests: Community building using the product What they did: Created a busy, branded booth with accessories (toy car, traffic cones, a bulletin board) and used their anti-loneliness app to build communities among founders at the event. Why it worked: Quests used their product to solve a real problem right at the event, and the busy booth design generated energy and curiosity. The lesson: Use your product to solve a problem at the event — if it’s possible, of course. Demonstrate your value in real time. Dyno: Event-themed marketing What they did: Distributed branded electrolyte packs with the tagline “Your hangover ends. Your pension lasts – with Dyno.” Why it worked: Dyno aligned its messaging perfectly with the Oktoberfest theme. Every attendee was thinking about beer and hangovers, so Dyno’s goodies were quite relevant. The tagline was clever, memorable, and directly addressed a pain point most people at the event might have to deal with later. The lesson: Tailor your marketing to the event’s theme and culture. The more you tie your messaging and product to the context, the more memorable you become. So, what did I learn? Event marketing is about more than just showing up and setting up a booth; you have to understand your audience and create experiences that people will remember. Here’s what really struck me: most startups and even big companies don’t know how to leverage events properly. They book the booth, show up and hope for the best; maybe they bring some branded pens and a pop-up banner. Then they’ll go back home and wonder why they spent €5,000 in exchange for 50 business cards that never convert. The startups that stood out at Bits and Pretzels understand something fundamental: event ROI isn’t about booth size or location; it’s about strategy, creativity and planning. None of the startups above improvised on-site, or planned something the night before the event in their hotel rooms. They laid everything out 4-6 weeks before the event. A solid pre-event strategy is what separates successful event marketing from expensive booth rental. But what matters most for early-stage startups is that you don’t need a massive budget to stand out. WeRoad’s bathroom stall hack probably cost €50 to print the flyers. A standard booth package at Bits and Pretzels would go for €3,000 to €5,500. The ROI difference is staggering when you compare the cost per meaningful conversation. That’s the difference between simply spending money and investing smartly. Building Sesamers has taught me that helping startups find the right events is only half the equation. The other half is helping them understand how to maximize ROI once they’re there. Good props aren’t a marketing expense; they’re opportunities to meet customers, investors and partners, and strike up engaging conversations.
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Most startup founders treat events like they’re going travelling: count the days, block the calendar, done. But event tickets don’t come cheap, and the actual affair can eat into your budget in so many different ways, you’ll be left with a hole in your company wallet. You see, the problem here is a simple case of math: one can’t budget for unforeseen expenses. That’s why we’ve put together a simple formula that founders can tweak to suit their business needs. The 2:1 rule nobody talks about Here’s a simple rule: Every single day at an event requires two full days of preparation. This isn’t bureaucratic overhead, it’s the operational reality of doing events properly. Why does this ratio work? Because events operate on a timeline that’s fundamentally incompatible with how startups work. Most conferences lock speaker slots, booth spaces, and partnership opportunities months in advance. You can’t A/B test them or sprint your way in at the last minute. Scaleups and corporates have dedicated field marketing teams who start preparing months in advance for events. They’ve already mapped the venue, scheduled meetings, and briefed their booth staff. If you show up with two hours of prep, you’re invisible. But why should you set aside two days for every event day? You’ll fill them with research, targeting, outreach, scheduling, content, positioning, logistics operations, internal coordination, and post-event planning. You can’t change your pitch deck the morning of your panel. Events punish improvisation because the stakes are live and all opportunity windows close fast. That’s why a 2:1 ratio is the minimum buffer you need to make showing up worthwhile. A three-day conference isn’t a three-day commitment; you’ll have to set aside at least six days before factoring in travel, team coordination, or what you’ll actually do at the event. Treat it as the baseline for local events that you’re only attending, too. And when you add distance, team members or booth logistics to the equation, that number explodes. The winning formula Here’s what no event organizer will tell you upfront: Total Time = (Event Days × 2) × Distance Factor × Team Factor × Activity Factor Distance multipliers Team size factors Activity type factors What does it look like in the real world? Let’s run an example scenario: Say you’re exhibiting at Web Summit with two co-founders. Calculation: (3 days × 2) × 1.5 (international) × 1.3 (team of three) × 1.5 (exhibiting) = 17.6 days That’s nearly four working weeks of founder time. Not calendar days — productive working days. An entire sprint. A fundraising cycle. A product release window. That’s before you account for the inevitable chaos: marketing materials might get delayed, or your booth might require a last-minute redesign, or one of your team might fall ill on day two. This matters more than you think Startups don’t fail because they attend too many events. They fail because they attended the wrong events and didn’t realize the true cost until it was too late. Most early-stage founders operate on razor-thin runways and even thinner margins. Losing 17 days to the wrong conference can mean missing a critical hiring window, pushing a launch back by a quarter, or running out of cash. The opportunity cost is immense. Three filters to help you decide Preparation is table stakes, but the real competitive advantage is selection. Before you commit to any event, run it through these three filters: 1. Are your top 10 target customers actually attending? Don’t settle for “the industry will be there,” or “it’s a great brand.” Will the specific people who can write cheques or sign contracts be in the venue? If you can’t name at least five confirmed attendees you want to meet, you’re engaging in speculation, and speculation is expensive. 2. Can you get time with decision makers? Networking is not the same as dealmaking. Conferences are full of people collecting business cards and having “great chats” that go nowhere. Look for pre-scheduled meetings, private roundtables, investor office hours, or curated dinners. If the event doesn’t facilitate structured access, you’re paying to work a room. 3. Does the timing align with your fundraising or launch cycle? Attending a major event two weeks before a funding deadline is fundraising malpractice. Exhibiting at a trade show when your product isn’t ready to demo is theatre, not business development. Timing isn’t everything, but mistimed events have the potential to burn capital and credibility in equal measure. The real decision Preparation is hard, but preparing brilliantly for the wrong event isn’t going to yield the results you’re looking for. The formula above isn’t meant to scare founders away from conferences. If you’re going to invest 17 days of founder time, you’d better know exactly what ROI you’re chasing and have a plan to capture it. Most founders wing it. The folks who don’t tend to be the ones still standing when funding dries up. At Sesamers, we’ve spent years inside the event ecosystem, watching startups burn time and capital on conferences that looked good on paper but delivered nothing. The startups that survive and thrive aren’t the ones who attended the most events; they simply skipped those that weren’t relevant, and attended the right events at the right time, with the right preparation. So before you book your next booth or confirm that speaking slot, do the math, and see if you can afford to go wrong.
For startup founders, events offer a spectrum of opportunities. On one end, you have the mega-conferences, bustling hubs of innovation that bring together tens of thousands of people. They’re fantastic for broad visibility and getting a pulse on the entire industry. On the other end, you have a different, equally powerful tool: hyper-focused, niche events. These are conferences dedicated to one specific technology, industry or discipline — the International Exhibition for Track Technology, or MCP Dev Summit, an event dedicated to the Model Context Protocol standardization, for example. The value proposition here is simple: if you’re in the industry, you need to be there. If you’re not, you don’t. For a founder with specific goals — generating highly qualified leads, getting deep product feedback, or becoming a recognized expert — such singular focus isn’t a limitation; it’s a superpower. Small events filter out the noise, guaranteeing that nearly every conversation you’ll have is with someone who understands what you do. This article will explore why niche events should be a core part of any startup’s strategic playbook, and how they can offer a unique and powerful return on investment: Small, niche events offer a set of advantages that you simply won’t find at a massive, general-interest conference. A room full of your people (and best leads) The biggest reason to attend a niche event is the audience: everyone there is a pre-qualified lead. You don’t have to waste time explaining the basics of your industry; just dive straight into meaningful conversations. This results in incredibly efficient networking because smaller settings naturally enable deeper, more memorable discussions. And as you might know, high-quality audiences translate directly to high-quality leads. A case study by enterprise SaaS firm Zendog Labs found that nearly “80% of leads and 90% of revenue were generated from niche trade shows and events.” When you’re talking to people who already understand and care about the problem you’re solving, the path to conversion gets a lot shorter. But does that mean such niche events are more expensive? Not at all. In our experience, they’re usually on par with the market, even for much bigger events. Build your brand and encourage thought leadership Huge conferences make it almost impossible for startups to stand out, while smaller events let you have your 15 minutes. Also since you’re only talking to a specific audience, it’s easier to tailor your communication and branding. Find what people in your industry will find cool, and build on that. For example, we know that geeky jokes and dev-oriented merch are always a hit at technical events. Exhibiting your product, giving a talk, participating in panels, or even just asking insightful questions in workshops can quickly establish your credibility and position you as a thought leader. This is much easier to achieve when you’re not competing with the marketing budgets of corporations worth hundreds of billions of dollars. How do we know if this works? Well, we’ve seen some small events like apidays benefit from high fidelity on the part of exhibitors who keep rebooking each year, even for different locations. Get direct, honest and invaluable feedback The closer, intimate nature of smaller events tends to attract a knowledgeable group of people who are more inclined to share incredibly valuable and direct feedback. These people aren’t passive listeners; they are experts who can quickly spot flaws, validate your assumptions, or suggest improvements you hadn’t considered for your product, pitch or roadmap. Want to know if your new feature makes sense? Talk to 10 people in the hallway track. If no one gets excited, you’ve just received a priceless signal to pivot early rather than build in silence. This is the fastest way to validate your ideas and ensure you’re building something the market actually wants. It’s the ultimate crash course Niche events make for intense learning opportunities. Forget trying to piece together the latest trends from blog posts and webinars. At a focused conference, you’ll be served a concentrated dose of cutting-edge information, best practices, and expert insights over just a few days. You’ll hear from people building in the trenches, solving the same problems you are, and there’s knowledge to be gained by listening to their mistakes and successes. Fertile ground for partnerships and integrations What do you call a room full of companies working in the same space? A goldmine of potential partners. Integrating with complementary services can be a massive growth lever for startups. At a hyper-focused event, you’re more likely to be surrounded by potential partners who understand your tech stack or serve the same customer base. Such events easily foster collaborations that can lead to powerful new ventures and career-defining moments. A goldmine of content Events are a fantastic opportunity to create a ton of relevant content for your marketing channels. Off the top of my head, you can: This content is likely to be highly relevant to your target audience because it is generated directly from the conversations happening at the heart of your industry. A quick word of warning Not all niche events are created equal. Before you commit, do your due diligence. Talk to people who have attended in the past, and check the reputation of the organizers. A poorly run event with low turnout can be a huge waste of time and money. Also, be careful of echo chambers. While it’s great to get validation from experts in your niche, make sure you’re also getting feedback from the broader market to avoid building a product that only serves a tiny, insular community. Go small to win big Choosing the right event is a strategic decision for startups, not an all-encompassing answer. While large conferences offer incredible scale and brand exposure, hyper-focused events provide a different kind of value: precision, relevance and a direct line of communication to a highly qualified community. Niche events will let you generate high-quality leads, accelerate your learning, validate your ideas with true experts, and build a powerful network within your industry. It’s […]
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AI is reshaping how people discover information. Search traffic, once the lifeblood of websites, is plummeting as AI tools provide answers and context immediately, eliminating the need to browse to websites for answers at all. Understandably, companies are responding by going down avenues they can control: newsletters, podcasts, memberships and events. This reality is true for startups as well. You simply can’t rely on Google traffic or algorithms to build trust anymore. You need direct channels, and there are few ways to build trust more powerful than meeting people face-to-face. Welcome to the ‘post-click’ era Startups have long played by the ever-changing rules set by Google and social media platforms, which are more often than not prone to changing their algorithms and leaving everyone scrambling to adapt overnight. AI is not only accelerating this instability, it’s almost making Google referral traffic obsolete. Companies need to adapt to this new reality with strategies that let them talk directly to their prospective customers. The media industry, one of the most vulnerable to the changes, is proving to be one of the quickest to adapt. Morning Brew, for example, blends its newsletters franchises with events. In a recent interview, Sam Jacobs, TIME’s editor-in-chief, highlighted how the company went from organizing two to three events per year, to holding the same number of events monthly. Even digital-first players are embracing events. Podcasts like Acquired and All-In now host live events to bring their listeners together. Finimize has built grassroots meetups around its newsletter. The new defense tech media title, Resilience Media, born on Substack, is planning events to connect experts in its niche. Alex Konrad’s new Upstarts ecosystem includes live interviews, an upcoming podcast and curated events. These aren’t just extensions of the content; they’re ways to nurture communities. Startups should copy this strategy. They must consider where their credibility and relationships will be built in this new landscape, especially as visibility is no longer about simply appearing on top of search results or burning money with ads; it’s about building lasting trust in the spaces that matter. Events are singularly effective at doing that. Lessons from after the pandemic If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that being present online is insufficient. Platforms like Hopin promised a future of global, scalable, online events. Even experiments in VR conferences were the subject of occasional hype. All of that fell short, however. What founders, investors and marketers learned was simple: There is no substitute for shaking someone’s hand, catching their eye, and sharing time in the same space. When the pandemic ended, events came back with a bang. Companies large and small continue to invest in gatherings. Events still carry symbolic weight: just look at Apple’s meticulously choreographed product launches, or how scaleups like Helsing showcase new technologies. For startups, events can also serve as tools for strengthening internal communications and bonds with their employees and their community. Here’s a great example: Italian travel scaleup WeRoad holds an annual, two-day global gathering of its travel coordinators and staff that strengthens culture and commitment in ways a Zoom call never could. Why startups need to show up Startups live and die on the strength of their relationships. Securing investors, signing first customers, and finding the right partners are all processes that depend completely on trust. These early relationships are crucial. In an AI-driven world where digital discovery is fragmented, saturated and noisy, events cut through the noise. They offer something AI and algorithms never will: human presence. Startups should think of events as essential investments in visibility and credibility. Whether it’s speaking on stage, hosting a breakfast or simply showing up to the right conference — being in the room matters. It’s OK to be selective. It’s OK to pass on events when priorities point elsewhere. And don’t take this to mean the digital realm and AI should be ignored. But in this era where we’re putting AI on a pedestal, founders should not underestimate the power of a physical meeting for establishing contact with investors, talent, or any other important stakeholder.
After a successful first edition, JEC Investor Day 2026 is now returning for its second year with expanded ambitions.
TechCrunch Disrupt? Overrated. Web Summit? A $4,700 mistake I’ll never make again. I’ve burned $18K learning which startup events actually matter for B2B SaaS founders trying to close deals—not just collect business cards. Here’s what nobody tells you: the biggest events aren’t where B2B deals happen. Why “Best Startup Event” Lists Are Useless for B2B Founders Every January, tech blogs publish the same recycled garbage: “50 Must-Attend Startup Events!” They rank by size and buzz. What they don’t rank by: where your buyers actually show up with budgets. I learned this after exhibiting at a 70,000-person mega-conference. Spent $4,700 on booth space, flights, and hotel. Had exactly zero conversations with our target market. The attendees? Mostly consumer startups and the press are looking for the next Uber. According to Cvent, 81% of trade show attendees have buying authority—but only at industry-specific events. Generic “startup” conferences are networking theater. If you’re serious about finding the right startup event strategy, you need to think differently. The 5 Best Startup Events Where I’ve Actually Closed B2B Deals SaaStr Annual – Where SaaS Deals Actually Happen 13,000 SaaS professionals in San Mateo every March. APIDays – The Technical Depth You Need If you’re building APIs, this is your room. 2,000-3,000 API architects who can actually read your docs. Paris is the flagship, but they run 10+ cities globally. What makes APIDays different: it’s deeply technical. No marketing fluff. €3,000 gets you in, and European buyers are way less saturated than US markets. Big Data & AI Paris – Enterprise Buyers With Actual Budgets 15,000 enterprise CTOs and data engineers. I closed two partnerships here worth €400K combined—with French banks and telecom companies that had active Q4 budgets. The French government subsidizes AI adoption, so budgets are real. But your networking tactics need to adapt. Less aggressive, more relationship-focused. €800 for a pass and 3,200€ to exhibit as a startup, totally worth it if you’re targeting European enterprises. Track it on Sesamers so you don’t miss early bird pricing. MicroConf – Where Bootstrapped Founders Share Real Numbers 200-300 attendees max. Everyone’s profitable or trying to be. Zero VC hypergrowth bullshit. I’ve learned more in hallway conversations here than at conferences 50x the size. The attendees are other founders who share actual numbers—not vanity metrics. Churn rates, CAC, payback periods. This is how you measure real ROI from events. Worth every cent if you’re bootstrapped. Industry-Specific Trade Shows – The Secret Weapon Here’s the move nobody talks about: skip tech conferences entirely. Go where your buyers congregate. Healthcare SaaS? Hit HIMSS. Fintech? Money20/20. HR tech? HR Tech Conference. I watched a founder close a $400K deal at a healthcare event while competitors were posting selfies at Web Summit. These cost $3,000 avg, but attendee quality is 100x better. According to Statista, B2B trade shows hit $15.78B in 2024. This strategy works because you’re fishing where the fish actually are. The 3-Filter System I Use to Pick Events Filter 1: Who’s actually attending? Can you name 20 people who match your ICP? If not, wrong event. Use Sesamers to check historical attendee data before buying tickets. Filter 2: What’s your actual goal? Raising money? Go to investor-heavy events. Closing customers? Industry trade shows. Different goals need different event selection criteria. Filter 3: What’s the all-in cost? Ticket + flights + hotel + meals. If it’s over $3K, you need $30K in pipeline to break even. Most events don’t hit that unless you’re strategic. Events I Skip (And Why You Should Too) Web Summit: 70,000 people is networking hell. Consumer-focused despite the B2B claims. Pass unless you need Series A+ PR. CES: Consumer electronics show. Your B2B SaaS buyers aren’t here. I see founders at CES every year wondering why they’re not closing deals. Now you know. TechCrunch Disrupt: Great for press and VCs. Terrible for enterprise buyers. Worth it for launch PR, not pipeline. How I Track Everything Without Losing My Mind I track every event in a spreadsheet: cost, conversations, pipeline generated, deals closed. After three years of data, the pattern is crystal clear. Niche beats broad. Quality beats quantity—industry-specific crushes general tech. The best startup events for B2B SaaS are never on TechCrunch’s homepage. For API companies: APIDays and API World are superior to generic conferences. For AI/ML: Big Data & AI Paris provides European enterprise access that’s nearly impossible to achieve otherwise. Geography matters—European buyers at European events are way less saturated than US markets. Stop Wasting Money on the Wrong Events You have limited time and budget. Most founders can hit 3-5 events per year max. Choose wrong and you’ve burned $15K and 15 days for zero ROI. Choose right and one event generates $500K+ in pipeline. Use Sesamers to find events filtered by your industry and target attendees. See which ones similar founders recommend. Track ROI data. Set reminders for early bird pricing. Never waste another $4K on an event where your buyers don’t show up. Because the smartest way to pick events is learning from founders who’ve already tested them—and can tell you which ones actually matter. Ready to find your next high-ROI event? Start tracking on Sesamers and build your calendar based on data, not FOMO.
At SaaStr 2023, I had a 12-minute conversation with a VP of Partnerships at a Series C company. No pitch. No business cards. Just asked him about his biggest challenge with international expansion. Three months later, that conversation turned into a $2M partnership deal. That’s what good startup event networking looks like—and it has nothing to do with collecting LinkedIn connections. Here are the 7 tactics that turned me from “business card guy” into someone people actually want to talk to. Tactic #1: Research 20 People Before You Arrive (Not 200) Most founders show up at a startup event hoping to “meet people.” That’s code for wandering around awkwardly. Here’s what works: Before the event, identify exactly 20 people you want to meet. Not 200. Twenty. Pull the attendee list (most B2B events share this 4-6 weeks before). Use Sesamers to see who’s attending events you’re registered for. Then research each target: LinkedIn profile, recent posts, their company’s latest news, what they’re working on. I spend 5 minutes per person. That’s 100 minutes of prep that separates you from the 80% of attendees who show up cold. When you walk up and say “Hey Sarah, saw your post about expanding into EMEA—we just cracked that market, happy to share what worked,” you’re already 10x more memorable than “Hi, I’m a founder, what do you do?” Pro tip: DM all 20 people on LinkedIn two weeks before the event. “Hey [Name], seeing you’re going to [Event]. Would love to grab coffee and hear about [specific thing they’re working on]. Tuesday 8am work?” Pre-booking even 3-5 meetings means you’ve already won the event before you land. Here’s how I pick which events are worth this prep work. Tactic #2: Ask Questions That Make People Think (Not Talk) The worst networkers ask “What does your company do?” Everyone gets that question 47 times. It triggers autopilot mode: rehearsed elevator pitch, eyes glazing over, polite nod, move on. Zero connection. According to Harvard Business Review research, people remember conversations where they had to think, not just recite. Ask questions that don’t have scripted answers. My go-to questions: “What’s the hardest problem you’re trying to solve right now?” or “What’s working surprisingly well in your business that you didn’t expect?” or “If you could wave a magic wand and fix one thing about [their industry], what would it be?” These questions do three things: show you’re interested in them (not pitching), surface actual problems you might solve, and make you memorable because most people at networking events don’t ask interesting questions. They just wait for their turn to pitch. Tactic #3: The 10-Minute Rule (Then Move On) I used to have 45-minute conversations with one person at events, thinking I was “building rapport.” Wrong. That’s hogging. Startup event networking is about starting conversations, not finishing them. Research from Cvent shows that 72% of attendees are more likely to do business with people they meet at events—but only if you follow up properly. Set a timer. Ten minutes max per conversation. If it’s going great, say “This is super valuable—I’ve got to run to another meeting but let’s schedule 30 minutes next week to dive deeper. Are you free Tuesday?” Then book it right there. Exchange numbers or grab a calendar link. The goal isn’t to close deals on the event floor. It’s to identify who’s worth a real conversation later. Ten minutes is enough to know if there’s fit. Everything else happens in follow-up. Exception: If you’re mid-negotiation on something big, obviously don’t bail after 10 minutes. But for initial networking? Move fast, meet more people, book follow-ups with the right ones. Here’s my full pre-event checklist for maximizing these conversations. Tactic #4: Kill the Business Card Theater Business cards in 2025 are cosplay. They’re what people who don’t know how to network think networking looks like. I watched a founder collect 83 business cards at Web Summit. Know how many he followed up with? Zero. Because he didn’t actually connect with anyone. Here’s what I do instead: After a good conversation, I text myself their name and one specific thing we discussed. “Alex Chen – struggling with European compliance, mentioned needing help with GDPR.” Takes 10 seconds. No card to lose, no app to forget to check, just a note I’ll actually use. Or skip the middle step entirely: “Hey, let me get your number so we can schedule that follow-up call.” Boom, you’re in their phone. Text them before you leave the event: “Great meeting you. Tuesday 2pm work for that call?” Now you’re a person with a scheduled meeting, not a business card in a pile. The best networking at startup events happens when you think less about “making connections” and more about “starting relationships.” Cards don’t build relationships. Scheduled follow-up calls do. Tactic #5: Organize Your Own Dinner (This Is the Cheat Code) Want to know the real secret of startup event networking? The conference itself is just bait. The real networking happens at dinners, breakfasts, and after-parties you organize yourself. I started doing this at every event: Book a table at a restaurant near the venue for 6-8 people. Invite 3-4 people I want to meet from my target list, tell them each to bring one interesting person. Done. Now I’m having a real conversation over dinner instead of shouting over techno music at the official after-party. Cost: $150-300 for dinner. Value: Way higher than the actual conference ticket. Last dinner I organized at a fintech conference led to three partnerships and one customer that’s now $400K ARR. The conference sessions? Taught me nothing I didn’t already know from YouTube. Pro tip: Track events where multiple people from your target list are attending using Sesamers’ attendee tracking, then organize dinners strategically around those events. Here are the B2B events where this tactic works best. Tactic #6: The 24-Hour Follow-Up (Not “Next Week”) According to Salesforce data, leads contacted within 24 hours are 7x more likely to convert than those […]
Last year I spent 11 hours scrolling through Eventbrite, LinkedIn Events, and random newsletters trying to find startup events worth attending. Found 47 “amazing opportunities.” Went to 8. Got ROI from 2. Here’s the problem: there are over 32,000 startup events globally every year according to UFI Global, and 90% of them are a waste of your calendar and cash. I needed a system. Here’s how I now find high-ROI events in 20 minutes instead of 11 hours. Why Most Founders Suck at Finding the Right Events You know what kills me? Founders who Google “best startup events 2025,” click the first TechCrunch listicle, and drop $3K on a ticket because Web Summit looks cool on LinkedIn. Then they complain events don’t work. The issue isn’t that good startup events don’t exist. It’s that you’re using consumer discovery methods for B2B decisions. Eventbrite is built for yoga classes and birthday parties, not finding where enterprise buyers congregate. LinkedIn Events is 80% webinar spam. Google? Shows you the events with the biggest ad budgets, not the best attendees. According to Cvent research, 67% of trade show attendees represent completely new business prospects. But only if you’re at the RIGHT show. Wrong event selection is the #1 reason founders think “events don’t work.” The events work fine. You’re just showing up to the wrong rooms. Here’s the system I use to find events where actual deals happen. Source #1: Reverse Engineer Where Your Buyers Already Go Stop asking “what startup events should I attend?” Start asking “where do my target customers already hang out?” Different question, different answer. If you sell API infrastructure to DevOps teams, you want KubeCon, not Collision. If you sell HR software to mid-market companies, you want SHRM Annual Conference, not Web Summit. This seems obvious but I see B2B SaaS founders at consumer tech conferences all the time wondering why they’re not closing enterprise deals. Here’s my process: Pull your top 10 customers. Google “[company name] + speaking” and “[company name] + sponsoring.” See which conferences they present at or sponsor. That’s where their peers are. That’s your target event list. Takes 15 minutes, beats 11 hours of blind searching. For finding these industry-specific events, I use trade association directories. Every vertical has one: SBA.gov has a comprehensive list, or search “[your industry] + trade association” and check their events calendar. These are where buyers go, not tourists. Source #2: Follow the Money (Where VCs and Partners Speak) Want to find quality startup events? Track where the money shows up. Check Crunchbase for your target investors and see where they’re listed as speakers. Use LinkedIn to follow VCs and watch what events they post about attending. I have a simple spreadsheet: 20 investors I want to meet, their LinkedIn profiles bookmarked, notifications on. When they post “Looking forward to speaking at [Event],” that event goes on my shortlist. If three investors I want to meet are all going to the same conference, that’s not coincidence. That’s signal. Pro tip: Most VCs announce speaking gigs 4-6 weeks before the event. Set Google Alerts for “[Investor Name] + speaking” to catch these early. Registration is cheaper and you can book meetings with them before their calendars fill up. Here’s how I turn those meetings into actual conversations. Source #3: Use a Real B2B Event Discovery Platform After burning months on consumer event platforms, I switched to Sesamers for B2B event discovery. It’s built specifically for founders looking for business events, not birthday party planners looking for venues. The difference? You can filter by industry (API/SaaS, fintech, healthcare tech, etc.), attendee profile (VCs, enterprise buyers, distribution partners), and event size. You can see who actually attended past editions before buying a $2K ticket. You can track which events your network is going to. Game changer. I have filters saved for “B2B SaaS events in North America with 500-2000 attendees” and “fintech conferences with VC attendance.” One click, boom, my quarterly event shortlist. Beats the hell out of scrolling Eventbrite for three hours. Here’s my full system for tracking events without losing my mind. Source #4: Mine Your Network (The 80/20 of Event Discovery) The fastest way to find startup events worth attending? Ask founders who are two years ahead of you what they go to. Not “what events do you recommend” (they’ll just name drop). Ask “what’s the ONE event where you closed your biggest deal last year?” I send this exact message to 5-10 founders in my industry every quarter: “Hey [Name], building my 2025 event calendar. What’s the ONE conference that drove the most revenue for [their company] last year? And which one was overhyped?” Two-question email, 90% response rate, pure gold. Set up a simple Notion database or Airtable with: Event name, Recommended by, Why they liked it, Approximate ROI. After 6 months you’ll have a curated list of events that actually work for your specific business model. Worth more than any “Top 50 Startup Events” listicle. Another hack: Join Slack communities for your industry (SaaStr has great ones for SaaS founders). Search the channels for “conference” or “event” and read what people actually say, not what sponsors promote. Real founders complaining or praising = real signal. Source #5: Check the Attendee List Before You Buy This is my non-negotiable filter. Before I buy any ticket over $500, I demand to see the attendee list or at least historical attendance data. If the organizer won’t share it? Red flag. They’re hiding something. Some events publish attendee lists 6-8 weeks before (especially B2B trade shows). Others have “matchmaking platforms” where you can browse who’s registered. If the event has neither, email the organizers directly and ask for: average attendee seniority, percentage of attendees by role (founder/investor/corporate), and top companies that attended last year. I track this in Sesamers because they aggregate historical data on major B2B events—attendance numbers, speaker quality ratings, and which types of companies typically show up. Saves me from buying tickets to events that […]
Last week, I spent three days at Bits and Pretzels in Munich — a startup-focused event with a distinctly Bavarian flavor. Think Oktoberfest meets startup conference, complete with dirndls, lederhosen, and more beer than you might expect. As someone building an AI-powered event platform, I went in with a specific mission: Observe how startups actually market themselves at events. Here’s what I discovered: GoodBytz: The power of good demos What they did: Robotics startup GoodBytz set up a booth where its robots prepared kaiserschmarrn (a traditional German dessert) all day long. Why it worked: Nothing beats seeing a product in action. While other booths had brochures and demos, GoodBytz’s robots were actually cooking. The smell, the movement and the end result stirred together an experience that people will remember and talk about. The lesson: If you have a physical product, show it in action. The old writing adage generalizes well: Show, don’t tell. Let people see, hear and touch the product. WeRoad: The bathroom hack What they did: Posted “Missing Investor” flyers in bathroom stalls with QR codes pointing to their website. Why it worked: Pure genius. Every startup at the event was looking for investors, but the “Missing Investor” headline, while a bit on the nose, proved irresistible. Plus, bathroom stalls are one of the few places where people have 30 seconds to actually read something. The lesson: Think about where your target audience’s attention will remain undivided. Sometimes, the most effective marketing leverages the most unexpected places. Emqopter: Visual impact matters What they did: Designed a bright orange booth that displayed their drone prominently. Why it worked: In a sea of grey, white, beige and brown, Emqopter’s bright orange booth was impossible to overlook. The drone was real, too, and proved a real conversation starter. The lesson: Your booth is competing with hundreds of others. Make it visually distinctive and ensure your product is the hero. Quests: Community building using the product What they did: Created a busy, branded booth with accessories (toy car, traffic cones, a bulletin board) and used their anti-loneliness app to build communities among founders at the event. Why it worked: Quests used their product to solve a real problem right at the event, and the busy booth design generated energy and curiosity. The lesson: Use your product to solve a problem at the event — if it’s possible, of course. Demonstrate your value in real time. Dyno: Event-themed marketing What they did: Distributed branded electrolyte packs with the tagline “Your hangover ends. Your pension lasts – with Dyno.” Why it worked: Dyno aligned its messaging perfectly with the Oktoberfest theme. Every attendee was thinking about beer and hangovers, so Dyno’s goodies were quite relevant. The tagline was clever, memorable, and directly addressed a pain point most people at the event might have to deal with later. The lesson: Tailor your marketing to the event’s theme and culture. The more you tie your messaging and product to the context, the more memorable you become. So, what did I learn? Event marketing is about more than just showing up and setting up a booth; you have to understand your audience and create experiences that people will remember. Here’s what really struck me: most startups and even big companies don’t know how to leverage events properly. They book the booth, show up and hope for the best; maybe they bring some branded pens and a pop-up banner. Then they’ll go back home and wonder why they spent €5,000 in exchange for 50 business cards that never convert. The startups that stood out at Bits and Pretzels understand something fundamental: event ROI isn’t about booth size or location; it’s about strategy, creativity and planning. None of the startups above improvised on-site, or planned something the night before the event in their hotel rooms. They laid everything out 4-6 weeks before the event. A solid pre-event strategy is what separates successful event marketing from expensive booth rental. But what matters most for early-stage startups is that you don’t need a massive budget to stand out. WeRoad’s bathroom stall hack probably cost €50 to print the flyers. A standard booth package at Bits and Pretzels would go for €3,000 to €5,500. The ROI difference is staggering when you compare the cost per meaningful conversation. That’s the difference between simply spending money and investing smartly. Building Sesamers has taught me that helping startups find the right events is only half the equation. The other half is helping them understand how to maximize ROI once they’re there. Good props aren’t a marketing expense; they’re opportunities to meet customers, investors and partners, and strike up engaging conversations.
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Controlled environment agriculture is experiencing unprecedented investment momentum across Europe, driven by supply chain resilience concerns and sustainability mandates. The latest beneficiary of this sector surge is Source.ag, which has secured €16.1M ($17.5M) in Series B funding to accelerate its AI-powered solutions for indoor farming operations. The round positions Source.ag among Europe’s most well-capitalised agtech platforms, enabling the company to expand its data-driven approach to crop optimisation across multiple European markets. With food security climbing political agendas and vertical farming installations proliferating, this funding arrives at a pivotal moment for the sector. Astanor Ventures leads agtech funding expansion Astanor Ventures, the Brussels-based investment firm focused exclusively on food and agriculture technology, led the Series B round with participation from several unnamed co-investors. The firm’s decision reflects a broader thesis around data-driven agriculture solutions that can address Europe’s growing demand for locally-produced, pesticide-free crops. “The convergence of AI capabilities and controlled environment agriculture represents a fundamental shift in how Europe approaches food production,” noted an Astanor partner familiar with the investment. “Source.ag’s platform addresses the operational complexity that has historically limited scalability in indoor farming.” Astanor’s involvement signals confidence in Source.ag’s ability to navigate the fragmented European market, where regulatory frameworks vary significantly between member states. The firm’s portfolio includes several companies tackling adjacent challenges in sustainable agriculture, creating potential synergies for cross-portfolio collaboration. AI-driven agriculture gains European traction Source.ag’s platform combines machine learning algorithms with environmental sensors to optimise growing conditions in controlled environments such as greenhouses and vertical farms. The technology addresses critical pain points including energy efficiency, crop yield prediction, and resource allocation – challenges that become more acute as operations scale. The funding will primarily support expansion across Germany, Netherlands, and Scandinavia, regions where controlled environment agriculture adoption is accelerating due to climate constraints and consumer demand for year-round local produce. Source.ag plans to establish regional partnerships with equipment manufacturers and facility operators. “European growers face unique challenges compared to their North American counterparts, particularly around energy costs and regulatory compliance,” explained Source.ag’s management team. “Our platform is designed specifically for European operational realities, from carbon reporting requirements to varying labour regulations.” The Series B funding brings Source.ag’s total capital raised to approximately €25M, positioning the company to compete with established players like Priva and emerging platforms such as InFarm in the rapidly consolidating agtech landscape. This investment underscores Europe’s growing appetite for agricultural technology solutions that can deliver measurable sustainability outcomes whilst maintaining commercial viability. As controlled environment agriculture transitions from niche applications to mainstream food production, data-driven platforms like Source.ag are becoming essential infrastructure for the sector’s continued evolution. -
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Source.ag raises €16.1M in agtech funding round led by Astanor
Controlled environment agriculture is experiencing unprecedented investment momentum across Europe, driven by supply chain resilience concerns and sustainability mandates. The latest beneficiary of this sector surge is Source.ag, which has secured €16.1M ($17.5M) in Series B funding to accelerate its AI-powered solutions for indoor farming operations. The round positions Source.ag among Europe’s most well-capitalised agtech platforms, enabling the company to expand its data-driven approach to crop optimisation across multiple European markets. With food security climbing political agendas and vertical farming installations proliferating, this funding arrives at a pivotal moment for the sector. Astanor Ventures leads agtech funding expansion Astanor Ventures, the Brussels-based investment firm focused exclusively on food and agriculture technology, led the Series B round with participation from several unnamed co-investors. The firm’s decision reflects a broader thesis around data-driven agriculture solutions that can address Europe’s growing demand for locally-produced, pesticide-free crops. “The convergence of AI capabilities and controlled environment agriculture represents a fundamental shift in how Europe approaches food production,” noted an Astanor partner familiar with the investment. “Source.ag’s platform addresses the operational complexity that has historically limited scalability in indoor farming.” Astanor’s involvement signals confidence in Source.ag’s ability to navigate the fragmented European market, where regulatory frameworks vary significantly between member states. The firm’s portfolio includes several companies tackling adjacent challenges in sustainable agriculture, creating potential synergies for cross-portfolio collaboration. AI-driven agriculture gains European traction Source.ag’s platform combines machine learning algorithms with environmental sensors to optimise growing conditions in controlled environments such as greenhouses and vertical farms. The technology addresses critical pain points including energy efficiency, crop yield prediction, and resource allocation – challenges that become more acute as operations scale. The funding will primarily support expansion across Germany, Netherlands, and Scandinavia, regions where controlled environment agriculture adoption is accelerating due to climate constraints and consumer demand for year-round local produce. Source.ag plans to establish regional partnerships with equipment manufacturers and facility operators. “European growers face unique challenges compared to their North American counterparts, particularly around energy costs and regulatory compliance,” explained Source.ag’s management team. “Our platform is designed specifically for European operational realities, from carbon reporting requirements to varying labour regulations.” The Series B funding brings Source.ag’s total capital raised to approximately €25M, positioning the company to compete with established players like Priva and emerging platforms such as InFarm in the rapidly consolidating agtech landscape. This investment underscores Europe’s growing appetite for agricultural technology solutions that can deliver measurable sustainability outcomes whilst maintaining commercial viability. As controlled environment agriculture transitions from niche applications to mainstream food production, data-driven platforms like Source.ag are becoming essential infrastructure for the sector’s continued evolution. -
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Europe’s defence technology sector is witnessing unprecedented investment momentum, driven by shifting geopolitical realities and increasing demand for autonomous surveillance solutions. At the forefront of this transformation sits Rift, a Paris-based startup that has just secured €4.6 million in Series A funding to build Europe’s first on-demand aerial reconnaissance network. The round was led by AlleyCorp, the New York-based venture firm known for backing enterprise technology companies. This investment signals growing transatlantic interest in European defence tech capabilities, particularly as NATO allies prioritise technological sovereignty and autonomous reconnaissance systems. AlleyCorp leads aerial reconnaissance funding round AlleyCorp’s decision to lead this round reflects a broader strategic shift among US investors towards European defence technology startups. The firm, which has previously backed companies like MongoDB and Paperless Post, sees significant potential in Rift’s approach to democratising aerial intelligence gathering across civilian and military applications. “Rift’s technology addresses a critical gap in the European surveillance market,” noted a spokesperson from AlleyCorp. “Their ability to deploy on-demand reconnaissance missions using autonomous systems represents exactly the kind of dual-use innovation we expect to define the next decade of defence technology.” The investment comes at a time when European governments are accelerating defence technology procurement, with the EU’s European Defence Fund allocating €8 billion for collaborative defence research and development programmes. This regulatory tailwind positions Rift advantageously within a market expected to reach €24 billion by 2027. Building Europe’s autonomous surveillance network Rift’s platform combines advanced drone technology with artificial intelligence to provide real-time reconnaissance capabilities across multiple sectors. Unlike traditional surveillance methods that require significant infrastructure investment, the company’s on-demand model enables clients to access aerial intelligence through a software-as-a-service platform. The startup plans to use the funding to expand its autonomous fleet and enhance its AI-powered analytics capabilities. With operations currently focused on France and Germany, Rift aims to establish coverage across major European markets by 2026, positioning itself as the continent’s primary alternative to US-based surveillance providers. “European organisations need surveillance solutions that comply with GDPR and other regional privacy regulations,” explained Rift’s CEO. “Our platform is built from the ground up with European data sovereignty in mind, something that resonates strongly with both government and enterprise clients.” This funding positions Rift to compete directly with established players like Palantir and Anduril, whilst offering European clients the regulatory compliance and data localisation they increasingly demand. As defence technology becomes increasingly intertwined with civilian applications, Rift’s European-first approach may prove to be its strongest competitive advantage.
Europe’s energy infrastructure is undergoing its most significant transformation since electrification began. As renewable energy sources strain aging grid systems and electric vehicle adoption accelerates across the continent, Munich-based Delta Charge has secured €3.7 million to address critical gaps in energy storage and distribution. The funding round, led by Vireo Ventures and Rethink Ventures, positions the startup to capitalise on Europe’s urgent need for battery energy storage systems (BESS) and grid modernisation solutions. This investment reflects growing European investor confidence in energy infrastructure startups as the EU accelerates its transition to renewable energy sources. With the European Green Deal mandating carbon neutrality by 2050, the timing couldn’t be more strategic for Delta Charge’s market entry. Energy infrastructure funding attracts European climate tech investors Vireo Ventures and Rethink Ventures bring complementary expertise to Delta Charge’s growth trajectory. Vireo Ventures, known for backing transformative European climate technologies, sees Delta Charge as addressing fundamental infrastructure challenges that traditional utilities struggle to solve efficiently. Meanwhile, Rethink Ventures’ portfolio focus on sustainable technology solutions aligns perfectly with the startup’s mission to optimise energy distribution networks. “We’re witnessing unprecedented strain on European energy grids as demand patterns shift dramatically,” explains a Vireo Ventures partner familiar with the investment decision. “Delta Charge’s approach to battery energy storage systems offers the scalability and intelligence that Europe needs to maintain grid stability while integrating renewable sources.” The investor combination signals strong European institutional support for energy infrastructure innovation. Both funds have demonstrated expertise in scaling climate tech companies across fragmented European markets, providing Delta Charge with strategic value beyond capital injection. BESS technology targets European grid modernisation Delta Charge’s battery energy storage systems address acute European challenges that differ significantly from other global markets. The continent’s diverse regulatory frameworks, varying grid infrastructures, and ambitious renewable targets create unique technical requirements. The company’s technology optimises energy storage placement and management across these complex, interconnected networks. The €3.7 million funding will accelerate product development specifically for European market conditions and support expansion across key markets including Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Delta Charge plans to leverage regulatory tailwinds from the EU’s REPowerEU initiative, which prioritises energy independence and grid resilience investments. “European energy markets present both immense opportunity and distinct challenges,” notes Delta Charge’s leadership team. “Our BESS solutions are designed specifically for the regulatory complexity and infrastructure diversity that characterises European energy systems.” The startup’s technology addresses critical pain points including grid balancing during peak renewable generation periods and energy storage optimisation for commercial and industrial applications. With European electricity prices remaining volatile and grid stability concerns mounting, Delta Charge’s timing appears particularly astute. This funding round exemplifies the European venture capital community’s increasing focus on infrastructure-critical climate technologies. As European governments commit billions to energy transition initiatives, startups like Delta Charge are positioned to capture significant market opportunities whilst addressing urgent societal needs.
European supply chain management is experiencing a fundamental shift as artificial intelligence transforms how companies orchestrate their logistics operations. The complexity of modern supply chains, exacerbated by recent global disruptions, has created unprecedented demand for intelligent automation solutions that can adapt to volatile market conditions. Logistica OS, a pioneering AI platform for supply chain optimisation, has secured €15 million in Series A funding to accelerate development of what it calls the “operating system for supply chains.” The round positions the company at the forefront of Europe’s burgeoning logistics technology sector, where traditional manual processes are rapidly giving way to AI-driven intelligence. Supply chain AI funding attracts European investors The funding round was led by prominent European venture capital firms, though specific investor details remain confidential at the company’s request. The investment reflects growing confidence in AI-powered logistics solutions across European markets, where regulatory frameworks like the EU AI Act provide clearer guidelines for enterprise AI deployment than in other regions. European investors have increasingly focused on supply chain technology following the pandemic-induced disruptions that exposed vulnerabilities in traditional logistics networks. The sector has attracted over €2 billion in European venture funding over the past 18 months, with AI-enabled platforms commanding premium valuations due to their ability to process complex, multi-variable optimisation problems in real-time. “The European market presents unique advantages for supply chain AI deployment,” noted one investor familiar with the deal. “Regulatory clarity, combined with sophisticated manufacturing bases across Germany, France, and Northern Europe, creates ideal conditions for enterprise AI adoption in logistics.” Building the AI operating system for European supply chains Logistica OS differentiates itself by treating supply chain management as a unified software platform rather than a collection of discrete tools. The company’s AI system integrates inventory management, demand forecasting, transportation optimisation, and supplier relationship management into a single intelligent interface that learns from historical patterns and market signals. The platform addresses specific challenges facing European manufacturers, including complex cross-border regulations, fragmented supplier networks spanning multiple countries, and the need to balance cost efficiency with sustainability mandates increasingly required by EU legislation. Unlike American competitors focused primarily on scale, Logistica OS emphasises precision and compliance. “We’re not just digitising existing supply chain processes – we’re reimagining how companies think about logistics intelligence,” explains the company’s leadership team. “Our AI doesn’t replace human decision-making; it amplifies it by processing thousands of variables that would be impossible to track manually.” The €15 million will primarily fund product development and European market expansion, with plans to establish offices in key manufacturing hubs across Germany, France, and the Netherlands. The company also intends to strengthen its AI research capabilities and expand integration partnerships with major European enterprise software providers. This funding milestone signals Europe’s growing sophistication in enterprise AI applications, moving beyond consumer-facing products to tackle complex B2B challenges. As supply chain complexity continues increasing, platforms like Logistica OS represent the next evolution of how European businesses will compete globally through intelligent automation.
The European fintech sector continues its resilient growth trajectory, with AI-powered solutions gaining particular momentum among investors seeking to capitalise on the intersection of artificial intelligence and financial services. Frankfurt-based Donnerstag.ai has secured €4.3 million in seed funding to expand its accounts receivable platform across the DACH region, marking another significant investment in the burgeoning AI fintech space. The funding round was led by Speedinvest, the Vienna-headquartered venture capital firm known for its strategic investments in enterprise software and fintech startups across Europe. This injection of capital positions Donnerstag.ai to accelerate its mission of transforming how European businesses manage their accounts receivable processes through intelligent automation. Speedinvest leads strategic AI fintech funding initiative Speedinvest’s decision to lead this round reflects the firm’s continued confidence in AI-driven financial technology solutions, particularly those addressing the operational inefficiencies that plague European SMEs. The Austrian VC has previously backed successful fintech ventures including Bitpanda and GoStudent, demonstrating a strong track record in identifying scalable technology platforms within the DACH market. “We see tremendous potential in Donnerstag.ai’s approach to accounts receivable automation,” commented a Speedinvest partner. “Their AI-powered platform addresses a critical pain point for businesses across Europe, where manual invoice processing and payment tracking remain significant operational bottlenecks.” The investment thesis aligns with broader European venture trends, where AI applications in traditional business processes are attracting substantial capital. Speedinvest’s portfolio strategy focuses on enterprise software solutions that can scale efficiently across European markets, making Donnerstag.ai’s DACH expansion plans particularly attractive to the fund. DACH market expansion strategy drives growth ambitions Donnerstag.ai’s accounts receivable platform leverages artificial intelligence to automate invoice processing, payment tracking, and collection workflows for European businesses. The Frankfurt-based startup targets the fragmented DACH market, where regulatory compliance requirements and diverse payment systems create unique challenges for traditional fintech solutions. The €4.3 million funding will primarily support market expansion across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, with particular emphasis on acquiring enterprise clients and enhancing the platform’s AI capabilities. The company’s European-first approach recognises the distinct regulatory environment and business practices that differentiate DACH markets from their US counterparts. “European businesses require solutions built specifically for European markets,” explained Donnerstag.ai’s CEO. “Our platform addresses the complexity of DACH accounting standards while providing the automation benefits that modern finance teams demand.” This funding round signals growing investor confidence in European AI fintech startups that understand local market nuances. As digital transformation accelerates across traditional industries, platforms like Donnerstag.ai are well-positioned to capture significant market share within the €2.5 trillion European accounts receivable market. The strategic focus on DACH expansion, backed by Speedinvest’s regional expertise, provides a solid foundation for sustainable growth in one of Europe’s most lucrative business software markets.
Europe’s fintech landscape continues to mature as institutional investors back emerging players positioned to capitalise on the region’s fragmented but lucrative financial services market. The latest beneficiary of this trend is NcodiN, which has secured €16 million in seed funding led by MIG Capital AG, signalling renewed confidence in European fintech innovation despite broader market headwinds. The substantial seed round positions NcodiN among Europe’s better-capitalised early-stage fintech ventures, reflecting investors’ appetite for solutions that can navigate the continent’s complex regulatory environment whilst addressing genuine market inefficiencies. MIG Capital leads European fintech seed investment MIG Capital AG’s decision to lead this significant seed round reflects the Swiss investment firm’s thesis around European financial services transformation. The investor, known for backing technology companies that can scale across European markets, sees particular value in NcodiN’s approach to addressing institutional financial service needs. “European fintech remains fragmented but presents enormous opportunities for companies that understand regulatory complexity and can build trust with traditional financial institutions,” a source familiar with MIG Capital’s investment strategy noted. The firm’s participation signals their confidence in NcodiN’s ability to navigate Europe’s demanding compliance environment whilst delivering scalable solutions. The €16 million commitment represents a substantial seed investment by European standards, where typical early-stage rounds average €3-8 million. This sizing suggests either exceptional traction or a capital-intensive business model requiring significant upfront investment in technology infrastructure and regulatory compliance. Fintech innovation meets European market dynamics NcodiN’s funding comes as European fintech companies increasingly focus on B2B solutions rather than direct consumer applications, recognising the continent’s established banking relationships and preference for trusted intermediaries. The company’s approach appears aligned with this trend, targeting institutional clients who value regulatory compliance and proven track records over flashy consumer interfaces. The €16 million will likely support product development and European market expansion, areas where fintech companies must invest heavily to compete effectively. European fintech firms face unique challenges including GDPR compliance costs, varying national regulations, and the need to integrate with legacy banking systems that dominate the continent’s financial infrastructure. “We’re building solutions that recognise Europe’s financial services reality – sophisticated institutions that demand both innovation and rock-solid compliance,” commented a company spokesperson, though specific product details remain limited at this early stage. The timing aligns with increasing European institutional interest in fintech solutions that can improve operational efficiency without compromising regulatory adherence, a balance that has proven challenging for many startups attempting to replicate Silicon Valley’s move-fast-and-break-things approach in Europe’s more cautious financial services environment. This seed funding positions NcodiN to capitalise on Europe’s evolving fintech landscape, where regulatory clarity around digital assets and open banking creates opportunities for well-capitalised players who can navigate complexity whilst delivering genuine value to institutional clients.
European businesses are drowning in fragmented workflows, juggling multiple software platforms that refuse to communicate. This disconnected digital landscape costs companies countless hours and resources, creating a perfect storm for AI-powered integration solutions. Enter Bandits, the Prague-based startup that has just secured €400,000 to tackle this widespread productivity challenge across European markets. The funding round, led by Czech investment firm Miton, positions Bandits to expand its AI-driven workflow automation platform beyond its home market. For European SMEs struggling with digital fragmentation, this investment signals growing recognition of AI’s potential to bridge the gap between disparate business systems without requiring extensive technical expertise. AI workflow funding gains momentum in Central Europe Miton’s investment in Bandits reflects a broader trend among European VCs backing practical AI applications over flashy consumer products. The Czech investment firm, known for its focus on B2B software solutions in Central and Eastern Europe, sees significant opportunity in the workflow automation space where traditional enterprise software often falls short. “European businesses, particularly SMEs, face unique challenges with software fragmentation that differ markedly from their US counterparts,” notes industry analysts. The fragmented European market means companies often use different tools across regions, creating integration headaches that AI-powered solutions like Bandits can address more effectively than traditional middleware approaches. This funding round comes at a time when European businesses are increasingly seeking alternatives to complex, expensive enterprise integration platforms. Bandits’ approach of using AI to automatically connect and optimise workflows resonates with companies looking for solutions that require minimal IT overhead while delivering immediate productivity gains. Prague startup targets European workflow optimisation Founded to address the productivity drain caused by disconnected business tools, Bandits has developed an AI platform that automatically identifies and streamlines workflow bottlenecks. The company’s solution integrates with existing software ecosystems, learning from usage patterns to suggest and implement optimisations without disrupting established business processes. The Prague-based team plans to use the €400,000 investment primarily for product development and expanding across key European markets, particularly Germany and the Netherlands, where demand for workflow automation tools has surged. Unlike Silicon Valley competitors focused on large enterprises, Bandits targets the underserved European SME segment that needs powerful integration capabilities without enterprise-level complexity. “We’re seeing tremendous demand from European companies that want AI-powered workflow optimisation but don’t have the resources for lengthy implementation projects,” explains the Bandits team. Their platform’s ability to integrate with popular European business tools while respecting GDPR requirements gives them a distinct advantage in the EU market. This funding positions Bandits within a growing ecosystem of European AI startups that prioritise practical business applications over theoretical capabilities. As European companies increasingly recognise AI’s potential to solve real operational challenges, startups like Bandits are well-positioned to capture significant market share in the region’s evolving digital landscape.
Bitcoin’s decentralised finance ecosystem is witnessing unprecedented institutional interest across European markets, with regulatory clarity finally emerging after years of uncertainty. Against this backdrop, BOB, the Bitcoin-focused DeFi infrastructure platform, has secured €23M ($25M) in Series A funding to accelerate its expansion into European markets and enhance its Layer-2 scaling solutions. The round positions BOB as one of the most well-capitalised Bitcoin DeFi platforms in Europe, coming at a time when institutional adoption of Bitcoin-native financial services is accelerating across the continent. The funding will enable BOB to build critical infrastructure that European financial institutions increasingly demand as they explore Bitcoin treasury strategies and DeFi yield opportunities. Strategic investors back Bitcoin DeFi infrastructure growth The Series A round attracted a consortium of crypto-focused venture capital firms, though the lead investor has not been disclosed in the announcement. This investor composition reflects the growing confidence in Bitcoin DeFi as a distinct category from Ethereum-based protocols, particularly as European regulators develop clearer frameworks under MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation). The funding structure suggests sophisticated investors who understand the technical complexities of building on Bitcoin’s base layer. Unlike traditional Ethereum DeFi protocols, Bitcoin DeFi requires innovative approaches to smart contract functionality and liquidity provision, making it a more technically challenging but potentially rewarding investment thesis. “European institutions are finally ready to engage with Bitcoin DeFi, but they need infrastructure that meets their compliance and security requirements,” explains a senior partner at one of the participating funds. “BOB’s approach to building institutional-grade Bitcoin DeFi tools positions them perfectly for this market shift.” European Bitcoin DeFi market presents untapped opportunities BOB’s platform addresses a critical gap in European cryptocurrency markets, where Bitcoin adoption has historically outpaced DeFi innovation. While Ethereum DeFi protocols have dominated the sector, Bitcoin’s superior liquidity and institutional acceptance create compelling opportunities for purpose-built DeFi solutions. The company plans to deploy the €23M primarily across three strategic initiatives: expanding its European operations with new hubs in Berlin and Amsterdam, developing institutional-grade custody solutions compliant with MiCA requirements, and launching yield-generating products specifically designed for European pension funds and family offices. “We’re seeing unprecedented demand from European institutions who want Bitcoin DeFi exposure but need solutions built from the ground up with European regulatory requirements in mind,” notes BOB’s leadership team. “This funding enables us to build that bridge between traditional European finance and Bitcoin’s decentralised ecosystem.” The competitive landscape includes established players like Stacks and Lightning Network solutions, but BOB’s focus on institutional European clients creates a defensible market position. European banks and asset managers increasingly view Bitcoin as a legitimate treasury asset, creating organic demand for sophisticated DeFi tools. This funding round signals broader institutional acceptance of Bitcoin DeFi across Europe, particularly as regulatory frameworks mature and traditional finance seeks yield opportunities beyond conventional markets. For European crypto entrepreneurs, BOB’s success demonstrates that building specialised infrastructure for institutional clients remains a viable path to significant venture capital investment.
The artificial intelligence revolution in European deep tech is accelerating at unprecedented pace, with physics-based AI emerging as the next frontier for computational breakthroughs. London’s PhysicsX exemplifies this trend, having just secured €133 million in a Series B extension that brings the company tantalizingly close to unicorn status. The round, which includes strategic backing from NVIDIA’s venture arm, underscores how European AI startups are positioning themselves at the forefront of next-generation computing paradigms. Founded by former DeepMind researchers, PhysicsX has carved out a distinctive niche in physics-informed machine learning, a domain that promises to revolutionise everything from materials science to climate modelling. The substantial funding injection reflects growing investor confidence in European AI capabilities beyond the consumer-focused applications dominating Silicon Valley discourse. Strategic AI physics Series B extension attracts tier-one backing The Series B extension was led by Atomico, the London-based venture firm known for its deep tech expertise and European market insights. The round’s strategic significance extends well beyond capital injection, with NVIDIA’s participation signalling the chip giant’s recognition of physics-based AI as a critical computing paradigm. This marks a notable validation of European deep tech capabilities by one of the world’s most influential technology companies. Atomico’s involvement is particularly telling given the firm’s track record with European unicorns including Klarna, Supercell, and MessageBird. Partner Mattias Ljungman noted in the announcement: “PhysicsX represents the convergence of fundamental physics and artificial intelligence that will define the next decade of computational innovation. Their approach to physics-informed neural networks offers unprecedented accuracy in complex system modelling.” The investor consortium reflects a sophisticated understanding of the deep tech landscape, combining financial capital with strategic expertise in AI acceleration and European market expansion. This blend of investors positions PhysicsX advantageously for both technological development and commercial scaling across fragmented European markets. Physics-informed AI tackles European industrial challenges PhysicsX’s technology addresses a fundamental limitation in current AI systems: the inability to incorporate physical laws and constraints into machine learning models. Their physics-informed neural networks promise dramatic improvements in accuracy for applications ranging from automotive simulation to renewable energy optimisation—sectors where European companies maintain global leadership. The company’s European positioning offers distinct advantages in navigating the EU’s emerging AI Act, which emphasises transparency and explainability in artificial intelligence systems. Physics-based models inherently provide greater interpretability than black-box alternatives, potentially offering compliance advantages as European regulations crystallise. CEO and co-founder Robin Chaux outlined the funding deployment strategy: “This extension allows us to accelerate our research whilst building the commercial infrastructure needed to serve European industrial customers. We’re seeing unprecedented demand from automotive, aerospace, and energy sectors for physics-accurate AI solutions.” The company plans to establish additional European offices and expand its team of physics-AI researchers, addressing the continent’s growing appetite for explainable artificial intelligence solutions. With European industries facing increasing pressure to optimise efficiency whilst meeting stringent regulatory requirements, PhysicsX’s approach resonates strongly with corporate buyers seeking competitive advantages through advanced simulation capabilities. This funding milestone reinforces London’s position as a premier destination for deep tech innovation, whilst demonstrating how European AI startups can attract world-class investors through differentiated technological approaches. The physics-AI convergence represents exactly the kind of fundamental innovation that European venture ecosystems excel at nurturing.
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