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Top Startup Events & Conferences in 2024

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CES 2024

Jan 9-12 – USA

The event in Las Vegas is the ultimate global tech gathering, attracting over 130,000 industry professionals, including 6,000 media members, and featuring more than 4,000 exhibiting companies. It’s renowned for its role as the world’s premier showcase for breakthrough technologies, innovation, and the future of consumer electronics. The event spans across various sectors, including automotive, healthcare, robotics, and more, making it a dynamic hub for discovering the latest tech advancements and trends.

DLD Munich 2024

Jan 11-13 – Germany

The DLD Munich 2024 event is a leading European innovation conference that brings together a diverse group of business leaders, world-class scientists, artists, designers, startup founders, and investors. The goal of the event is to facilitate unexpected connections across various fields and industries.

IPEM Cannes 2024

Jan 23-25 – France

Since 2016, IPEM Cannes has been a key event for Europe’s private markets, offering a unique setting for industry leaders to engage and network. It’s a crucial platform for investors, fundraisers, and advisors, fostering significant connections and deals within a dynamic environment. The event’s distinctive atmosphere not only facilitates strong networking but also creates an impactful experience, distinguishing it in the industry.

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Photo by Alexandre Pellaes / Unsplash

MID3M+ 2024

Jan 24-27 – France

MID3M+ MuSee Discovery Experience is set to provide a prominent neutral platform for discussions, influence, and collaboration regarding the present and future challenges facing the music industry. In the upcoming 2024 edition, the goal is to foster debates and facilitate the alignment of perspectives during special moments of interaction between political figures and the music industry ecosystem.

future FEST 2024

Jan 24-27 – France

This premier event propels participants to break through the ordinary, to dream and innovate beyond the boundaries of today. Previously welcoming giants like Binance and Google Developers, it’s a crucible for futuristic ideas and impossible challenges, turning them into reality.

SEF 2024

Feb 3-4 – United Arab Emirates

The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF) 2024 is a dynamic and inspiring event that takes place at the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park on February 3rd and 4th, 2024. This festival is a convergence point for aspiring changemakers, innovative entrepreneurs, and global visionaries. It offers hands-on workshops, thought-provoking talks, and opportunities to pitch to leading investors.

GoWest Conference 2024

Feb 7-8 – Sweden

This premier venture capital forum in Gothenburg, West Sweden, is a beacon for startups, scaleups, and investors, highlighting the region’s industrial heritage and innovative spirit. It’s a pivotal gathering for networking, match-making, and showcasing cutting-edge research and development, driving forward the narrative of tech growth and investment.

Stockholm Fintech Week 2024

Feb 12-16 – Sweden

With over 1,200 attendees, 70 global leaders, and 200 startups participating, it hosts a two-day conference covering 10 fintech tracks, along with a series of side events. The agenda spans topics from regulations to AI in fintech, fostering a hub for collaboration and innovation within the financial technology community.

Step Dubai 2024

Feb 21-22 – United Arab Emirates

The Step Conference in Dubai is a premier tech festival that stands as a beacon for innovation in the MENA region. The event boasts an impressive lineup of nearly 100 industry leaders who share their insights across multiple domains, including fintech, AI, and digital media. It’s a vital arena for startups to network with an extensive community of investors and peers.

The Tech Arena 2024

Feb 22-23 – Sweden

This event is set to be a landmark gathering in Scandinavia, uniting business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, and decision-makers in a dynamic and diverse environment. It focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, showcasing a vibrant program that includes keynotes, panel discussions, and interactive sessions.

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Photo by Product School/ Unsplash

Web Summit Qatar 2024

Feb 26-29 – Qatar

This premier Tech event will attract over 7,500 participants, including more than 400 startups and 300 investors. It’s a hub for innovation, offering a vast platform for tech enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders to connect and collaborate. The event is pivotal in highlighting emerging tech trends and fostering global business opportunities.

4YFN 2024

Feb 26- 29 – Spain

In its 10th year, the event is scaling up with more halls, stages, and speakers, enhancing programs for greater engagement and expertise. Celebrating a decade of startup empowerment, 4YFN 2024 will focus on growth, AI, and startup funding while offering enriched opportunities for networking, insights, and investments.

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Photo by Noiseporn/ Unsplash

MWC Barcelona 2024

Feb 26- 29 – Spain

Set in the vibrant city of Barcelona, MWC is a premier event for the mobile technology industry. It’s renowned for its rich agenda including discussions on 5G & Beyond, AI, and digital transformation. The conference fosters innovation through the Diversity4Tech program, GSMA Mobile for Development, and the Sports Tomorrow Congress, focusing on the intersection of tech with fintech, mobile commerce, and smart mobility, promoting cross-industry collaboration.

FinovateEurope 2024

Feb 27-28 – UK

This leading fintech conference is a hub for over 1,000 senior decision-makers in the financial sector, with more than half of the attendees being executives from banks and financial institutions. It features over 35 innovative fintech demonstrations and insights from over 100 influential speakers. The event is an unmatched platform for networking and gaining industry insights, attracting a high caliber of participants, including C-level executives and directors from various financial institutions.

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SXSW 2024

Mar 8-16 – USA

South by Southwest (SXSW) 2024, is set to take place in Austin, Texas, a celebration of the convergence of technology, film, television, music, and comedy industries. This annual event is a destination for global professionals and offers a plethora of activities including conference sessions, film and TV festival screenings, music festival showcases, comedy sets, exhibitions, competitions, and awards. SXSW is designed to foster discovery, learning, professional development, and networking among creatives from around the world.

Investors’ Forum 2024

Mar 20-21 – Switzerland

This distinguished conference is recognized for its exceptional content and the high caliber of its delegates, bringing together leading limited partners (LPs) and general partners (GPs) in the private equity space. It is lauded for offering cutting-edge industry insights and facilitating high-level discussions and networking in a non-commercial setting.

FTI SuperNova 2024

Mar 21-22 – Belgium

As part of the Flanders Technology & Innovation Festival, this event reinvents a renowned venue into a dynamic space for entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors. It’s known for its inspiring atmosphere, fostering connections and sparking empowerment through interactive sessions and keynote presentations from national and international speakers.

hello tomorrow Global Summit 2024

Mar 21-22 – France

hello tomorrow’s Global Summit, created by hello tomorrow in 2011, is dedicated to accelerating deep tech solutions to improve human and planetary health. The summit connects startups, investors, corporates, and researchers, focusing on emerging technologies rooted in science and engineering. It emphasizes innovations that can solve global problems and create new markets, fostering an ecosystem that transcends traditional sectors and disciplines.

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Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 / Unsplash

START Summit 2024

Mar 21-22 – Switzerland

This exceptional event offers 30 early-stage startups a golden opportunity to present their ventures to industry leaders, seasoned founders, and Europe’s top venture capitalists. It is destined to become a wellspring of inspiration for innovators and entrepreneurs of both today and tomorrow. Following the Quarterfinals, the Semifinals and Finals will take center stage, marking a pinnacle of excitement during the event.

ChangeNOW 2024

Mar 25-27 – France

Scheduled to be hosted in Paris, this significant event is dedicated to expediting and igniting transformation for a sustainable planet. It assembles more than 1,000 solutions and features 500 speakers, to unite change-makers spanning diverse sectors. This gathering provides a forum to exhibit inventive solutions, facilitate the exchange of ideas, and drive meaningful impact in addressing global challenges.

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Photo by Matthias Wagner / Unsplash

Web Summit Rio 2024

Apr 15-18 – Brazil

This premier technology event is where over 30,000 people gather, bringing together a mix of CEOs, founders, investors, and cultural figureheads to share expertise and foster connections. It’s celebrated for its impressive array of speakers, unparalleled networking opportunities, and unique software to enhance the attendee experience. This event is a significant hub for the tech community, especially highlighting the burgeoning tech scene in South America.

SaaSiest 2024

Apr 16-17 – Sweden

SaaSiEST 2024 is a prominent event in the Nordic region dedicated to B2B SaaS companies. It serves as a congregation point for over a thousand CEOs, founders, executives, SaaS professionals, and venture capitalists. Attendees can anticipate more than 50 speakers, engaging in meaningful networking, and enjoying the vibrant atmosphere that includes food, social side events, and a celebratory party​.

TechChill Riga 2024

Apr 17-19 – Latvia

A major Baltic tech and startup event in Riga, Latvia is on the horizon, bringing together international and local investors, founders, and ecosystem players. It will explore Frontier Technologies, Startup Growth, and Changing Rules, connecting over 2,300 attendees, 310 startups, and 230 investors while showcasing emerging innovations.

Startup Grind Global Conference 2024

Apr 23-24 – USA

Startup Grind Global Conference 2024, happening in Silicon Valley, is an annual event that brings together startups aiming to make significant impacts. It’s a gathering place for startup teams, those working with startups, and investors. The event features a range of activities and opportunities for networking, learning, and showcasing innovative ideas, making it an essential platform for entrepreneurs and startups in various stages of growth.

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Photo by Erika Giraud / Unsplash

EU-Startups Summit 2024

May 9-10 – Spain

An annual gathering set to take place in 2024, this event will bring together more than 2,000 European founders, investors, and startup enthusiasts. It offers exceptional networking possibilities, including a specialized app and a central hub for entrepreneurs and investors to connect. Notable attractions encompass fireside discussions with accomplished founders, enlightening keynotes, and a competitive pitch event showcasing Europe’s most promising startups.

PODIM 2024

May 13-15 – Slovenia

PODIM 2024, one of Europe’s foremost tech and startup events, is set in Maribor, Slovenia. This conference serves as a melting pot for startups, investors, executives, and entrepreneurial enthusiasts, focusing on innovation and opportunity. Podim provides a platform for one-on-one meetings, pitching competitions, and showcases over 150 handpicked startups and 70+ international speakers. It’s a dynamic environment for networking and discovering the latest in the startup ecosystem.

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Tech.eu Summit London 2024

May 16-17 – UK

This essential tech industry summit, held in London, is dedicated to innovation and the pursuit of sustainable growth. It assembles a diverse community of entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives, and policymakers, providing an invaluable platform for networking and in-depth discussions on the future of technology.

Infoshare 2024

May 22-23 – Poland

Taking place in Gdańsk, this is one of the largest Tech events in Central and Eastern Europe, anticipated to draw more than 6,000 participants, including tech enthusiasts, developers, entrepreneurs, and investors. With a lineup of over 200 inspirational speakers and a variety of activities such as networking, knowledge exchange, and startup competition, it stands out as a prominent gathering for the tech community.

Latitude59 2024

May 22-24 – Estonia

Latitude59, established in 2012 in Tallinn, Estonia, is a key tech and startup event, fosters a global community of founders, investors, and innovators. It’s known for its engaging environment, facilitating networking and showcasing emerging talents and ideas. Latitude59 offers a diverse array of speakers, startup pitches, and side events, attracting thousands from over 60 countries, and underlining its role as a significant hub in the tech ecosystem.

VivaTechnology 2024

May 22-25 – France

Annually hosted in Paris, France, this premier event for innovation and startups unites a diverse community of business leaders, investors, researchers, and innovators. It serves as a hub for exploring the latest tech trends and promoting digital transformation. Distinguished by its dynamic collaborations and pioneering technologies, this event is a catalyst for product launches, networking opportunities, and discussions on the future of technology.

Saigon Summit 2024

May 30 – Vietnam

An influential hub for technology, this summit gathers over 700 professionals to foster innovation and collaboration, driving Vietnam’s booming digital economy towards its US$45 billion potential by 2025.

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Photo by Dimitri Iakymuk/ Unsplash

Dublin Tech Summit 2024

May 29-30 – Ireland

Dublin Tech Summit 2024 is a significant event in the tech world, bringing together thousands of global leaders, startups, and investors. Set in Dublin, Ireland, it offers over 200 speakers and numerous networking opportunities, focusing on emerging technologies and innovation in the tech industry.

Money20/20 Europe 2024

Jun 4-6 – Netherlands

It’s expected to draw over 8,500 attendees, 2,300+ companies, and 390+ sponsors from over 100 countries, along with 300+ members of the press and 350+ speakers. The event focuses on the collaboration between humans and machines in the financial ecosystem, showcasing stories of innovators and leaders in the field.

SaaStr EUROPA 2024

Jun 4-5 – UK

SaaStr Europa is a premier conference that brings together a vibrant community of SaaS innovators. With a tradition of insightful sessions and hands-on workshops, the event promises actionable advice for growing a SaaS business, fostering a dynamic learning environment for founders, executives, and investors.

South Summit 2024

Jun 5-7 – Spain

The annual event in Madrid is a leading entrepreneurial forum, featuring a diverse array of speakers and attracting a multitude of entrepreneurs and investors. It provides a platform for startup competitions and networking, promoting innovation and collaboration in the global startup ecosystem.

Arctic15 2024

Jun 6-7 – Finland

Arctic15 is a matchmaking haven, known for facilitating real connections among startups, investors, and corporates, all under the guiding principles of equality and quality interactions.

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London Tech Week 2024

Jun 10-14 – UK

Uniting over 30,000 tech enthusiasts, including key industry leaders, policymakers, and media from various corners of the globe, it features a robust lineup of more than 300 speakers and over 70 partners. The focus is on innovation, networking, and shaping the future of technology, catering to a broad spectrum of participants and fostering impactful discussions in the tech sphere.

DES Show 2024

Jun 11-13 – Spain

With representation from over 50 countries, it’s a premier event for exploring digital transformation, showcasing the latest in digitalization, emerging technologies, and sustainability. The program includes keynote speeches, workshops, and exhibitions, attracting a diverse group of executives, innovators, and entrepreneurs, making it a key venue for discussing technology and business strategies.

HTGF Family Day 2024

Jun 11-12 – Germany

This event is recognized as High-Tech Gründerfonds’ flagship networking occasion, offering a fusion of convention and conference experiences in Berlin.

Collision 2024

Jun 17-20 – Canada

This landmark event assembles pioneers and pathfinders in technology, offering a venue for high-impact networking and the exchange of ideas that are shaping the tech industry. With a rich program including talks, masterclasses, and Q&As, the conference is a hub for innovation, learning, and collaboration.

TNW Conference 2024

Jun 20-21 – Netherlands

This Amsterdam-based tech festival is a vibrant convergence of technology and innovation. It features a diverse assembly of participants, including industry leaders, startups, and investors. The event is known for its dynamic blend of business, inspiration, and networking, offering a unique festival-like atmosphere.

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Photo by Al Elmes/ Unsplash

Turing FEST 2024

Jul 9-10 – Scotland

TF is a uniquely multi-disciplinary event with extremely high-value content, connections, and conversations for people building and scaling technology businesses.

Tech in Asia Conference 2024

Jul 24-25 / Oct 23–24 – Malaysia

The Tech in Asia Conference 2024 is set to bring together over 1,500 industry experts, investors, and startup founders from across Southeast Asia through dynamic networking, insightful sessions, and innovation showcases. Held in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, twice in one year. This event offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with key players in the tech ecosystem. Attendees can look forward to sessions like Investor Hour for rapid one-on-one investor meetings and the Startup Factory, where 80 of the region’s most promising startups will present their cutting-edge ideas.

IPEM Paris 2024 

Sep 9-11 – France

Launched in 2023, this dynamic gathering will highlight innovation, foster new connections, and propel exceptional opportunities. It will bring together more than 6,000 decision-makers, investors, and general partners in the heart of a bustling city, for high-level business meetings and thought leadership content.

SaaStr ANNUAL 2024

Sep 10-12 – USA

This event marks a premier gathering for innovators and leaders in the SaaS industry, offering a dynamic platform for learning, networking, and growth. With a festival-style atmosphere, the conference features expert-led workshops, mentorship opportunities, and exclusive sessions aimed at fostering community and sharing actionable knowledge.

TechBBQ 2024

Sep 11-12 – Denmark

TechBBQ has become the heartbeat of the startup and innovation ecosystem in Scandinavia. It began as a humble BBQ gathering for tech enthusiasts and entrepreneurs in 2013 but has since evolved into a large-scale summit that draws attendees from around the world for two days of inspiration, networking, and growth.

FDDay 2024

Sep 18 – France

One of the most exciting startup family reunions, France Digitale Day (FDDay) returns for its 12th edition. From across France and Europe, over 4,000 founders, investors, and innovation leaders gather for the whole day (and night !) to get inspired, discuss last trends in business, tech, and society, close (big) deals with new partners, network, raise funds with investors and meet with your peers in a village-like venue in the heart of the French capital. This year, the CES is back at FDDay for their CES Tech Trends, the first stop on the road to CES2025.

OIW 2024 

Sep 23-27 – Norway

Oslo Innovation Week (OIW) 2024 invites you to 80+ pioneering events. Discover advanced Nordic technology, leading sustainable solutions, entrepreneurship workshops, diversity panels, design showcases, climate investing talks, and beyond.

B2B Rocks 2024 

Sep 25-26 – France

2 jam-packed days focused on all things #AI #Growth #Profitability hosted at Station F in Paris, the world’s largest startup campus & attracting 3,000+ data-driven tech companies corporates, founders, VCs & exec as well as exclusive side events as part of Paris SaaS Week.

European Blockchain Convention 2024

Sep 25-26 – Spain

The event in Barcelona is a key gathering in the blockchain sector, with over 5,000 attendees and 300 speakers. It’s a platform for exploring the blockchain ecosystem, featuring three stages, a large exhibition area, startup competitions, and numerous networking opportunities. This event is known for its influential presence in the blockchain community and its role in shaping the future of the industry.

Italian Tech Week

Sep 25-27 – Italy

Held at OGR Torino and offers an immersive event on global tech innovations. It features keynotes from industry leaders, masterclasses, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. Free to attend, the event encourages both in-person participation and provides live streaming for remote viewers. Attendees can explore various areas such as the Fucine Stage, Binario 3, a tech expo, and networking zones. Sustainable food options will be available onsite.

Bits & Pretzels 2024

Sep 29-Oct 1 – Germany

Bits & Pretzels began as a small gathering of 80 attendees with grand aspirations. Today, it has evolved into a prominent event, hosting 5,000 founders, investors, and industry leaders over three days. Held during the Munich Oktoberfest, it offers a unique blend of learning, networking, and business opportunities. This event has become a thriving hub for entrepreneurs seeking to expand their networks and gain a significant boost in their ventures.

HOW TO WEB Conference 2024

Oct 2-3 – Romania

A premier tech conference in Eastern Europe, dedicated to showcasing innovation, entrepreneurship, and the latest technology trends. Bringing together startups, investors, and global experts, the event focuses on fostering connections, sharing insights, and accelerating growth in the tech industry. Discover inspiring talks, hands-on workshops, and networking opportunities designed to empower innovators and shape the future of technology.

Sifted Summit 2024

Oct 2-3 – UK

The Sifted Summit is an annual event bringing together 3,000 founders, startup operators, and investors to explore the latest trends in European tech. With over 200 speakers, attendees can engage in sector-specific sessions, network with key ecosystem players, and discover the next big opportunities in startups. The event includes investor matchmaking, workshops, and roundtables, making it an essential platform for startups and investors alike.

World Summit AI 2024

Oct 9-10 – Netherlands

Seen by tech leaders as the platform to launch their latest AI products and services and regarded as the world’s leading startup and investor network, WSAI gathers the global AI ecosystem of Enterprise, Big Tech, Startups, Investors, Science, and Academia to set the global AI agenda, every October in Amsterdam.

ARRtist SUMMIT 2024

Oct 10 – Germany

The event gathers 500 B2B SaaS founders and executives along with 125 investors, creating a vibrant community for exchanging knowledge and networking. It features 50+ speakers and content sessions, tailored to different stages of business growth, including an exclusive track for early-stage ventures and a separate one for more developed companies, fostering a rich environment for SaaS development.

SaaStock Europe 2024

Oct 14-16 – Ireland

This conference is one of Europe’s foremost gatherings for SaaS founders, executives, and investors, renowned for its focus on practical, actionable insights that drive business growth. Celebrated for its blend of expert speakers and dynamic networking opportunities, this event is a nexus for industry leaders aiming to scale their SaaS ventures.

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Photo by Alex Kotliarskyi/ Unsplash

SOSV Climate Tech Summit 2024

Oct 14–18 – Online

A live, virtual, and free event bringing together climate tech startups, investors, and innovators. The summit highlights cutting-edge solutions in energy, transport, food, and industrial sectors to tackle climate change. With over 5,000 attendees, it features panels, breakout sessions, and a VC-Founder matchup designed to foster innovation and investment in the climate tech space.

SIAL Paris 2024 

Oct 19-23 – France

SIAL Paris has established itself as a leading event in the global food industry over the past 60 years, becoming more than just a trade show. Every two years, it brings together professionals from around the world to explore new ideas, share insights, and shape the future of food. With a strong emphasis on innovation and collaboration, SIAL Paris has evolved into a crucial platform for addressing the challenges and opportunities within the food sector. In 2024, SIAL Paris celebrates its 60th anniversary with an event larger than ever, spanning 11 halls and featuring 10 food industry sectors. The event has attracted over 7,500 exhibitors, filling all available space five months before opening. An estimated 285,000 professionals from 205 countries will gather to explore more than 400,000 products and innovations, highlighting SIAL Paris’s role as a key global hub for the food industry.

Techarena ZERO

Oct 23 – Sweden

Techarena Zero is a high-level conference focused on sustainable transformation, bringing together over 700 decision-makers, including CEOs, ministers, and executives. The event features solution-oriented discussions, panels, and roundtables on sustainability challenges, with a strong focus on actionable insights and networking opportunities. Attendees can explore innovative solutions, engage in matchmaking, and participate in side events to foster impactful connections in the race toward a zero-emission future.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

Oct 28-30 – USA

Disrupt offers innovation for every stage of your startup journey, from budding founders to seasoned startups and investors. The TechCrunch Disrupt conference, held from October 28-30 in San Francisco, focuses on breaking tech news and features influential thought leaders. At the core of Disrupt is the Startup Battlefield 200, showcasing 200 early-stage startups. Twenty finalists will compete for a $100,000 grand prize. The event also includes networking activities, roundtables, and parties.

Wolves Summit Europe 2024

Nov 6-7 – Austria

A premier tech event in Vienna offers a dynamic platform for networking, pitching, and showcasing the latest technological advancements. This interactive gathering brings together tech enthusiasts, startups, investors, and corporations from across the globe, facilitating the exchange of ideas and forging valuable business connections through keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, and one-on-one meetings. With a focus on emerging and disruptive technologies, Wolves Summit is an ideal event for professionals and companies in the tech industry, covering topics from fintech to AI and digital transformation to green tech.

Web Summit Lisbon 2024

Nov 11-14 – Portugal

Hosting over 70,000 attendees, Web Summit unites key players in technology, from industry leaders to fast-growing startups. Acclaimed as a world-leading Tech event, Web Summit is a pivotal platform for policymakers, heads of state, and tech CEOs to discuss future directions and innovations in the tech world.

FutureTravel Summit 2024

Nov 28 – Spain

This 4th edition of the FutureTravel Summit will be a face-to-face event bringing together more than 450 people from around the world, including travel executives, innovators, startups & investors. Happening in Barcelona, a hotspot for travel, the FutureTravel Summit is the perfect spot to discuss what’s next in the world of travel.

Slush 2024

Nov 30-Dec 1 – Finland

With over 25,000 attendees, 2,000 startups, and 4,000 investors, Slush is one of the world’s most valuable gatherings of industry leaders, tech enthusiasts, and innovators. Slush 2024 features impactful discussions, startup showcases, investor meetings, and a unique atmosphere that fosters collaboration and growth. Slush is renowned for its role in shaping the future of the tech and startup ecosystem.

Apidays Paris 2024

Dec 3-5 – France

Apidays Global is a conference focused on APIs and their role in digital transformation. The Paris edition of this conference will cover a wide range of topics, including API lifecycle management, cloud-native infrastructure, and more. With over 4,000 attendees and 200 speakers.

Paris Creator Week 2024

Dec 10-11 – France

Paris Creator Week, held at Station F in Paris, is a major B2B event for the Creator Economy. It brings together content creators, platforms, brands, agencies, and policymakers to discuss trends in digital content and media.

World Summit AI 2024

Dec 10-11 – Qatar

Seen by tech leaders as the platform to launch their latest AI products and services and regarded as the world’s leading startup and investor network, WSAI gathers the global AI ecosystem of Enterprise, Big Tech, Startups, Investors, Science, and Academia to set the global AI agenda, every year in Europe & North America. World Summit AI will make its debut in Qatar at DECC.

Conferences in 2024
Photo by Nigel Tadyanehondo/ Unsplash

FAQ: Startup Events & Conferences

What are the biggest startup events in Europe?

The largest startup events in Europe include VivaTech (Paris), Web Summit (Lisbon), Slush (Helsinki), Collision (Toronto/Europe), and Bits & Pretzels (Munich). These events attract thousands of founders, investors, and corporate innovators each year.

How much does it cost to attend a startup conference?

Ticket prices vary widely. Early-bird startup passes can start from free to a few hundred euros, while premium passes with networking access and investor meetings can range from 500 to 3,000 euros depending on the event.

Are startup conferences worth it for early-stage founders?

Yes, especially for networking, visibility, and fundraising. Many founders secure their first meetings with VCs at conferences. The key is to prepare in advance: schedule meetings, practice your pitch, and target events aligned with your industry.

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The most digital companies in the world are opening coffee shops
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The AI industry runs on GPUs, APIs and Discord servers. So why is an AI insurance startup valued at $4 billion signing a lease for a 24/7 café in Shoreditch? Corgi, the San Francisco insurtech that raised three rounds in eight weeks this summer (TechCrunch, July 2026), already runs two 24-hour cafés in San Francisco and Atlanta. Its London location on Great Eastern Street opens this month, with five more planned including New York (Sifted, July 2026). The pitch: give founders a place to work at 3am, and sell them AI liability insurance while they sip a “Brexspresso.” Is it working? The Mercury News reported in April that the San Francisco café was running at a loss with zero conversions to the insurance business (via Wikipedia). Investors funded three more rounds anyway. That tells you something about what the market believes physical presence is worth right now. AI companies are becoming event organizers Corgi is the extreme case. The pattern is everywhere. Anthropic held its first Code with Claude conference in May 2025 as a single-day event in San Francisco. One year later, it became an international tour: San Francisco on May 6, London on May 19, Tokyo on June 10, with a second SF day added because demand from independent developers exceeded capacity (Anthropic). OpenAI’s DevDay returns to San Francisco on September 29. ElevenLabs ran its Global Hackathon across 30 cities simultaneously last December and launched its own Summit. Lovable’s community events page lists hackathons from Barcelona to Bradford to Tbilisi, funded with credits and swag. Stripe, the company that made online payments invisible, now runs two event franchises: Stripe Sessions at Moscone Center in April, plus Stripe Tour, a global one-day roadshow hitting Paris, New York and other major cities. Even the investors backing these companies have become organizers. a16z presents Tech Week, a decentralized conference series across New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles that reached more than 740 events in New York alone in 2024 (Tech:NYC). The firm also runs a16z Build, an invite-only program of private dinners and retreats designed to connect early builders. A venture firm operating a citywide event franchise and a curated dinner circuit is a firm that treats community as an asset class. These are field marketing budgets that would have gone to paid social five years ago. When every feed is flooded with AI-generated content, a room full of verified humans becomes the scarce asset. The companies building the flood know this better than anyone. The money agrees While AI companies build community from scratch, institutional capital is buying live events at scale. Liberty Media completed its €4.2 billion acquisition of MotoGP in July 2025, adding it to a Formula One Group that also includes F1 and hospitality business Quint (Liberty Media). KKR acquired Superstruct Entertainment, operator of more than 80 festivals including Sziget, Sónar and Wacken Open Air, in a deal reported at €1.3 billion (Music Business Worldwide, June 2024). CVC joined as co-investor a few months later. And Ari Emanuel raised more than $2 billion from Apollo, RedBird and the Qatar Investment Authority to launch Mari, a holding company built to buy events: the Miami Open, the Madrid Open, Frieze, Barrett-Jackson (Bloomberg, October 2025). This week, Mari agreed to acquire ATG Entertainment, owner of 70 theaters across Broadway and the West End, in a deal reported at $6 billion (Axios, August 2026). “Live has only grown more powerful,” Emanuel said in the announcement. Read that list again. Sports, festivals, art fairs, theater. The smartest money in media is converging on one thesis: attention earned in person compounds in a way digital attention no longer does. What this means for founders Here is the contradiction worth sitting with. The companies automating knowledge work are the ones investing hardest in rooms, coffee and handshakes. They understand that when intelligence becomes a commodity, trust becomes the product. And trust still gets built face to face. For startup founders, the lesson is practical. Your customers, your investors and your future hires are recalibrating where they spend their scarce in-person time. The events that win their calendar slots will be smaller, more curated and more expensive to ignore. Where the two worlds meet If you work at an AI company or a scale-up that just discovered field marketing, here is the uncomfortable truth: the event industry has been perfecting this craft for decades. The people who run Web Summit, VivaTech or MWC have solved problems you are about to encounter, from audience acquisition costs to sponsor ROI to the logistics of moving 100,000 people through a venue. That is the room Sesame Summit puts you in. It is the conference of conferences: our annual gathering in Biarritz where leaders from Europe’s top event organizers meet the startups, investors and tech companies betting on IRL. Disclosure: I organize it, so read this with that in mind. But if the smartest money in media is paying billions for audiences that show up in person, spending two days with the people who build those audiences seems like a reasonable shortcut. If your company is doubling down on events this year, what would you want to learn from the organizers who have been doing this for 20 years?

Crowded exhibition hall with an empty startup village, only one startup exhibitor active.
Events 2 days ago

Picture this. A strategy director at a major exhibition calls with six weeks to go before the show. The brand new startup area has sold exactly one booth. The show runs on a multi-year cycle, so a failed launch means the whole concept probably gets cancelled before it gets a second chance. This is a composite of several conversations I’ve had this year, and the pattern is always the same. The organizer builds a startup area, assigns it to the existing sales team, waits, panics, then calls for help when the calendar has already decided the outcome. The diagnosis is simple: startup acquisition is a different business than exhibitor sales. Most organizers discover this too late. Here are the five reasons why. 1. They sell square meters to companies that buy outcomes A corporate exhibitor renews a booth the way it renews an insurance policy. There’s a budget line, a history, a floor plan discussion. The sales conversation is about location and dimensions. Startups have none of that. They buy pipeline, investor meetings, and proof that the show is worth their time. And their time is expensive: my rule of thumb is two full prep days for every event day, more if the team is small or the show is far. A founder deciding between your startup area and a customer roadshow is running an ROI calculation, and a rate card doesn’t answer it. A sales team trained on renewals and floor plans doesn’t speak this language. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s a different job. 2. They start the clock six months too late Startup areas usually get scoped after the main floor is sold. The launch lands a few months, sometimes a few weeks, before the show. Founders don’t work like that. They lock their event strategy two or three quarters ahead, because attending well requires prep: outreach, meeting scheduling, demo logistics, travel. A six-week sprint is competing against decisions that were made in the spring. The paradox is that organizers know this about their corporate exhibitors, who book 12 to 18 months out. Somehow the assumption becomes that startups, the most resource-constrained companies on the floor, can be converted on short notice. 3. They design the offer around what they can administer Here’s a real example, anonymized. One show’s main startup offer was a 60 percent discount, funded by a national grant. Great deal. One catch: only domestic startups qualified for it, at an international show. The offer wasn’t designed around the buyer. It was designed around available paperwork. The addressable pool shrank to a fraction of the relevant ecosystem, and everyone else got a full-price booth with no story attached. Startup offers that work are built the other way around: define which companies belong on that floor, then engineer the package (price, format, visibility, matchmaking) that makes their decision easy. Administration comes second. 4. They confuse margin kept with money made This one stings, because I’ve watched it happen twice this year. An organizer works with a partner on startup acquisition, hits targets, then decides to insource the next edition to keep the full margin. On a spreadsheet, it’s savings. In reality, the target gets missed, the area sits half-empty, and the organizer comes back mid-campaign asking for rescue. Some results are still possible at that point. The results a proper campaign would have delivered are gone. The full cost of insourcing shows up later: lost booth revenue, a weaker visitor experience in that zone, and a startup program that gets cancelled for “lack of demand.” Against that, the partner commission was the cheapest line on the P&L. 5. They run a program where they need a pipeline Startup acquisition compounds. Alumni come back. Competition applicants become exhibitors. Founders talk to each other, and a good experience at one edition sells the next one. None of that happens inside a one-off project. It requires a multi-year cadence: scouting, competitions, curated programs, follow-up between editions. Shows on two or four year cycles feel this the hardest, because a standalone approach means restarting from zero every single time, with a new team and no institutional memory. What compounding looks like JEC World, the composites industry show in Paris, is the counter-example, and yes, they’re our client, which is exactly the point. The startup work there is a bundle, built over multiple editions: a startup competition that lowers the barrier for first-time startup exhibitors, an Investor Day that brings capital to the floor and gives founders a concrete ROI reason to attend, and a startup village that gives them a curated home inside a very large show. Each piece feeds the others. Startups apply because clients & investors are there. Investors come because the startups are curated. And the ones that grow don’t disappear: they graduate into regular exhibitors. That’s the part most organizers miss. A startup exhibitor is just a first-time exhibitor. Treated well, they’re the cheapest exhibitor acquisition channel you’ll ever have. Treated as filler for a leftover corner of the floor plan, they don’t come back, and neither do the ones watching. The question for organizers If you run a show with a startup area, ask yourself one thing: is it a strategy or a floor plan decision? If the honest answer is the second one, here’s my prediction. The area launches late, gets staffed by a team hired to sell something else, underperforms, and quietly disappears from the next edition. The internal conclusion will be “startups don’t work for our show.” The real conclusion is that the approach didn’t. Startups work fine. They’re just customers who need to be sold to like startups. Disclosure: Sesamers sells startup acquisition and curation services to event organizers. JEC World is a client. Read accordingly.

Founder in Biarritz
Events 3 weeks ago

The event calendar goes quiet in July and August. Deadlines don’t. This article assumes you’re an early stage founder, pre-seed or seed at most, without a marketing team. You are the events team. The next eight weeks are the only window of the year where you can work on your startup event strategy instead of running it. Here’s how to use them, roughly in order of urgency. 1. Search for calls for speakers Most Q1 and Q2 2027 conferences select their speakers in autumn, which means applications open now. SXSW PanelPicker is the obvious one and since it closes on July 26th they always lack submissions from Europe. But every major event runs some version of it, usually buried three clicks deep on their website. Before you apply anywhere, build a speaker one-pager: your topic, three talking points, a short bio, one decent photo, and links to any previous talk. Program teams review hundreds of proposals. Make theirs easy. 2. Apply to startup competitions Autumn competitions open their calls in summer: One warning from someone who reads hundreds of these applications every year: judges can tell when ChatGPT wrote your answers. Roughly 80% of the applications I review show obvious AI usage, and the low-effort ones go straight to the no pile. Use AI to structure your thinking if you want. Write the answers yourself. Sophie wrote a full breakdown of how startup competitions work from the organizer’s side. Read it before you apply. Knowing what organizers optimize for changes how you write. 3. Apply to your country’s delegation for major events CES, MWC, Web Summit: most countries send an official startup delegation, and the selection happens months ahead. For CES only: Netherlands, France, Hong Kong, etc. A quick LinkedIn search gives you tons of results.  Delegations get you a subsidized booth, press attention you’d hardly get alone, and a cohort of founders going through the same thing. The application effort is low compared to what you get. The catch is timing: CES delegations typically close applications in September. 4. Get feedback from founders who exhibited in your industry Summer is the one season when people answer cold messages. Search LinkedIn for founders who exhibited at the last edition of the trade show you’re considering using its hashtag. Ask for 15 minutes. Ask three questions: what did it cost in total, how many qualified conversations did they have, and would they do it again. Three of these calls will teach you more than most post-event reports the organizer publishes.  That’s what we learned interviewing ReSnack founders. 5. Run a pitch practice session with your peers, and moderate it Get five founder friends on a call or around a table. Everyone pitches, everyone gives feedback. You moderate. The pitching part is obvious. The moderating part is the underrated one: keeping time, asking follow-ups, managing the room. That’s a skill you’ll need on every panel you ever join, and nobody teaches it. As Lubomila Jordanova told us on the Selected podcast, small formats with harsh feedback are where you learn to hold an audience. 6. Volunteer at a startup event Unglamorous advice, and one of the best access you’ll ever get. Volunteers see how the machine works from the inside: how speakers get booked, how the VIP room operates, who actually makes decisions. You’ll meet the organizing team, and organizing teams remember people who showed up to work. An obvious one is Slush where 1,800 volunteers come together to produce one of the best startup events on earth: https://slush.org/audience/volunteers  7. Plan a side event for the back-to-office season Every ecosystem has a September event where everyone reappears. For example FDDay in Paris. Don’t compete with the main program. Host a breakfast before it opens or drinks after it closes, 20 to 30 people, one clear theme. Side events cost a fraction of a booth and put you in the host position instead of the badge-wearing position. Start planning now: venues and calendars fill up faster than you’d expect for the first week of September. 8. Budget your 2027 event strategy Nobody wants to open a spreadsheet in July. Do it anyway, because budget season at your company happens whether you participate or not. The mistake founders make is counting the ticket and the flight and stopping there. Every event day requires two preparation days: outreach before, follow-up after. That’s the 2:1 rule, and it changes the math on which events deserve a slot at all.  Pick a maximum of 5 events for 2027. Assign each one a job: sales, hiring, fundraising, or press. If an event has no job, it has no budget line. 9. Check if your summer festival has a business track A growing number of music festivals run pitching sessions or networking programs alongside the main stage. Tomorrowland even hosts a dedicated event around impact & social innovation: Love Tomorrow Summit.  Is the deal flow serious? Sometimes. Is it the most pleasant place you’ll pitch all year? Definitely. If you’re on holiday near one anyway, the marginal cost is a badge upgrade. 10. Rest The circuit restarts in September and doesn’t stop until Christmas. Slush alone will take a week out of your life, and that’s before the follow-up emails. Founders treat rest as a productivity hack, which slightly misses the point. Take actual time off. Turn off the notifications. The events will still be there in September, and so will everyone else, looking exhausted already. Don’t be them. Photo credit: Anik Labreigne on Unsplash + Gemini

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