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Top Venture Capital Conferences & Events in 2024

Looking to attend a top venture capital conferences, summit or forum this year? Read more to find the perfect event for you.

January – Venture Capital Conferences

CES 2024

January 9-12, Las Vegas, USA

CES is one of the most powerful tech event in the world — the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. This is where brands get business done, meet new partners and where the industry’s sharpest minds take the stage to unveil their latest releases and boldest breakthroughs.

sTARTUp Day 2024

January 24-26, Tartu, Estonia

sTARTUp Day is not just an event; it’s a dynamic entrepreneurial experience waiting to unfold. Immerse yourself in a stage program brimming with inspiration, where talented speakers ignite the entrepreneurial spark within you. Sharpen your skills with specialized workshops led by world-class experts, ranging from basics to industry-specific insights.

February – Venture Capital Conferences

Step Conference 2024

February 21-22, Dubai, UAE

Step started out as a series of workshops and small gatherings , and over 11 years has grown to become the largest tech festival in Dubai. Furthermore, with 6 main tracks, more than 400 global startups showcasing, hundreds of global investors, and 8000+ global attendees over two days, Step brings the tech world to Dubai.

4YFN 2024

February 26-29, Barcelona, Spain

In its 10th anniversary year, 4YFN is amplifying its impact on startups. Halls, stages, and speakers are multiplied, programs are enhanced for more interaction and hands-on experience. Themes like Growth, The Age of AI, and Startup Funding are expanded, offering attendees the chance to multiply their insights and investments.

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Source: 4YFN

SAVCA 2024 Private Equity Conference

February 27-28, Cap Town, South Africa

SAVCA hosts its annual Private Equity in Southern Africa Industry Conference, a fixture since 2008 and a significant contribution to the private equity ecosystem. Its core objectives include creating a compelling business case to highlight the socio-economic value that private equity brings to the Southern African region and contributing to the capacity building of industry players through engaging sessions and impactful content.

The Future Investor: Navigating a Complex, Data-Driven World

February 27, Chicago, USA

In an era dominated by AI and advanced analytics, the 2024 Future Investor series explores the pivotal role of data in financial landscapes. It shapes behaviors for fast-growing companies, influences holistic investment strategies, and democratizes investing. The series delves into the balance between algorithms and human intelligence for ethical and transparent financial decision-making, charting a course for a future where data drives innovative enterprises.

Emergence 2024

February 28-29, Sydney, Australia (Hybrid)

The innovation space is about to go through its most rapid transformation since the birth of the internet. AI, Web3/blockchain, Software, Robotics, Energy Storage, Advanced Manufacturing, Platforms, Life Science / Genomics, Food, and Agriculture are all going through rapid transformations and adoptions at Emergence.

March – Venture Capital Conferences

LEAP 2024

March 4-7, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

LEAP is a cutting-edge event uniting leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors to address global challenges and propel us into a digital future. Leaders focus on key issues, professionals gain insights from futurists, entrepreneurs connect with innovators, and investors discover new tech talent. LEAP is where the future happens, fostering collaboration, innovation, and business opportunities.

AVCJ Private Equity Forum Australia & New Zealand

March 5-7, Sydney, Australia (Hybrid)

Over 280 LPs are expected to join AVCJ in March, engaging in discussions about strategies employed in navigating challenges and identifying opportunities in the current environment. The forum, featuring interactive panels, debates, presentations, and educational case studies, aims to offer timely insights to guide participants in navigating the regional and global dealmaking, fundraising, and exits landscape.

SXSW Conference 2024

March 8-16, Austin, USA

An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music and comedy showcases, film and television screenings, world-class exhibitions, professional development and networking opportunities, tech competitions, awards ceremonies, and much more. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together.

South Summit Brazil 2024

March 20-22, Porto Alegre, Brazil

South Summit Brazil is a unique blend of global exposure and meaningful connections. As a bridge uniting continents and fostering collaboration, it brings together top investors, entrepreneurs, and startups. As such, this event is more than networking; it’s a catalyst for business opportunities and partnerships that transcend borders. In Brazil, South Summit plays a pivotal role in driving entrepreneurial growth and innovation, making it a vital force in shaping the business landscape.

Hello Tomorrow Global Summit 2024

March 21-22, Paris, France

Hello Tomorrow Global Summit stands at the forefront of innovation, annually uniting visionaries, entrepreneurs, and industry pioneers to explore the future of deep tech and scientific advancements. Through a dynamic blend of keynote presentations, panel discussions, and startup showcases, the summit fosters collaboration and sparks meaningful conversations, making it a premier platform for those driving transformative change across various fields.

ChangeNOW 2024

March 25-27, Paris, France

During 3 days, ChangeNOW brings together some of the most innovative solutions and impactful changemakers tackling our planet’s biggest challenges, to take action, together. ChangeNOW builds bridges and creates opportunities for thousands of key actors of change, in an inspiring and action-oriented event.

Scale Up with Wolves and European CVC Awards

March 26, Berlin, Germany (Hybrid)

Scale Up with Wolves – connects growing companies with their next stage of Investors (those that are funding post-Seed or Series A rounds). Therefore, this event is for growing companies that already have a proven business-model, initial clients, growing revenues, and have moved into expansion mode.

Emergence 2024

March TBD, Singapore

The innovation space is about to go through its most rapid transformation since the birth of the internet. AI, Web3/blockchain, Software, Robotics, Energy Storage, Advanced Manufacturing, Platforms, Life Science / Genomics, Food, and Agriculture are all going through rapid transformations and adoptions at Emergence.

April – Top VC Conference

SuperReturn US West

April 9-10, Los Angeles, USA

Facilitating connections between West Coast LPs and global GPs, SuperReturn offers a networking opportunity with 350+ private market leaders, including 100+ LPs and 150+ GPs from the US and beyond. Attendees can gain insights into the latest trends in fundraising, LP allocations, capital deployment, private credit, secondaries, AI, and more.

Sesame Summit 2024

April 11-12, Biarritz, France

Sesame Summit, an exclusive gathering in Biarritz, France, is the pinnacle of tech event innovation. Dive into an exclusive environment curated for meaningful connections, expert insights, and unmatched networking. Join us in this transformative experience to redefine your impact in the tech event sphere, connect with influential leaders, and secure your spot for a factual, impactful, and unforgettable journey.

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VALENCIA, SPAIN – 5 April 2019: Startup Sesame Summit 2019. (Photo by Dan Taylor – ©Dan Taylor).

TechChill Riga 2024

April 17-19, Riga, Latvia

TechChill, one of the largest Baltic Tech events, is bringing international, local investors, founders and ecosystem players for 3 days in Riga. Explore game-changing technologies set to redefine industries, gain startup foundations with essential skills, and learn to thrive in a changing world through adaptability and innovation.

Startup Grind Global Conference 2024

April 22-25, San Fransisco, USA

Startup Grind Global Conference serves as a dynamic gathering point for startups, investors, and industry leaders. With a focus on fostering collaboration and innovation, the conference provides a platform for participants to connect, share insights, and explore opportunities in the ever-evolving startup ecosystem.

World Summit AI Americas

April 24-25, Montreal, Canada

One of the world’s leading AI summit for the Americas brings together the  global AI ecosystem. World Summit AI is the only AI summit in the world that matters, and we showcase the world’s brightest AI brains on our stages with innovative, cutting-edge, topical content, tackling the most burning AI issues right now. 

May – Top VC Conferences

Wolves Summit CEE

May 8-9, Warsaw, Poland (Hybrid)

Wolves Summit CEE serves as the nexus of Central and Eastern European innovation, providing a comprehensive platform for startups to pitch their ideas to potential investors. Through a series of insightful panel discussions and networking sessions, the event facilitates meaningful connections between entrepreneurs and industry leaders, contributing to the ongoing evolution of the tech landscape in the region.

EU-Startups Summit 2024

May 9-10, Malta

With over 2,000 attendees, including founders, investors, corporates, and media, EU-Startups Summit offers prime networking opportunities through a dedicated app. It serves as a meeting point for those aspiring to build international tech companies, featuring fireside chats, keynotes, and a thrilling pitch competition showcasing some of Europe’s most promising startups selected from over 1,300 applicants.

ACA 2024 – The Summit of Angel Investing

May 13-15, Columbus, USA

Explore hot industries, build ecosystem partnerships, and gain new perspectives. As the flagship event of the angel investing industry, ACA Summit brings together over 15,000 angels and represents 250+ organizations worldwide. It’s the must-attend platform for the latest industry findings, best practices, and diverse networking to make informed investment decisions.

PODIM 2024

May 13-15, Maribor, Slovenia

PODIM is a dynamic conference designed for startups, investors, executives, and entrepreneurial enthusiasts, where innovation converges with opportunity. The event boasts over 1,300 one-on-one meetings in two days, bringing together 400+ investors and corporate representatives, along with 150+ top handpicked startups. With insights from 70+ international speakers across three stages.

SaaStock USA

May 13-15, Austin, USA

The conference, designed for startups, investors, and industry professionals, breaks down barriers, offering funding opportunities and a chance to meet global SaaS decision-makers. With structured agendas and specialized bootcamps, SaaStock USA provides a tailored experience for achieving business goals and fostering meaningful connections.

Qatar Economic Forum

May 14-16, Doha, Qatar

The Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg, is the Middle East’s leading news-driven event dedicated to global business and investment. The Forum’s three day program, curated by the Bloomberg Newsroom, spotlights the Heads of State, notable Ministers and international CEOs who are providing fresh and unique perspectives on the issues driving global boardroom conversations and money markets.

Tech.eu Summit 2024

May 16-17, London, UK

Tech.eu Summit London 2024 brings together 2,000 forward-thinkers to shape the future of global tech innovation. Network with industry leaders, contribute to sustainable growth, and define responsible paths for startup ecosystems. Taking place on May 16-17, 2024, in London, this summit offers a collective exploration of the evolving technology landscape.

EBAN Congress 2024

May 20-22, Tallinn, Estonia

The 2024 EBAN Annual Congress in Tallinn, Estonia will bring together 500+ angel investors, entrepreneurs, and industry experts from around the globe to explore the latest trends, opportunities, and challenges in the startup ecosystem. From insightful sessions and workshops to engaging keynotes and cultural activities! Stay tuned!

MedCity INVEST 2024

May 21-22, Chicago, USA

For well over a decade, INVEST has united active investors with promising start-ups  — be they in biopharma, diagnostics, medical devices or health tech. The conference content has highlighted the opportunities and challenges as the industry tries to navigate the winds of change – a greater need for consumer convenience, the shift to value-based care, the desire for seamless care coordination and last, but not least, a more equitable and affordable healthcare for all.

Capital Camp 2024

May 21-23, Columbia, USA

Embark on 3 days and 3 nights of serious investing conversations in a relaxed setting, where shorts and sandals set the tone. Enjoy interactive programming, outdoor activities, and an endless supply of food, drink, and entertainment. Capital Camp is tailored for curious, kind, and thoughtful individuals, including investors, capital providers, entrepreneurs, and executives pushing the frontiers and breaking new ground.

Infoshare 2024

May 22-23, Gdansk, Poland (Hybrid)

Software developers, business leaders, startuppers, investors, marketers, and enthusiast of technology gather in Gdańsk to learn and get inspired at this celebration of the digital world. Every year InfoShare bring together thousands of people looking for a platform to connect and evolve, which makes this conference one of the biggest tech and startup event in CEE.

Latitude59 2024

May 22-24, Tallinn, Estonia

Latitude59 is a startup and tech event offering a platform for startups to showcase to 3,000 visitors and meet 500+ investors. Investors can connect with 800+ vetted startups during the Investor Day, while partners have opportunities to present their brands. The event also features the L59 Pitch Competition, with a €1M prize fund in 2023.

VivaTech 2024

May 22-25, Paris, France

VivaTech is not just an event; it’s a global phenomenon and a highlight on the calendar for tech enthusiasts worldwide. As one of the largest tech events globally, it attracts some of the most prestigious speakers and attendees, making it a beacon of innovation and collaboration. With its highly anticipated date each year, VivaTech is a dynamic platform where the brightest minds, influential speakers, and industry leaders converge to explore cutting-edge technologies, share insights, and shape the future of the tech landscape.

Invest Canada ’24

May 28-30, Montreal, Canada

Invest Canada is an opportunity to network and engage with all of your peers and contacts in the industry. Connect with top industry influencers, including international venture capital and private equity investors, debt providers, institutional funds, government entities, corporations and service providers who are all accelerating Canada’s innovation and growth ecosystem.

Dublin Tech Summit 2024

May 29-30, Dublin, Ireland

The Dublin Tech Summit is distinguished by its diverse, international audience, comprehensive agenda covering emerging technologies, and engaging format that facilitates networking. Set in the vibrant city of Dublin, the event uniquely combines a dynamic tech ecosystem with cultural experiences, making it a distinctive and valuable gathering for professionals, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

startup days 2024

May 30, Kursaal, Switzerland

startup days (SUD) are the nationwide business and networking platform for startups, investors, enablers, SMEs and corporates in Switzerland. Every year, the Swiss startup ecosystem meets to network, exchange know-how and discuss relevant topics of the startup ecosystem. It’s a vibrant family reunion, where you’ll meet all key players in one day.

AI World Congress 2024

MAy 30-31, London, UK

The AI World Congress is an annual event that brings together professionals, experts, and thought leaders in the field of AI. It serves as a platform for discussions, presentations, and workshops on the advancements, challenges, and applications of AI across various industries.

Emergence 2024

May TBD, London, UK

The innovation space is about to go through its most rapid transformation since the birth of the internet. AI, Web3/blockchain, Software, Robotics, Energy Storage, Advanced Manufacturing, Platforms, Life Science / Genomics, Food, and Agriculture are all going through rapid transformations and adoptions at Emergence.

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Source: Emergence

June – Venture Capital Conferences

Money20/20 Europe 2024

June 4-6, Amsterdam, Netherlands

At Money20/20 Europe, the transformative influence of ideas, inspiration, and impactful conversations is well understood. Previous speakers have dynamically reshaped the industry from its stages, and the call is out for unique individuals to become part of this influential cohort. The official search is underway, with a mission to discover the most brilliant and diverse minds spanning the global financial landscape.

South Summit Madrid 2024

June 5-7, Madrid, Spain

South Summit Madrid is a global gateway to influential conversations, heightened brand impact, and expanded international reach. Beyond a mere event, it’s a dynamic platform where voices resonate across continents, linking entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, and startups. Join a vibrant community where networking cultivates dreams and builds legacies, setting the stage for growth through innovation.

Hinterland 2024

June 13, Bielefeld, Germany

As Bielefeld becomes the epicenter where startups ignite, investors envision, and corporates pioneer, Hinterland of Things 2024 invites you to go beyond the conventional. It’s more than just a gathering; it’s a confluence of inspiration and innovation.

Collision 2024

June 17-20, Toronto, Canada

Collision is a globally acclaimed tech conference hosted in Toronto. It gathers industry leaders and companies shaping the future of technology. Recognized as one of the world’s largest tech conferences, Collision is renowned for its significance and as a prime networking and knowledge-sharing platform.

TNW Conference 2024

June 20-21, Amsterdam, Netherlands

At the TNW Conference, technology stands as the beating heart of their mission. The event is dedicated to informing and connecting the tech community with both present and future challenges. TNW Conference invites individuals to join forces with international industry leaders, policy makers, startups, and investors. Together, they collaborate to build a more sustainable, equitable, and inclusive future.

July – Venture Capital Conferences

Turing Fest 2024

July 9-10, Edinburgh, Scotland

One of Europe’s leading tech event at the intersection of product, growth, capital, and people. Turing Fest is a uniquely multi-disciplinary event with extremely high value content, connections, and conversations for people building and scaling technology businesses.

Bloomberg Green Festival

July 10-13, Seattle, USA

Operating at the crossroads of sustainability, design, culture, food, tech, data, science, policy, and entertainment, the Bloomberg Green Festival will immerse attendees in solutions-driven experiences with world-renowned experts to inspire climate action. 

Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit

July 31, Singapore

The Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summits bring together business leaders and investors globally to drive innovation and scale best practices in sustainable business and finance. Amid economic uncertainty, geopolitical challenges and ever-changing regulations, companies are under pressure to drive business value and meet their ambitious ESG goals.

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Source: Bloomberg

September – Venture Capital Conference

TechBBQ 2024

September 11-12, Copenhagen, 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.

France Digitale Day

September 18, Paris, France

From across France and Europe, over 4000 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, and meet with your peers in a village-like venue in the heart of the French capital for France Digitale Day.

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Source: France Digitale Day

Wolves Summit SEE

September TBD, Sofia, Bulgaria (Hybrid)

The event focuses on fostering cross-border collaborations and facilitating strategic discussions between startups and investors. With a keen emphasis on the region’s technological advancements, Wolves Summit SEE plays a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of Southeast European entrepreneurship.

The OurCrowd Global Investor Summit 2024

September TBD, Jerusalem, Israel

For one week in Israel, the startup world gathers for the OurCrowd Gloabl Investor Summit, one of the premier events in the tech industry, and the largest investor event in the Middle East.  The 2024 Summit will take place in September at the Internation Convention Center (Binyanei Hauma) in Jerusalem, with events across Israel during Summit week.

Bits & Pretzels 2024

September 29-October 01, Munich, Germany

From humble beginnings with 80 attendees and grand aspirations, Bits & Pretzels has grown into a gathering of 5,000 founders, investors, and industry leaders. This three-day event is dedicated to learning, networking, and doing business. Hundreds of startups, investors, and corporates recognize the value of being part of Bits & Pretzels each year.

October – Venture Capital Conferences

Sifted Summit 2024

October 02-03, London UK

Sifted Summit is an annual event that brings together founders, operators, investors, and partners for challenge-focused discussions, lively debates, and high-level networking sessions. The summit aims to cut through the noise and provide valuable insights for industry professionals.

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Source: Sifted Summit

World Summit AI 2024

October 09-10, Amsterdam, Netherlands

World Summit AI will once again gather the global AI ecosystem of Enterprise, Big Tech, Startups, Investors and Science and the brightest brains to tackle head-on the most burning AI issues and set the global AI agenda.

SaaStock Dublin

October 14-16, Dublin, Ireland

With 6,000 attendees, 200 partners, and 600 investors, SaaStock Dublin serves as a vital networking hub in the SaaS ecosystem. The conference is known for its practical insights, featuring expert speakers like Nathan Latka. SaaStock provides a platform for startups to showcase solutions to key decision-makers in the SaaS industry.

Future Investment Initiative 8th Edition

October 29-31, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Established in 2017, FII Institute initially began as an annual event focused on fostering investment in promising solutions. Recognizing the need for continuous, impactful action beyond a yearly gathering, it has evolved into a comprehensive global non-profit foundation with an investment arm. The core mission of the FII Institute is singular and compelling: to drive positive impact on humanity. This transformation reflects a commitment to sustained efforts in catalyzing ideas into actions for the betterment of the world.

November – Venture Capital Conferences

Web Summit 2024

November 11-14, Lisbon, Portugal

Web Summit is a massive technology conference that gathers professionals, startups, investors, and industry leaders for networking and knowledge-sharing. With its global reach, the event features keynote speakers, panel discussions, and exhibitions, covering diverse topics in technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

Slush 2024

November 20-21, Helsinki, Finland

Slush is a premier not-for-profit startup event, focusing on founders and company building. Known for its welcoming atmosphere and stellar reputation, Slush is a must-attend conference for ambitious founders globally. The unique Slush Matchmaking Tool enhances networking with extensive startup data. Slush Week includes 300+ side events for diverse connections and inspiration.

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Source: Slush

Wolves Summit Europe

November TBD, Vienna, Austria (Hybrid)

Through a series of panel discussions and networking opportunities, Wolves Summit Europe plays a crucial role in driving collaborative initiatives that transcend geographical boundaries, contributing to the advancement of business and technology across the European landscape.

Not seeing your favorite Venture Capital Conferences / event(s) here? smrs/link.add-event

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9tlabs team at JEC World
Events 20 hours ago

A startup event strategy needs the same discipline. Spend enough time around (deep-tech) startups and you start noticing a familiar pattern. The same founders appear at event after event: a composites conference this week, a startup competition the next, followed by an investor summit, a sustainability conference and another pitching session. The logic is understandable. Young companies need visibility, customers and investors, and there is always the hope that the next event will provide the breakthrough introduction. The problem is that events can very quickly become an activity rather than a strategy. Teams return with business cards, LinkedIn connections and a sense of having had many interesting conversations, yet surprisingly little changes in the months that follow. For startups, where both cash and management attention are scarce resources, this is an expensive habit. I prefer to think about events through the lens of sport. A serious athlete does not try to peak every weekend. A season is built around a small number of A-events: the competitions where performance really matters. Everything around them is preparation. Startups should approach their event calendars in much the same way: select a limited number of events, understand exactly why they matter, prepare for them months in advance and then execute with intensity. Building your brand versus going where your customers are There are, in my view, two main reasons for a startup to attend events. The first is to build a brand, which for a young industrial company is largely about building trust. An established supplier enters the market with years or decades of history, references and relationships behind its name. A startup has none of that. Particularly in composites, where qualification cycles are long and customers are understandably cautious about introducing new materials and manufacturing technologies, familiarity matters. For a startup, brand building is ultimately trust building. This is why a composites startup should establish itself visibly within the composites ecosystem. JEC World in Paris is the reference. This is where I experimented a lot to master the game when I was leading the marketing and business development activities at 9T Labs – see picture above. Depending on geographic priorities, CAMX may play a similar role in North America, alongside relevant events in China and regional events in markets such as DACH, India or Southeast Asia. At these industry events, I would encourage startups to be relatively broad. Speak with suppliers, potential customers, competitors, investors and people from applications you may not yet have considered. Explain the technology in depth. The objective is not only to generate immediate leads, but to anchor the company in people’s minds as a serious part of the composites industry. This is also where I believe having your own booth matters. If brand building is one of the objectives, visibility cannot be an afterthought. Many manufacturing and materials companies still take a fairly conservative approach to exhibition design, which actually creates an opportunity for startups. Make the company visible from a distance. Bring parts, samples and, where practical, machinery. Demonstrate the technology rather than covering the walls with paragraphs explaining it. Give visitors something they want to touch, discuss or photograph. You are a startup. You do not have to look like everybody else. And at the events where you are building your brand, you probably should not. The second reason for attending events is much more targeted: meeting the people who can move the business forward. Once a startup has selected its beachhead markets, its event strategy should follow those customers. If aerospace is a priority, composite events alone are not sufficient; you should also consider events such as the Paris Air Show or Farnborough. If aircraft interiors are specifically relevant, Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg may be far more valuable than another general innovation conference. Find the reference events in the markets you have decided to win. And go where your customers go. The physical presence can be different there. You are not necessarily trying to build a major aerospace brand; you are trying to become a trusted supplier to aerospace companies. A smaller booth, a national pavilion, a startup zone or an association stand may therefore be entirely sufficient as a base for demonstrations and meetings. As customer relationships mature, an even stronger form of presence becomes possible: being represented on the booth of a customer or partner. If an established customer displays a component incorporating your technology and identifies you as the supplier, the credibility effect is difficult to replicate with your own marketing. You are no longer telling the market that the customer trusts you; the customer is demonstrating it publicly. Four A-events, prepared like campaigns Once the industry and end-market calendars have been mapped, prioritization becomes critical. My recommendation for most startups would be to identify no more than four genuine A-events per year. This does not mean attending only four events. There will always be smaller conferences, investor meetings and local gatherings worth visiting. But an A-event is different: it is an event around which a significant part of the organization aligns and for which the company is prepared to go all in. Four such events already mean running roughly one major campaign every quarter, because the event does not begin when the exhibition doors open. A-level events should be approached as two- to three-month campaigns, with the exhibition days at the heart of a much broader engagement effort. Proper preparation starts months earlier and should be reverse-planned from the event date. Four to six weeks before the event, for example, a startup could organize a webinar around a topic closely related to the problem it solves. Better still, where appropriate, it could host a small event at its own facility. The purpose should not be to spend 45 minutes explaining why the startup is wonderful. Bring in an external expert, a customer or a research partner. Share useful data or discuss an industry challenge. The aim is to aggregate a community around the problem where the company has something

The most digital companies in the world are opening coffee shops
Startups 1 week ago

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 weeks 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.

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