Why should I care about these events?
Business is 33.3% about connection. The more connected you are, the more chances to succeed you have. A wide network of contacts will help you raise funds or find capable professionals to bring your ideas to life. The question is: where does a beginner entrepreneur make all these useful acquaintances? There are several options, but the most straightforward one is simply going to places created specifically for founders, investors, and all kinds of people engaged in the tech industry. Enter: startup conferences.
Another 33.3% are reserved for knowledge. A deep understanding of the sphere you’re working in will only prove beneficial at all stages of your startup. Technology-oriented events are always driven by seasoned speakers who are willing to share their experience, knowledge, and valuable insights.
Yet another 33.3% are all about skill, and the remaining 0.1% is, of course, about luck. Startup conferences may not help you with skill, but luck is something that’s always waiting behind the corner — especially when there’s such an accumulation of capital and opportunity under one roof. So all in all, a productive visit to a couple of relevant events enhances 66.7% of your business — not bad, huh?
You also can’t dismiss the importance of inspiration — even with all the right ingredients, an uninspired chef is unlikely to create a gastronomic masterpiece. The same applies to business. And since the easiest way to get inspired is to meet like-minded people, tech events will get that spark going in no time.
Now let’s look at some of the best tech conferences in the ecosystem so you can plan your year ahead.
North America
Startup Grind Global Conference
🇺🇸San Francisco, USA
🗓April 11–12
Startup Grind 2022
One of the key events in the world of tech conferences, organized annually by a global community of more than 4 million international startups. SGGC takes place in Silicon Valley and provides its guests with exclusive opportunities to network, pitch, and win the hearts of both audiences and investors.
Who’s coming?
Partnered with DELL, Samsung, and DiploCloud, this startup conference attracts high-profile speakers from a wide range of tech companies. In the past, visitors got to gain valuable knowledge from multiple business leaders such as:
- Alexander Wang (CEO of ScaleAI)
- David Finzer (CEO of OpenSea)
- Dylan Field (founder of Figma)
- Eric Yuan (CEO of Zoom)
- Stewart Butterfield (founder of Slack)
This makes SGGC an amazing opportunity to find out more about the experience of the tech industry’s highfliers — and that’s not to mention hundreds of grassroots entrepreneurs, all eager to make new connections and find partners.
What’s so special about it?
The primary purpose of this event is to put lesser-known initiatives in the spotlight. SGGC goes hand in hand with the Startup Exhibition program, a part of the conference that offers its participants several fantastic opportunities. As an enrolled team, you get:
- A dedicated exhibition booth for spreading awareness of your project among numerous visitors,
- A Quickfire slot to pitch the product to potential investors.
A few weeks before the startup conference begins, the organizers choose the top tech startups and provide them with the following perks:
- Curated investor meetings,
- A premium exhibition booth location,
- A slot in the mainstage competition,
- Two tickets to the Accelerate Summit — a startup event offering curated networking, roundtables, and education.
How much does it cost?
Until February ‘23, full-access tickets cost $249, with the price bound to increase over the course of spring. If you want to enroll in the Startup Exhibition program, the fee is $1499 — rather hefty, but this is an investment that may bring many benefits.
TechCrunch Disrupt
🇺🇸 San Francisco, USA
🗓 September 19–21
Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt 2022
A three-day event that has been around for more than ten years. This startup conference focuses on cutting-edge technology and the latest developments, all the while providing a platform for both behemoths and newbies to get in touch with a massive audience.
Who’s coming?
Although this year’s speakers remain to be announced, 2022 became a watershed moment for TechCrunch Disrupt: attendees could listen to more than 200 prominent members of the industry. The guest lists included the founders, CEOs, and top managers of heavyweight technology companies:
- Activision Blizzard
- Yahoo
- Sequoia
- Solana
…And many, many others. In 2023, the range of speakers promises to be no less exciting.
What’s so special about it?
The core component of TechCrunch Disrupt is the Startup Battlefield 200 (SB200), a riveting competition between 200 early-stage tech startups that are deemed the most promising by the organizers. Here’s what you can do:
- Showcase your projects throughout the duration of the conference
- If your product gets into the top 20, compete for a $100,000 equity-free prize
SB200 welcomes founders from all fields: some of the last-year categories were Robotics, Security, HealthTech, FinTech, Blockchain, EdTech, SaaS, and even Space. Since its inception, the event has helped raise over $9.7 bln in funding.
In addition, attendees can:
- Take part in a wide selection of roundtables. Those are 30-minute, expert-led discussions centered around the most relevant topics such as soft skills or the latest developments in crypto
- Use a special app created specifically for the purposes of bullet-speed networking — schedule meetings, send invitations, and even arrange talks at local restaurants.
How much does it cost?
The startup conference will take place at Moscone Center. The tickets are not yet on sale, but you can pre-register now to get a special offer. Applications for SB200 will open in Spring 2023.
World Summit AI Americas
🇨🇦 Montréal, Canada
🗓 April 19–23
World Summit AI Americas 2022
A four-day event dedicated to the hottest topics in the flourishing AI ecosystem, World Summit AI Americas fosters collaboration between scientists, entrepreneurs, developers, and investors. As Forbes has beautifully put it, this event is “a global force for good, focusing the attention of the data science and business communities on how our most cutting edge tools can deliver a brighter future for us all.”
Who’s coming?
Well, plenty of people, with most of them being closely tied to some big names:
- NASA
- Apple
- IBM
- Stanford University
- Sony
- Ericsson
The list goes on to include multiple other organizations that you’re definitely familiar with. The list of speakers is no less impressive: in the past, WSAA invited ML/AI specialists from Google, Dropbox, Amazon, and LinkedIn.
What’s so special about it?
AI is bound to change the world. The technology moves forward at a breakneck speed, and events like WSAA are invaluable if you want to stay up to date. Here’s an impressive list of things you can do at this conference:
- Pitch your startup idea as part of the Startups Showcase
- Learn about the relevant AI challenges in a thrilling environment
- Discuss various solutions
- Discover the latest use cases
- Mingle with a big-name crowd
- Gain the knowledge and inspiration necessary to launch tomorrow’s biggest product
- Find partners and investors and socialize with the biggest names in AI with the help of interactive workshops and open discussions
How much does it cost?
As of January 2023, full-access tickets for entrepreneurs and startup founders cost $299, while the VIP package will make you short $999. The prices will be increasing over the course of the year. If you want to take part in the startup contest, there’s still time to fill in an application.
Northern Europe
Slush
🇫🇮 Helsinki, Finland
🗓 November 31–December 1
Slush 2022
Europe’s leading tech conference that aims to boost and support the global startup ecosystem, and, in Slush’s own words, is “the most founder-oriented event on Earth.” Oh, and it can also boast being fully carbon-negative. It doesn’t get any more hip than this.
Who’s coming?
Some impressive statistics for the Slush 2022 event: 12,000 attendees, 4,600 startup founders, 2,600 investors, and 400 media representatives, with the list of past speakers including:
- Prime Minister of Finland
- Co-founder of Twitch
- CEO of Miro
- CEO of Supercell
- CEO of Maven Clinic
- CEO of OnlyFans
If that’s not enough, Slush’s pride and joy are Europe’s biggest venture capital groups: Accel, General Catalyst, Lightspeed, NEA, and Northzone.
What’s so special about it?
The sheer amount of venture capital the startup conference manages to miraculously amass under one roof. Last year, 2,600 investors joined the event, with the total volume of assets clocking at an astounding $1 trillion. It’s hard to find another place so ripe with networking opportunities — with just the right handshake, you can ensure the prosperous future of your startup.
There’s also an important concept of Mentoring Chambers, which many regard as the most valuable part of the whole experience. Here, founders get the chance to participate in private mentoring sessions with the Builders’ Studio speakers.
How much does it cost?
You can pre-register for Slush 2023 at the conference’s official website. As of January 2023, the admission fee is unknown, but you can sign up for the newsletter and be the first to find out.
Oslo Innovation Week
🇳🇴 Oslo, Norway
🗓 September 22–29
Oslo Innovation Week 2022
An eight-day Norwegian innovation conference, this year’s installment of Oslo Innovation Week houses 60 events under its many roofs, including talks, panels, seminars, summits, and workshops — all perfectly suited for the purposes of networking and broadening your expertise. The overarching themes of the conference are the issues of scaling and sustainability.
Who’s coming?
Last year, OIW attracted more than 15,000 visitors, boasting some of the most impressive attendance numbers on this list.
The event is hosted by both Norwegian and international builders of the startup ecosystem. Past speaker lineups included top managers of various Nordic companies, such as:
- Neonomics
- EXEQ
- Inspiralia
- Atomico
- Connect Øst
- BI Norwegian Business School.
What’s so special about it?
On par with Slush, Oslo Innovation Week is one of the biggest startup events in Northern Europe where startup founders get a chance to shine thanks to the OIW 100 Pitches — a satellite competition powered by DNB, Norway’s largest financial group. Participants can:
- Showcase their business initiatives to a large gathering of investors
- Compete for the NOK 200,000 ($20,000) prize package
Keep in mind, however, that the project you present must help achieve at least one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
How much does it cost?
The admission fee is yet to be announced. Subscribe for the newsletter to get notified about the launch. If you want to exhibit, apply to the OIW 100 Pitches competition ASAP — there are a lot of applicants every year!
Latitude59
🇪🇪 Tallinn, Estonia
🗓 May 24–26
Latitude59 2022
One of Estonia’s best startup conferences that manages to capture both the intimate atmosphere of a tight-knit community and the vibrant hustle of a global hub. The 2023 agenda focuses on three topics: the tech sector’s response to the global chaos, the importance of mental health, and the benefits of synergy and cooperation.
Who’s coming?
In 2022, this tech event became a gathering of 2,500 participants, 500 startups, and 350 investors — all coming from more than 55 countries. Past speakers include:
- President of Estonia (often dubbed the world’s first e-society)
- Chief officers from the leading technology companies of the Baltics and Scandinavia
The 2023 lineup is yet to be formed, and you can actually recommend a speaker you’d like to see at the conference. Don’t miss out — it’s a rare chance. To submit your suggestion, head over to the L59 website.
What’s so special about it?
For starters, L59 is cozy, hip, and very future-oriented. It also doesn’t shy away from weighty topics such as global warming or energy shortages, offering all the participants to unite and come up with creative solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. And, of course, it genuinely cares about startups.
- Take part in the Pitch Competition aimed at boosting and supporting the best initiatives
- Compete for a juicy prize fund of €300,000 in syndicate investments from the Estonian Business Angels Network (EstBAN)
- Present your product to potential investors and customers in the Demo Area running alongside the competition. One downside: there are only 50 spots available, so it’s better to hurry up!
How much does it cost?
Early-bird tickets for founders cost €119, granting startups the right to apply for the Pitch Competition and reserve a spot in the Demo Area. You can buy them at the conference’s website.
Western Europe
Tech.eu Summit
🇧🇪 Brussels, Belgium
🗓 May 24
Tech.eu Summit 2022
A one-day summit that brings together the best minds in European tech. The previous installment of this event revolved around the metaverse, deep technology, NFTs, blockchain, European IT sovereignty, and the role startups have to play in the face of a global crisis. This year’s program is yet to be announced, but its key focus will be sustainable development.
Who’s coming?
Entrepreneurs, investors, politicians, scientists, journalists, business leaders, startup enthusiasts — in short, everyone who has any influence in the world of tech. Usually, of course, lots of it. The list of this year’s speakers includes:
- Vice President of Breakthrough Energy Europe
- CEO of IQM Quantum Computers
- Director of European Innovation Council
- Co-founder of Basecamp
- CEO of Wolt
What’s so special about it?
Tech.eu will not only give you a chance to do some much-needed knowledge sharing, make valuable connections, and get inspired, but will also provide you with the opportunity to learn more about sustainable development — a topic crucial for creating a better tomorrow. All the information is given in short, 20-minute speeches — a format that prevents things from getting boring but allows to sufficiently cover the topic.
How much does it cost?
Super early-bird tickets cost €395, and the price is bound to increase over time. It may well surpass the €600 mark, so if you want to visit, we don’t recommend putting things off — buy a ticket as soon as you get the chance.
A one-day summit that brings together the best minds in European tech. The previous installment of this event revolved around the metaverse, deep technology, NFTs, blockchain, European IT sovereignty, and the role startups have to play in the face of a global crisis. This year’s program is yet to be announced, but its key focus will be sustainable development.
Who’s coming?
Entrepreneurs, investors, politicians, scientists, journalists, business leaders, startup enthusiasts — in short, everyone who has any influence in the world of tech. Usually, of course, lots of it. The list of this year’s speakers includes:
- Vice President of Breakthrough Energy Europe
- CEO of IQM Quantum Computers
- Director of European Innovation Council
- Co-founder of Basecamp
- CEO of Wolt
What’s so special about it?
Tech.eu will not only give you a chance to do some much-needed knowledge sharing, make valuable connections, and get inspired, but will also provide you with the opportunity to learn more about sustainable development — a topic crucial for creating a better tomorrow. All the information is given in short, 20-minute speeches — a format that prevents things from getting boring but allows to sufficiently cover the topic.
How much does it cost?
Super early-bird tickets cost €395, and the price is bound to increase over time. It may well surpass the €600 mark, so if you want to visit, we don’t recommend putting things off — buy a ticket as soon as you get the chance.
London Tech Week
🇬🇧 London, Great Britain
🗓 June 12–16
Rishi Sunak delivering a keynote at London Tech Week 2022
A week-long festival that has established itself as the pinnacle of European tech-centered events. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, LTW will foster vital conversations about innovation, diversity, and digital transformation. The scale of this festival becomes apparent when you take a look at the list of supporters: Channel 4, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta — all the biggest names in the industry, and more.
Who’s coming?
In 2022, London Tech Week attracted a whopping 20,000 participants, who came to listen to more than 300 speakers. Attendees had the chance of learning valuable insights from the likes of:
- Hillary Clinton
- Rishi Sunak
- Mayor of London
- Chairman of Formula E
- CEO of Channel 4
- Chairman of Wise
This year’s lineup is yet to be revealed, but there is every reason to believe that it’s going to be even more spectacular.
What’s so special about it?
It’s massive, and there’s plenty of things to do. So many of them, in fact, that the organizers even had to split the event into 12 areas so that everybody would have enough space. As a founder, you’ll be especially interested in the so-called Start-up Zone that encompasses the Growth Stage, the NextTech Stage, and the Startup Marketplace.
- The Growth Stage is a platform where fresh initiatives can garner attention and, hopefully, some funds
- The NextTech Stage explores the latest permutations in the IT world: web3, blockchain, the metaverse, and so on
- The Startup Marketplace offers founders to exhibit their products and socialize with each other
How much does it cost?
And now onto the most surprising part: attending LTW is actually free. You can get your Campus Pass on the website. If you’d like to exhibit a product, get in touch with the organizers via the Register Your Interest button.
hub.berlin
🇩🇪 Berlin, Germany
🗓 June 28–29
hub.berlin 2022
A two-day event that’s famous for its scale and invigorating atmosphere. Hub.berlin creates an environment where entrepreneurs, high-ranking professionals, industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, and startup enthusiasts come together to explore the emerging realities of digital transformation.
Who’s coming?
Partnered with IBM, Microsoft, and the government of Norway, hub.berlin pulls out all the stops when it comes to speakers. Last year’s lineup included:
- President of Volkswagen
- CIO of Siemens
- Eminent officials from the ministries of Germany and France
- President of Bitkom
The event is routinely attended by the biggest names in the industry and a lot of medium-scale initiatives from around the world, all of which creates favorable circumstances for productive networking.
What’s so special about it?
Hub.berlin manages to cover an impressive range of topics:
- Sustainability
- Security
- Lifestyle
- Emerging tech
The 2023 program hasn’t been made public yet, but a quick glance over the 2022 program reveals talks about issues as diverse as AI in business and postquantum crypto.
An annual standard of more than 5,000 attendees ensures that fantastic opportunities are always just a handshake away, while exciting side activities will simply make your visit memorable. For instance, hub.berlin regularly partners with pioneers at the forefront of digital arts and throws vibrant afterparties with legendary German techno.
How much does it cost?
Super early-bird tickets cost €300 and grant full access to the entirety of the conference, as well as the afterparty and club night. Members of Bitkom get an exclusive 20% discount. As the event approaches, the price will increase to €550, so now is a great opportunity to get a bargain.
Southern Europe
World Startup Fest
🇮🇹 Rimini, Italy
🗓 June 16–18
Winners of the WMF Startup Competition 2022
A three-day festival that has become the go-to place for those who want to establish their product within the immense startup ecosystem. WSF is huge, mainly because it comprises a part of the much larger We Make Future startup conference — so huge, in fact, that it is branded as the “largest digital innovation event on the planet.”
Who’s coming?
Last year’s edition of We Make Future attracted more than 36,000 attendees, 1,000 promising startups, and 700 investors, with most of these people visiting the WSF pavilion at some point in their journey. The neighboring main stage hosted more than 100 prominent speakers who covered the topics like AI and robotics, AR and VR, smart cities and environmental responsibility, or big data and digital transformation. All these factors combined make WSF a marvelous opportunity to pitch, socialize with business leaders, and learn at the same time without even leaving the place.
What’s so special about it?
WSF can help your startup gain some unstoppable momentum:
- Showcase your project in the Startup District to thousands of visitors, including prominent investors and industry leaders
- Get plenty of fresh leads, increase visibility, and make some impactful connections
- Participate in the Startup Competition to take home some of the €3.3 mln prize pool. With so much money being offered, even the less successful teams have a real chance to enhance their initiatives
- Easily coordinate B2B meetings with investors. The organizers behind WMF are always trying to make productive matchmaking as simple as possible
And if it’s not enough, there’s an additional startup event called the International Roadshow, which serves the same purpose of connecting founders and investors.
How much does it cost?
Early-bird tickets cost €99, with the price bound to increase up to €549 over time. If you want to take part in the Startup Competition, apply now using the form on the event’s website. The same goes for those who want to book a booth in the Startup District. You’d better hurry up though — the available spots end pretty quickly.
Digital Enterprise Show
🇪🇸 Málaga, Spain
🗓 June 13–15
Digital Enterprise Show 2021
Another top-notch tech conference held in Spain on a yearly basis. Partnered with Amazon, IBM, Oracle, and Adobe, Digital Enterprise Show primarily targets late-stage businesses that have already established themselves in the market. Founders, however, can still benefit greatly from visiting this event: a wide array of speakers coupled with excellent networking opportunities make DES a good place to gain precious insights and engage yourself with the ecosystem.
Who’s coming?
Plenty of c-level business executives from the industry’s flagship companies, as well as policymakers and other prominent figures, routinely visit this tech event. At the heart of DES lies the Digital Business World Congress, which annually becomes the contact point between some legendary names and many other people involved in tech and governance. Past speakers include:
- Barack Obama
- Pédro Sanchez
- CEO of Oracle
- HR Director of Netflix
- Head of Technology of Amazon Web Services
- Representatives of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
And that’s not to mention dozens of companies — both international mammoths (like IBM) and local darlings (like TheCUBE) — exhibiting their latest achievements in stands all across the show.
What’s so special about it?
Here, founders can educate themselves about virtually anything tech-related:
- no-code solutions
- generative AI
- cloud technologies
- quantum computing
- web 3.0
- industrial automation
More than 450 speakers will take on eight stages to cover these topics in the span of three days. Whatever your area of interest, you have every chance of deepening your knowledge and coming home with some useful takeaways about the current issues in the field. Plus, there are also all the traditional perks of massive tech conferences:
- Great networking opportunities
- Loads of inspiration
- The chance to see some cutting-edge developments in action.
How much does it cost?
The tickets are not yet on sale, but they are most likely due to appear in a couple months. To learn about the launch, subscribe to the DES newsletter.
MWC Barcelona
🇪🇸 Barcelona, Spain
🗓 February 27 – March 2
MWC Barcelona 2022
A massive event dedicated to the issues of connectivity and communication technology. MWC stands for Mobile World Congress, and its 2023 agenda focuses on five topics crucial to the area of mobile tech: 5G, extended reality, OpenNet, fintech, and the omnipresent digitalization of all processes.
Who’s coming?
In 2019, MWC achieved a record number of 109,000 attendees, which makes it the single most populous conference on this list. A vast majority of this crowd includes:
- Device manufacturers
- Network equipment providers
- Representatives of wireless carriers
- Other important figures in the field of mobile tech
In addition, plenty of large companies choose to unveil their latest developments at MWC, so the concentration of high-profile specialists here reaches unprecedented levels.
What’s so special about it?
MWC is the epicenter of connectivity tech that will help you keep your hand on the pulse of what’s happening in mobile and gain an advantage over competitors. Another thing — MWC also hosts 4YFN, a prominent event dedicated exclusively to promising startups. Here, founders can exhibit their products, get noticed by industry leaders, investors, and venture capitalists, and rightfully earn their place under the sun. With €24 bln worth of funding represented last year alone, the aura of possibility surrounding the premises is palpable.
How much does it cost?
The Discovery Pass grants access to the entire exhibition floor (4YFN included) and costs €799. Tickets are already available at the MWC official website.
Cool, but is it worth it?
The admission fee to many of these startup conferences may prove a little hefty for entrepreneurs who are only at the beginning of their journey and thus don’t have many resources to spare. Is it worth all the hundreds of dollars you’re asked to pay?
We’re convinced that the answer is yes because new connections and acquaintances will benefit your business greatly in the long term. Think of the money you’ll have to spend as an investment: it’ll set you back a bit, but you’ll forget about it as soon as you see the first returns. Just be active and jump at every opportunity to charm investors and other stakeholders. After all, these events are first and foremost giant playgrounds for networking — and then all the rest.
The way you present your project is just as crucial as the idea behind it. Since there’s nothing more appealing to investors than an already functioning app that not only promises but actually delivers, you may want to build an MVP.
Reach out to us with your idea — we’ll turn it into a viable product perfect for pitching and gauging the market. Scroll down to the contact form below.
