Entrepreneurship requires both a brilliant idea and a professional implementation team. You also need courage not to give up, passion to keep motivating your team, and, of course, partners who will stand by your side, which is why attending conferences can be vital. At startup conferences, you can connect with knowledgeable partners, investors, and like-minded colleagues.
Further, participating in pitching contests and startup fairs is a great way to spread the word about your startup in a global arena. If any of these opportunities are what you are looking to include in your 2024 strategic plans, here’s a list of top startup conferences to consider.
January
sTARTUp Day
When: January 24 – 26, 2024
Where: Tartu, Estonia
Price: from €99
Startups will gather in the city of Tartu to attend seminars, inspiring educational programs, and innovation events. From Executive Day and Investor Day to the VIP Reception, sTARTUp Day is a mix of workshops, tours, and networking bashes. Also, attendees participate in international pitching competitions and unforgettable parties!
Everyone will be at sTARTUp Day, including 200 investors, 320 startups, media, and 182 prominent speakers. This year, the program focus topics include artificial intelligence, ESG, demand creation, and SEO, though the list is not limited to these.
February
Step Dubai
When: February 21 – 22, 2024
Where: Dubai, UAE
Price: from $99
Step started out as a series of workshops and small gatherings, and over 10 years, it has grown to become the largest tech festival in Dubai. With 4 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.
MWC Barcelona
When: February 26 – 29, 2024
Where: Barcelona, Spain
Price: from €879
This year, MWC Barcelona will shed light on the edgy technologies and innovations currently disrupting industries. The event’s agenda is centered around metaverse, 5G, fintech, immersive technologies, and digital everything.
Industry-leading experts from Accenture, Dell Technologies, Alef Aeronautics, Microsoft, and other bright tech minds will provide expert advice and inspirational insights to the audience. Startups can get unrivaled exposure to over 88,000 attendees by exhibiting their business ideas to qualified business leads.
4YFN
When: February 26 – 29, 2024
Where: Barcelona, Spain
Price: Access to 4YFN 2024 is included in MWC Barcelona 2024 tickets
The GSMA’s startup platform, 4YFN (Four Years from Now), takes place at the heart of MWC Barcelona to crown the best digital startups at its 4YFN Awards and support networking for others. This year, the event celebrates its 10th anniversary of powering startups – with more interaction, hands-on experience, and expert opinion.
Over 300 speakers from tech unicorns, including Glovo, Babylon Health, and others, will address the topic of tech innovation, while over 500 international startups will exhibit their latest products. The 4YFN Discovery Area Pitching Stage will support companies in getting funding from leading funds, VCs, and CVCs.
Emergence Sydney
When: February 28 – 29, 2024
Where: Online & Sydney, Australia
Price: From A$195.00, Online – Free
At Emergence Sydney, you have a chance to bring together ecosystems, break barriers, and make your mark with other attendees of Australia's largest investor conference. Showcase your recent advancements to attract public attention to your solutions by getting your solution in front of 5,000+ potential partners and investors, who consistently scan Emergence events to find the next startup that is going to skyrocket.
March
LEAP 2024
When: March 4 – 7, 2024
Where: Riyadh Front Expo Center, Saudi Arabia
Price: Free
Billed as the largest debut tech event in history, the LEAP lives up to its name and brings together 172,000+ visitors joined by 1,000+ speakers, 1,000+ exhibitors, and global CEOs. Its speaker line-up is star-studded with football legends, astronauts, billionaire venture capital investors, and other A-list personas who are ready to cover the technology at the edge.
The first edition of the LEAP resulted in $6.4 billion+ of initiatives and $1,000,000 won in the Rocket Fuel Startup Competition.
Hello Tomorrow
When: March 21 – 22, 2024
Where: Paris, France
Price: from €370
From decarbonization to clean mobility, Hello Tomorrow bridges the gap between technology and sustainability while giving the stage to promising early-stage startups. Each year, the event gathers over 3,000 applicants from 128+ countries. Eighty finalists from across all industries and technologies get the chance to pitch on stage to 300 investors and get coverage from 200 international media outlets.
START Summit
When: March 21 – 22, 2024
Where: St. Gallen, Switzerland
START Summit is Europe's leading student-run conference for entrepreneurship and technology. Meet the next generation’s founders and investors who want to promote top projects, recruit talent, and learn about new technological advancements.
All this is waiting for you at START Summit 2024. There are 6,000+ participants from 83+ nations to meet, and you can learn from more than 160 speakers. Innovation will be in the air, and this event is just what you need if you are looking for motivation.
April
TechChill
When: April 17 – 19, 2024
Where: Latvia, Riga
Price: from €99
Become one of the 310+ startups that will meet 230+ investors from Europe and Silicon Valley at this leading Baltic startup event in 2024. At TechChill, you will learn from the leaders of Atomico, Revolut, Wise, and many other reputable organizations. And don’t forget about the Fifty Founders Battle – an annual pitch competition where seed and early-stage startups from different fields compete for €10,000 by putting forth their best business ideas.
Startup Grind
When: April 23 – 24, 2024
Where: Silicon Valley, USA
Price: $249
If you have ever dreamt of visiting the heart of innovation, then the Startup Grind conference in Silicon Valley is an amazing opportunity. With a dedicated Startup Exhibition Booth, Quickfire pitch slot, and job board promotion to all conference attendees, fledgling businesses will get a unique opportunity to get more exposure, meet with potential partners, and leave a lasting impression on investors.
TechCrunch Early Stage
When: April 25, 2024
Where: Boston, USA
Price: Student ticket – $99, Founder ticket – $149 or Investor ticket – $349
If you are starting your journey as an entrepreneur, TechCrunch Early Stage is gathering speakers just for you. This event’s speakers will explain the basics of successful fundraising, how to evolve from a scientist to a founder, and advice on product monetization.
Also, they will provide feedback on your pitch deck, too. At this event, you'll gain the building blocks to understand your next steps and fully realize your entrepreneurial potential.
May
Wolves Summit CEE
When: May 8 – 9, 2024
Where: Online and Warsaw, Poland
Price: from €149
An event to change the world is what the organizers of Wolves Summit promise. They have prepared two days to participate in tech and innovation forums, find investors, and recruit talent. At this event, startups benefit the most; they can participate in a pitch contest, meet 1:1 with investors, learn the basics about business development, and expose their solutions globally.
EU-Startups Summit
When: May 9 – 10, 2024
Where: Valetta, Malta
Price: from €169
The most successful European startups are meeting again for your inspiration. The EU-Startups Summit 2024 will gather over 2,000 founders, startup enthusiasts, corporates, angel investors, VCs, and media from Europe.
Here, a specific part of the event will be dedicated to attendees to get acquainted with the role-model projects on the European market. Early-stage startups can even participate in a business idea competition and win a lot of international visibility, many new investor connections and an awesome prize package.
Podim
When: May 13 – 15, 2024
Where: Maribor, Slovenia
Price: from €145
Podim is an event that attracts dozens of reputable names in the venture investments world. It has become a key platform for learning and networking in the CEE region.
In addition to making deals, Podim offers the opportunity to learn from and exchange experiences with the best serial entrepreneurs, investors, and tech experts from all over the globe. However, the event is limited to 1,000 participants so that each startup owner can personally meet speakers and get valuable time with investors and business executives.
Digital|K
When: May 16, 2024
Where: Sofia, Bulgaria
This forum hosts over 900 start-up founders, business leaders, and C-level representatives. Digital|K revolves around 15-minute keynotes where CEOs and co-founders share their experiences and flesh out innovations. The knowledge sharing is reinforced by on-stage interviews and panel discussions. During lunch breaks, start-ups can generate business leads and establish long-lasting partnerships with other global businesses.
Tech.eu Summit
When: May 16 – 17, 2024
Where: London, UK
Price: from £250
The Tech.eu Summit is a nexus for 2,000 European tech enthusiasts and big-name speakers. Knowledge-sharing is the zest of this conference, as the event revolves around presentations from founders, investors, policymakers, and COOs. The topics vary from tech-related subjects, such as crypto, to business-driven ones, such as the European VC landscape and hiring challenges.
Infoshare
When: May 22 – 23, 2024
Where: Online and Gdansk, Poland
Price: from €10,65
The Infoshare conference consists of two days full of expert speeches delivered on six stages as well as matchmaking sessions and side events. At Infoshare, you will find knowledge, inspiration, and cooperation.
Further, you can form meaningful bonds and create a truly innovative technological society. Seed and early-stage startups can take part in the Startup Contest and compete to win €20,000.
Latitude59
When: May 22 – 24, 2024
Where: Tallinn, Estonia
Price: from €139
Investment managers and founders of top-performing companies like Starship and TransferWise, as well as the president of Estonia, were previous speakers at past Latitude59 events. Further, this event is fundraising heaven for startups, as the number of investors attending almost equals the number of startups!
Participate in a pitching competition and earn the chance to pitch on the main stage or access the EstBAn investor syndicate.
Viva Technology
When: May 22 – 25, 2024
Where: Paris, France
Price: Startup – €145, Attendee – €335, or Investor – €410
Once again, all the tech giants will be at Viva Technology. And it’s not an exaggeration to call this event one of the greatest in Europe, as Tim Cook – CEO of Apple, Mark Zuckerberg – CEO of Meta, Sarah Franklin – CMO at Salesforce, and other inspiring speakers have all been speakers at Viva Technology. Startups can participate in the Vivatech Challenge Platform, where startups and partners work together to create a shared future.
SHIFT
When: May 29 – 30, 2024
Where: Turku, Finland
Price: Shift Pass – €104, Shift VIP Pass – €299, Shift Executive Pass – €549
SHIFT brings change-oriented people and businesses together to network, learn, and gain inspiration. SHIFT2024 will allow startups and industry leaders to dive into innovations, network, learn, and get inspired together.
Dublin Tech Summit
When: May 29 – 30, 2024
Where: Dublin, Ireland
Price: from €335
Dublin Tech Summit is an event where top tech lovers can meet the Chief Decision Scientist at Google, VP of Technology and Platform at Spotify, CSO at Huawei, and many others. Their unique program called Vision X aims to create value for international startups and scaleups in Dublin's established tech and business ecosystems.
June
ViennaUP
When: June 3 – 9, 2024
Where: Vienna, Austria
Price: from €0
ViennaUP is a decentralized community-driven festival in the heart of Europe that hosts tech talks to make our digital future brighter than ever before. Attending startups don’t just get the chance to showcase their recent achievements; they also are offered the opportunity to join the European startup community and meet investors.
Further, they can participate in the Startup World Cup, the largest startup competition worldwide, with more than 70 countries taking part every year.
South Summit Madrid
When: June 5 – 7, 2024
Where: Madrid, Spain
Price: Executive – €1,462, Business – €750, or Attendee – €165
For over 13 years, South Summit Madrid has been hosting European business enthusiasts and investors. This year, the event will hone in on the human-by-design theme, reminding us how important it is to decode complex technologies and regenerate our planet. Here, startups can also pitch their ideas and become one of the 100 finalists.
Arctic15
When: June 6 – 7, 2024
Where: Helsinki, Finland
Price: Startup – €149, Investor – €399, Attendee – €399
Arctic15 is a matchmaking startup event in Northern Europe that focuses on making deals and quality networking connections. The two-day event brings together an international crowd of startups, investors, corporates, media, and influencers. 15 tracks are focused on various industries, technologies, and topics ranging from Digital Health and AI to Social Impact and Scaling.
Emergence London
When: June 7, 2024
Where: London, UK
With over 65 investment opportunities, Emergence London creates a breeding ground for fresh businesses. The event brings together over 2,000 attendees worldwide to learn from international leaders about venture investment trends, tech breakthroughs, and corporate finance. Here, you can network, dig up new insights, and land funding opportunities — all in one place.
London Tech Week
When: June 10 – 14, 2024
Where: London, UK
Price: free, premium tickets available
Across 5 days and 7 floors, London Tech Week welcomes government and corporate leaders to share their knowledge, inspirational founders to connect and motivate, senior investors to find a star startup, and tech rising stars to gain their audience.
Key topics for 2024 that this event will cover include artificial intelligence, diversity, and others.
Hinterland of Things Conference
When: June 13, 2024
Where: Bielefeld, Germany
Indulge in an atmosphere full of challenge conquerors and technology enthusiasts. Hinterland of Things Conference has two stages where reputable industry leaders share their knowledge with 1,700 attendees.
The majority of attendees are C-level executives, founders of unicorns or soonicorns, prominent investors, and editors. Combined with exclusive masterclasses held by leading companies like PwC, Vitra, and Slack, this conference lives up to the promise of being the deal-making and network platform in Germany.
Collision
When: June 17 – 20, 2024
Where: Toronto, Canada
Price: from CA$495
There can hardly be a better place for an emerging startup to spread the word about its potential than Collision. By applying for the ALPHA startup program, early-stage startups with outstanding potential get the chance to connect with the world's most influential people and companies from more than 130 countries.
TNW Conference
When: June 20 – 21, 2024
Where: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Price: from €210
At TNW Conference 2024, you will learn what’s next in tech. From scaling your business to solving impactful challenges – there's content for everyone. If you are actively looking to raise funding, grow your business, build brand awareness, or join TNW for Startups with a global audience of 10,000+ tech enthusiasts, 300+ investors, and 54% decision-makers from 6,000+ companies, then this is the event for you.
Techsylvania
When: June 26 – 27, 2024
Where: Transylvania, Romania
Price: from €55
Techsylvania has always been a conference where people come to get inspired, find out what’s next in tech, and learn some of the brightest minds' do's and don'ts. At Techsylvania, there is a dedicated place for startups called Startup Alley, where they can showcase their technologies to potential business partners. Another great reason for startups to attend this event is Startup Avalanche – a competition connecting ambitious early-stage startups with international VCs and investors.
July
Startupfest
When: July 10 – July 12, 2024
Where: Montreal, Canada
Price: from CA$302.96
Startupfest is an exciting and highly anticipated annual event that celebrates the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in the vibrant city of Montreal. This three-day festival brings together a diverse community of entrepreneurs, startup enthusiasts, investors, and industry experts from around the world.
The main calls of the Startupfest include Tent Village, AcceleratorFest, the Investor Match-Ups, Startup Demo Zone, and a prize pool of $100K. As the main benchmark event for start-ups, the Startupfest is a unique opportunity for growing companies to establish their presence in the market.
September
Startup OLÉ
When: September 8 – 10, 2024
Where: Salamanca, Spain
Price: Free
Discovery, knowledge, discussion, and pitches are all possible at Startup OLÉ, the largest tech event in Europe outside the capital cities. Previously, this event has gathered over 40,000 attendees from 120+ countries and 1,500+ startups and scaleups.
At Startup OLÉ, you can count on making huge deals, considering that the participating investors’ portfolio exceeds €100k. This year’s event will be offline, which means you will have the chance to meet potential partners and investors in person.
TechBBQ
When: September 11 – 12, 2024
Where: Copenhagen, Denmark
Price: to be announced, pre-registration is available
This truly large-scale event unites everyone, including thousands of startups, investors, corporates, and speakers. At TechBBQ, you will learn from various founders from companies like Trello, Unity, Zoom, and Y Combinator.
Oslo Innovation Week
When: September 23 – 27, 2024
Where: Oslo, Norway
Price: from 119€
Founders shouldn’t stop innovating, and Oslo Innovation Week is here to facilitate this innovation. Meet like-minded entrepreneurs, learn more about top tech trends and advancements from tech enthusiasts, and, of course, connect with investors!
Bits & Pretzels
When: September 29 – October 1, 2024
Where: Munich, Germany
Price: from 499€ for startups
Taking place in the heart of Munich, Bits & Pretzels provides an engaging and immersive experience featuring a variety of activities, including inspiring keynote speeches, startup pitches, networking sessions, and more. Here, there will be a Startup Exhibition to expand your network and get inspired by other founders. Further, there is also a Startup Pitch to showcase your top solutions and compete for the Golden Pretzel Pitch Award.
Keep in mind that the number of attendees is limited, so don’t miss your chance to spend three days together learning and networking at Bits & Pretzels.
October
TNW València
When: October 23 - 24, 2024
Where: Valencia, Spain
Price: to be announced
For 17 years, TNW Conference has been at the center of Amsterdam’s tech ecosystem. And now, it’s time for Valencia. The city is Spain’s fastest-growing entrepreneurial ecosystem — and has the most startups per capita of anywhere in the country.
In 2024, TNW València is set to bring the heart of tech to the region. With 2,300+ visitors, 100+ investors, 100+ speakers, 1200+ startups, and 90+ exhibitors, this is the event for you.
GITEX Global
When: October 14 – 18, 2024
Where: Dubai, UAE
Price: from AED400
Mark your calendars for GITEX Global 2024, the world's largest tech event. Back for its 44th edition, GITEX brings together pioneering tech companies, world-class researchers, and global innovators. With a focus on AI and future urbanism, this event is a must for anyone aiming to stay ahead in the tech world.
Boasting an expanded format with 10 hyper-targeted co-located shows spanning AI, Cybersecurity, Telecoms, and Sustainability, GITEX 2024 provides an unrivaled platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and forming valuable partnerships.
TechCrunch Disrupt
When: October 28 – 30, 2024
Where: San Francisco, USA
Price: from $125
TechCrunch Disrupt is a must-attend event for founders who are serious about breaking through the noise and forging the kinds of relationships that can take them to the next level. For startup enthusiasts, potential investors, and aspiring tech leaders, it’s a ticket into the ecosystem that continues to change the world. With 100+ exhibitors and 10,000+ attendees, there is no better place to make your mark.
November
Web Summit
When: November 11 – 14, 2024
Where: Lisbon, Portugal
Price: from €775
The Guardian called this event “Glastonbury for geeks,” and The Financial Times named this event “The world’s largest tech conference.” Indeed, the scale of Web Summit impresses many, considering that Reddit’s COO, Apple’s Senior Vice President, and the Mayor of Lisbon have all attended.
At Web Summit, startups can apply for 2024’s ALPHA startup program, which offers the chance to join a global community of startups and gain access to investors, startup meetings, masterclasses, mentor hours, and much more.
Slush
When: November 30 – December 1, 2024
Where: Helsinki, Finland
Price: from €395 for startups
Slush is all about creating a magical concentration of the world’s brightest entrepreneurs, investors, corporate professionals, and policymakers. This founder-centric event is here to help startups attract the attention of 1,700 investors representing nearly $1 trillion in assets under management.
Summing up
While all these conferences are unique in their own way, you will hardly be able to visit them all. When choosing an event to attend, remember your priorities.
Are you looking for public recognition or to participate in fairs? Do you want to find an investor? Or are you most interested in pitch contests and matchmaking events?
Once you know your answers, knowing which conferences you should attend becomes clearer. On this list, there is an event for all types of goals and founders.