These days, startups must operate in a challenging landscape impacted by economic headwinds and scarce funding. That's why emerging companies should seize every opportunity to pitch their products, develop meaningful connections, and make the most of the startup ecosystem. Startup conferences are a great place to achieve these objectives.
Our team has curated a list of the best startup conferences and tech events that should be on a founder's agenda in 2026.
January
sTARTUp Day
When: January 28 – 30, 2026
Where: Tartu, Estonia
Price: from €179.00
The year 2026 unfolds with the most startup-minded conference in Tartu. STARTUp Day is a mix of workshops, tours, and networking bashes for 350+ startups, 200+ investors, and 70+ exhibiting companies. From hands-on workshops to pitching contests and the legendary sTARTUp Night, STARTUp Day is not a single event. It's an entire hub in the city of Tartu with a burst of over 25 side events and 40+ workshops.
This year, the sTARTUp Day program will focus on deep tech, marketing, and defense, though the agenda is not limited to these.
February
Step Dubai
When: February 11 – 12, 2026
Where: Dubai, UAE
Price: To be announced
Step started as a series of workshops and small gatherings and, 12 years later, has grown into one of the top tech events in Dubai. With four stages of content, more than 400 global startups showcasing, hundreds of global investors, and 8,000+ global attendees over two days, Step becomes the global tech pulse, offering startups unrivaled networking opportunities. Step also hosts meet-ups and networking opportunities across industries, job levels, and interests led by VCs, incubators, and digital agencies.
To cap it off, leading players from FMCG brands to automotive companies and tech providers use Step as their go-to stage to debut first-of-their-kind activities and interact with attendees and startups.
Techarena
When: February 11 – 12, 2026
Where: Stockholm, Sweden
Price: from €249.00 for a super‑early‑bird attendee ticket, €143.00 for startups and scale‑ups
Join thousands of business leaders, founders, investors, and decision-makers who will gather at the largest stadium in Scandinavia to participate in Techarena — Scandinavia's biggest tech and business event. This year, the event is bringing together participants under the unifying theme "New Era, Next Mindset," which reflects the era of disruption the tech world is navigating.
To make networking easier, Techarena offers a matchmaking platform that connects startups with thousands of investors, entrepreneurs, executives, and leaders. Besides the main stage, startups also get to explore more than 100 curated side events and parties.
March
MWC26 Barcelona
When: March 2 – 5, 2026
Where: Barcelona, Spain
Price: To be announced
This year, MWC Barcelona will shed light on the edgy technologies and innovations currently disrupting industries. This year's agenda revolves around six thought leadership themes, offering attendees the chance to spark discussions on intelligent infrastructure, ConnectAI, and other disruptive trends.
Last year, experts from Accenture, HONOR, KPMG, and other industry leaders talked shop — and MWC26 is also expected to have a strong lineup of speakers. Startups can get unrivaled exposure to over 100,000 attendees by exhibiting their business ideas to qualified business leads.
4YFN Barcelona
When: March 2 – 5, 2026
Where: Barcelona, Spain
Price: To be announced
The GSMA's startup platform, 4YFN (Four Years from Now), takes place at the heart of MWC Barcelona to crown the best 20 digital startups at its 4YFN Awards and support networking for others. Over 100,000 attendees across both events, 900+ investors, and €60 billion in funding are expected to make an appearance at this year's edition.
Over 300 speakers from tech unicorns will address the topic of Infinite AI, with over 1000 international startups exhibiting their latest products. The 4YFN Discovery Area Pitching Stage will also support companies in securing funding from leading funds, VCs, and CVCs.
START Summit
When: March 19 – 20, 2026
Where: St. Gallen, Switzerland
Price: from 549.00 CHF for a super‑early‑bird attendee ticket, 299.00 CHF for startups
START Summit is Europe's leading student-run conference for 7,000+ entrepreneurs. The event brings together the next generation of investors who want to promote top projects, recruit talent, and learn about new technological advancements. Pre-selected startups get to exhibit for free and connect with 7,000 participants across the ecosystem.
In 2025, Europe's largest early-stage startup conference gathered over 160 speakers on stage, including representatives from world-famous companies and organizations, such as OpenAI, Google, NATO Innovation Fund, and others, to discuss tech advancements and best practices. This year is expected to bring insights of a similar caliber, featuring well-known experts from established brands.
TechChill 2026
When: March 25 – 26, 2026
Where: Latvia, Riga
Price: from €359.00 for attendees, €229.00 for startups
Become one of the 300+ startups to meet both international and local investors from Europe and Silicon Valley at this leading Baltic startup event. Designed to connect early-stage startups with visionaries, insights, and growth opportunities, TechChill provides a learning and networking platform with the executives of Oura, AWS, LinkedIn, and many other reputable organizations sharing their perspectives on tech-related topics.
And don't forget about the Fifty Founders Battle – an annual pitch competition where seed and early-stage startups from different fields pitch their ideas on stage to an audience of more than 200 investors and other attendees. The top ten selected startups have a shot at winning a €10,000 no-strings-attached prize.
April
LEAP 2026
When: April 13 – 16, 2026
Where: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Price: Limited free tickers for general attendees (until January 18, 2026), $400.00 for networking, premium access, and onsite perks
Known as the largest tech event in history, the LEAP lives up to its name and brings together 200,000+ visitors joined by 1,000+ speakers and 600+ startups. Held across four days and featuring 20 content tracks, the LEAP program features football legends, astronauts, billionaire venture capital investors, and other A-list personas who are ready to cover the technology at the edge.
By registering for LEAP, attendees also get full-day access to DeepFest, which takes place alongside the main event. Dedicated to AI and emerging technologies, DeepFest features a curated selection of global AI companies, technical deep dives, workshops, and live demos.
Tech.eu Summit
When: April 21 – 22, 2026
Where: London, UK
Price: £350.00 for an early adopter ticket
The Tech.eu Summit is a nexus for 1,200 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. Topics usually vary from tech-related subjects, such as AI, to business-driven ones, such as the European VC landscape and funding challenges.
Wolves Summit CEE
When: April 21 – 22, 2026
Where: Online and Warsaw, Poland
Price: from €99.00 for a startup online pass, €195.00 for a startup in‑person pass
Wolves Summit CEE unites young tech and start-up companies from CEE and DACH with VC funds, Corporate VCs (CVCs), innovation divisions of global companies, and angel investors. Over the course of two days, 32,000+ attendees from 90 countries will participate in tech and innovation forums, meet one-on-one with startups and investors, and learn the fundamentals of business development. Startups can also pitch their ideas at the Great Pitch Contest to a large audience and gain exposure to potential investors.
Wolves Summit's agenda features 47+ speakers, each shedding light on a specific topic related to the startup world.
Startup Grind Global Conference
When: April 27 – 29, 2026
Where: San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Price: from $299.00 for founders
Held at the heart of innovation, Startup Grind Global Conference connects over 500 startup teams with over 400 funds and firms that present on stage and participate in Q&A. Startups selected for the event's startup exhibition get a chance to showcase their products, schedule 1-on-1 meetings with investors, and pitch their ideas on stage.
Along with pitches and exhibitions, attendees can roll up their sleeves in hands-on workshops, panel discussions, and interactive sessions.
May
EU-Startups Summit
When: May 7 – 8, 2026
Where: Valetta, Malta
Price: €240.00 for startups, €175.00 for startup enthusiasts under 30 years old
In 2026, the European startup community is meeting again to celebrate the most successful European entrepreneurs and Europe's hottest startups. The EU-Startups Summit 2026 will gather over 1,200 founders, startup enthusiasts, corporates, 300 investors, and media from Europe.
As usual, the event will feature an exciting pitch competition among 15 of Europe's most innovative early-stage startups, pre-selected from 1,500+ applications. The winning team is in for a lot of buzz, new investor connections, and a prize package worth €755,000.
Podim
When: May 11 – 13, 2026
Where: Maribor, Slovenia
Price: from €145.00 for startups
As a key CEE platform for learning and networking, Podim offers startups access to over 1,300 pre-scheduled 1-on-1 meetings with over 400 investors and corporate representatives. Along with varied funding opportunities, Podim offers a forum to learn from 50+ international speakers and multiple tracks with keynotes, panels, and workshops.
However, the event is intentionally limited to 1,000 participants so that each startup owner can personally meet speakers and spend quality time with investors and business executives.
Web Summit Vancouver
When: May 11 – 14, 2026
Where: Toronto, Canada
Price: from C$310.00 for general attendees
There can hardly be a better place for an emerging startup to spread the word about its product than Web Summit Vancouver. Taking the reins from Collision in Toronto, Web Summit Vancouver follows suit, connecting the global technology ecosystem and drawing over 20,000 attendees.
At this global gathering, over 1,500 startups with outstanding potential get the chance to connect with the world's most influential people, investors, media, and cultural figureheads who are making a difference. Also, pre-selected startups can participate in the dedicated startup program, which gives them access to an exclusive startup community, investor-to-startup meetings, the PITCH competition, startup masterclasses, Mentor Hours, and other event activations.
ViennaUP
When: May 18 – 22, 2026
Where: Vienna, Austria
Price: each event is ticketed separately
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.
Infoshare
When: May 20 – 21, 2026
Where: Gdansk, Poland
Price: To be announced
Touted as the biggest tech event in CEE, the Infoshare conference spans two days and features expert speeches on six stages. Each talk zooms in on key themes that make waves in the industry — from AI and dev trends to marketing insights and strategy.
At Infoshare, attendees can also explore side events and jump into matchmaking sessions to expand their networks. Seed and early-stage startups can take part in the Startup Contest and compete to win €20,000.
Latitude59
When: May 21 – 22, 2026
Where: Tallinn, Estonia
Price: €139.00 for startups (super‑early‑bird tickets), €189.00 for guests
Latitude59 is fundraising heaven for startups, as the startup-investor ratio is almost 50-50, making it one of the best places to back your digital product. At Latitude59, 900+ startuppers can put their services and products in front of 3,500 visitors, participate in the legendary L59 Pitch Competition, meet 800+ investors, and even win €1,000,000 in prizes.
The event is known for its outstanding lineup of global investors, including such heavyweights as Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, OTB Ventures, and others.
Dublin Tech Summit
When: May 27 – 28, 2026
Where: Dublin, Ireland
Price: €295.00 for an early‑bird ticket, €395.00 for a regular ticket
Dublin Tech Summit is the largest tech event in Ireland that rallies over 8000 attendees and 200 international speakers. The lineup of last year is impressive: executives from OpenAI, experts from MIT Labs, decision-makers from Snowflake, and other household names in the industry. For startups, the Dublin Tech Summit is a great opportunity to put their products on display and get the industry talking about their solutions.
As for the agenda, the event usually focuses on emerging topics, such as artificial intelligence, data digital transformation, and whatever is getting a lot of buzz.
June
South Summit Madrid
When: June 3 – 5, 2026
Where: Madrid, Spain
Price: To be announced; pre-sale tickets are available
South Summit Madrid will turn 15 in 2026, and over the years, the event has built an impressive community of trailblazers that have collectively raised over $19 billion and achieved 110+ successful exits. This year, a handpicked selection of 7,500+ innovative startups and scaleups will gather under one roof to seek unique investment opportunities from 2,100+ investors and pitch on a global platform.
In 2026, the event will hone in on growth scaling, sustainable action, climate tech, emerging tech, and leadership strategy.
London Tech Week
When: June 8 – 12, 2026
Where: London, UK
Price: To be announced
Dubbed the most influential event in the UK, London Tech Week will host 45,000 innovators, including innovative startups and tech giants. The event spans multiple days, full of activities, hundreds of speakers, and dozens of hours packed with exclusive content.
Here, startups can meet top VCs, CVCs, and angels from London and beyond and forge valuable connections with the right people through an app and expanded meeting spaces.
Hello Tomorrow Global Summit
When: June 11 – 12, 2026
Where: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Price: €81.00 for an ecosystem pass, from €417.00 for a startup pass
Hello Tomorrow Global Summit is the flagship event of the Hello Tomorrow initiative that unites over 7,500 deep tech startups, 150 incubators & accelerators, and 500 VCs. Reeling in over 3000+ attendees across founders, researchers, investors, and corporates, the event is a mix of keynote talks, panels, demos, and startup showcases.
The main theme of Hello Tomorrow Global Summit is centered around the trends and dynamics in the Deep Tech era.
Arctic15
When: June 11 – 12, 2026
Where: Helsinki, Finland
Price: To be announced
Arctic15 Helsinki 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 from 60+ countries. The event features 15 content tracks that focus on various industries, technologies, and topics, ranging from Digital Health and AI to Social Impact and Scaling.
Valued for its meaningful matchmaking, this event provides an excellent opportunity for pre-seed and series A startups to make themselves known to 400+ angels, VCs, and CVCs.
Viva Technology
When: June 17 – 20, 2026
Where: Paris, France
Price: €180.00 for startups, from €350.00 for attendees
In 2026, Viva Technology will yet again become one of Europe's greatest forums to pull together 180,000 attendees, 14,000 startups, and 3,600 investors. Leading tech voices from NVIDIA, Meta, Hugging Face, and other industry trendsetters regularly attend this event to inspire and educate the audience with their visionary ideas.
Startups are encouraged to participate in the Vivatech challenges, where they can showcase their products, collect early feedback, and attract new clients. Along with challenges, the event offers networking sessions, investor matchmaking, workshops, and panel discussions.
Hinterland of Things Conference
When: June 18, 2026
Where: Bielefeld, Germany
Price: To be announced
The melting pot of B2B entrepreneurship, the Hinterland of Things Conference, immerses attendees in an atmosphere full of challenge conquerors and technology enthusiasts. In 2026, the event will gather family-owned businesses, leading investors, and reputable industry leaders.
The majority of attendees are C-level executives, founders of unicorns or soonicorns, prominent investors, and editors. This year, this deal-making and network platform will also turn into a hub for dialogue, exploring the transformative potential of emerging technologies shaping the future of industries.
Techsylvania
When: June 24 – 25, 2026
Where: Online & Transylvania, Romania
Price: from €55.00
Over the last 11 years, Techsylvania has grown from a niche conference with 380 attendees to a major tech event that invites 3000+ participants and 50+ speakers from top-tier companies, including NASA, NATO, and Google. What hasn't changed is that people still come here to get inspired, discover what's next in tech, and gain actionable insights at workshops. 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 that connects ambitious early-stage startups with international VCs and investors.
Gitex Europe
When: June 30 – July 1, 2026
Where: Berlin, Germany
Price: To be announced
Convening over 750 startups, Gitex Europe is a ready field for networking and forging technological connections across next-gen solutions. The conference draws on the global insights and extensive network from GITEX Dubai and attracts key figures from policy, business, academia, and civil society. Gitex Europe also brings together over 600 investors and 500+ speakers.
Along with networking, Gitex Europe also brims with deal-making opportunities scattered across 1-on-1 meetings, pitch sessions, and investor matchmaking programs.
July
Startupfest
When: July 8 – 10, 2026
Where: Montreal, Canada
Price: CA$392.90 for a startup ticket
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 festival features such areas as Village, Accelerator Zone, Investor Match-Ups, and Startup Demo Zone, where startups can display their products, network with investors, and secure lighthouse users. Also, startups have a chance to win special investment prizes, each valued at $100,000. As the main benchmark event for start-ups, the Startupfest is a unique opportunity for growing companies to establish their presence in the market.
August
TechBBQ
When: August 26 – 27, 2026
Where: Copenhagen, Denmark
Price: To be announced
TechBBQ is a large-scale event that brings together thousands of attendees, startup representatives, and investors. Over the course of two days, attendees learn from 400+ visionary speakers from Headspace, CNN, NASA, Clue, and other companies. For startups, TechBBQ is a place to source rockstar talent, pitch on stage, and connect with the most relevant investors.
September
Bits & Pretzels
When: September 28 – 30, 2026
Where: Munich, Germany
Price: To be announced
Taking place in the heart of Munich, Bits & Pretzels offers an engaging, immersive experience featuring a variety of activities, including inspiring keynote speeches, startup pitches, networking sessions, and more. Here, attendees can visit or take part in the Startup Exhibition, expand their networks, and get inspired by other founders. Startups can also showcase their top solutions and compete for the Golden Pretzel Pitch Award.
The number of attendees is limited, so don't miss your chance to spend three days learning and networking at Bits & Pretzels.
October
TechCrunch Disrupt
When: October 13 – 15, 2026
Where: San Francisco, CA, USA
Price: To be announced
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.
Oslo Innovation Week
When: October 19 – 23, 2026
Where: Oslo, Norway
Price: To be announced
Innovation is the lifeblood of entrepreneurship that requires startups to establish a regular implementation flow of creative ideas, products, services, and processes. With 18,000 attendees from over 40+ countries, Oslo Innovation Week is here to facilitate this innovation. In 2025, the event invited over 400 startups on stage to pitch their products, and this year, the conference is slated to replicate and surpass that scale. Here, startups can also meet like-minded entrepreneurs, learn more about top tech trends and advancements from tech enthusiasts, connect with investors, and participate in hands-on workshops.
Also, Oslo Innovation Week serves as a platform for Norway's largest pitching competition for investor-ready startups — 100 Pitches.
Sifted Summit
When: October 28 – 30, 2026
Where: London, UK
Price: To be announced
Sifted Summit brings together 3,000 founders, 200+ speakers, startup and scaleup operators, and investors under one roof. The summit has something in store for every attendee, from interactive workshops and closed-door roundtables to networking opportunities. There are no random pitches, as the event is focused on real talk from real industry experts.
November
Slush
When: November (exact data to be announced)
Where: Helsinki, Finland
Price: To be announced
Slush is what we call an accelerator in the event form. The conference is a concentration of the world's brightest entrepreneurs, investors, corporate professionals, and policymakers. With over 400 pre-bookable tables, 600+ side events, and a month's worth of meetings squeezed into 2 days, Slush is one of the most talked-about conferences in the world.
There's a dense investor presence, too: the event has one VC per two founders, with investors representing nearly $4 trillion in assets under management.
December
GITEX Global
When: December 7 – 11, 2026
Where: Dubai, UAE
Price: To be announced
The global edition of Gitex Global is considered to be the world's greatest business connector that unites big tech, global governments, innovative startups, expert investors, and corporate buyers under one roof.
For 5 days, 6,800 global tech firms will come to Dubai to take part in the world's largest ICT trade fair, exchange ideas, and build strategic partnerships. Gitex Global also features AI Everything, a connected event that draws the world's brightest minds to showcase cutting-edge AI innovations in finance, healthcare, sustainable technologies, education, and other critical sectors.
Summing up
Every conference has a distinct character, making it impossible to attend all of them. To make the most of your time and resources, prioritize your goals. Are you looking for public recognition or to participate in fairs? Do you want to land funding? Or are you most interested in pitch contests and matchmaking events?
Once you know the answer, you can save the date in your 2026 calendar and choose events that will connect you with the most relevant opportunities for your startup.