Discover Startup & VC Events
Curated networking opportunities for startup founders and investors worldwide.
TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026
Founders connect with top VCs; focus on pitching, fundraising, and founder-VC networking; top speaker: Daniel Acheampong, General Partner, Visible Hands VC; topics: SaaS, fintech, AI.
Diffusion Borneo 2026
Startup–investor focus: pitch sessions, investor office hours, and business matching with founders, VCs, corporates; ecosystem showcases and cross-border collaboration.
Silicon Valley Start-up & Investor Week 2026
Startup–VC week; explicit focus on founder-VC interactions.
Innovator's Pitch Challenge 2026
Startup-investor networking: startups pitch to a panel of early-stage VCs; investor panels, pitch days; focus: life sciences.
Pitch & Invest Programme at Reset Connect London 2026
Pitch-to-investors: startups pitch to a panel of investors; startup-investor networking with VCs & corporate ventures. Focus: Tech & AI, Energy, Urban Regeneration. Top speaker: Ben Keene, Tribe Builder - Raaise.
Reset Connect London 2026
VC-founder networking + pitch & invest finale; net-zero/ESG finance panels; top speaker: Tracy Wyman, Chief Impact Officer - SBTi; topics: climate, sustainability.
Canada International Business & Investment Conference (C.I.B.I.C 2026)
Startup-VC focus with investor pitch sessions, funding tracks, and startup-investor networking; highlights international startup growth and cross-border investment.
RESI San Diego 2026 Conference
Startup–investor networking with 400 investors focused on seed–Series B funding; fundraising.
Apex Venture & Tech Connect Days
Venture-focused startup–investor day: founders meet VCs via Blackboard Pitch, startup pitch boards, private meetings, and continuous networking.
VivaTech 2026
Startup–investor focus: pitch/demo days, 1:1 VC meetings, startup–VC networking; 14k+ startups and 3.6k+ investors participate.
Athens Tech Summit 2026
Founders and VCs converge for investor residency, pitching, startup–investor networking; tracks: Deeptech, Fintech. Top speaker: Zacharia George, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Launch Africa Ventures.
Self Storage Hawai'i unConference: Startup Pitch Contest 2026
Founder-VC focus: live pitch contest with coaching; startup-investor networking with VIPs; top speaker Tron Jordheim, advisor/mentor/investor; focus: PropTech, GreenTech, sustainability; pitch day.
Valuation & legal for startups
We focus on how investors think about valuation, how legal structures affect your leverage, and where founders most often shoot themselves in the foot.
HLTH Europe 2026: Healthcare Innovation Summit
Startup pitch with €30k prize; investment-seeking health startups; Market Access Workshops; Provider Village; Investors/VCs in attendance; startup-investor networking.
Unchain Festival 2026
Fintech-focused festival enabling startup–investor interaction via pre-set meetings, live demos, and startup-networking; includes demo/pitch days. Top speaker: Gabriel Dombri, tech entrepreneur and investor.
Hinterland Conference 2026
400 leading VCs and 800 Europe-based B2B startups for startup-investor networking, demo/pitch sessions; focus: AI, industrial tech. Top speaker: Carsten Maschmeyer, CEO Maschmeyer Group.
Women Startup Founders Networking Breakfast
Networking breakfast focused on raising initial investment; startup-founder/VC networking; topics: investment types, what investors want, pitching. Top speaker: Vivienne Hsu — CEO & Partner, Anabasis Partners.
Hinterland of Things Conference 2026
Pitch live on stage to Europe’s leading investors; startup–investor networking; 300+ investors attending; focus: B2B tech startups.
Startup Ole Marbella 2026
Founder–VC interactions core: pitches to VCs/corporates, private matchmaking, pitch comps; startup–investor networking.
30th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference (GC&E 2026)
Green-tech startups pitch to a panel of experts and investors (VCs), enabling startup-investor networking; focus: sustainability; includes pitch day.
LegalTechTalk 2026
Startup-focused legaltech event: 1:1 investor matchmaking, startup pitch competition, and startup-investor networking with top VCs, GCs, and partners; topics: legaltech, AI.
MOVE 2026: Start-up Village
Startup-investor interaction focus: pitches to a panel of investors, VC networking, and funding opportunities; mobility/tech topics; pitch demos; startup competition.
Rockies Investor Capital Expo 2026
Premier angel-investor gathering linking 450+ investors with entrepreneurs seeking funding; includes presentations, deal flow, and networking; tech, healthcare, real estate, consumer products.
HLTH Europe 2026
Healthtech/digital health startup-investor focus: startup pitches, Investor Connect matching VCs with founders, plus market access workshops.
Africa Health ExCon 2026
Health-tech expo linking startups with investors; focus on health-tech/medical devices; expo, conference, networking; startup-investor networking.
Global Startup Pitch 2026
Travel-tech startup pitch connecting startups with a top network of investors and execs; finalists pitch on stage, with People’s Choice and investor/partner opportunities.
Startup Meetup Vilnius - June 17, 2026
Top speaker: Juozas Nainys; Fireside chat, Open Mic & Spotlight Pitches; investors may listen; Networking; focus: startup community, investor interest.
Keiretsu Rockies Family Office Forum & Power Matching Exchange
Founder-investor focus: CEOs meet pre-qualified family offices & funds in 1:1 Power Matching; panels on CVC, AI investing, impact investing; top speaker: Nathan McDonald.
Eurosatory 2026
Startups connect with decision makers, procurement officers, and investors; includes startup competition and pitch opportunities.
SunCoast Angels June 2026 Pitch Evening
Startup pitches to investors (sophisticated investors); investors can register interest; 30-min founder slots; post-event networking.
ILA Berlin 2026: Aerospace Innovation & Startup Networking
Startup hub with investor engagement; connect with a global audience; pitch to VCs and showcase innovation.
BTC Prague 2026
Pitch contest for startups; founder-investor focus; top speaker Mark Moss, CEO; topics: bitcoin/crypto, founders & investors.
81st Venture Club Breakfast
Investors and investment seekers club; focus on funding, discussions, and networking for startups seeking investors; informal breakfast format.
Hello Tomorrow Summit 2026
Deep-tech startups and investors come together to discuss innovation; focus on entrepreneurship and investment in deep tech; 3000+ attendees.
Dig South Tech, AI & Venture Summit 2026
VC-focused startup summit with pitching to VCs and startup-investor networking; includes investment track.
Dig South Tech Summit 2026
Founders meet VCs/angels; pitching, Wild Pitch, investor office hours; top speaker Shivendra Srivastava, Software Development Manager, AWS; tracks AI & Fintech.
Arctic15: Startup & Investor Networking Event 2026
Startup–investors (VCs) networking and 1-on-1 meetings.
ARCTIC15 Startup Conference 2026
Finnish startup conference focused on founder-VC deals: 400+ VCs, 1200+ attendees, 13k+ 1:1 meetings; Top speaker AMY NAUIOKAS, Founder & CEO, Anthemis Group; deals, matchmaking, networking.
E-Commerce Pitching Festa 2026
Startup–VC interactions via investor matching and pitching in ecommerce tech; focus on product/tech ideas; topics include AI.
Nexus Luxembourg 2026
Pitching arena: 3-min pitches to live VCs; startup-investor networking; 1,000+ C-levels; Top speaker: Mike Koedinger, CEO of Paperjam & Nexus co-founder; AI, FinTech, Cybersecurity.
Bridge2 Demo Day 2026
Early-stage founders pitch to investors (VCs) at a demo day; startup–investor networking with ecosystem leaders and changemakers.
SOUND Pitch & Buzz 2026
Focus on founder-investor interaction: pitch event where SoundTech startups seek investments, with investor case stories and networking; moderated by Paul Tyler.
How to raise with cold emails
Let's skip the generic tips and break down real cold emails that worked - including a free template you can copy.
Investor Day 2026
1-on-1 meetings between 350 deep-tech startups and 300 VCs/CVCs; startup-investor networking; focus: deep tech.
Moonshot Pitch Competition 2026
Rural pitch competition; founders pitch to judges/investors; focus on innovation; mentorship; access to investors/funding; startup-investor networking.
Startup and VC Events FAQs
Finding startup events near you usually starts with general event platforms like Eventbrite and Meetup, where many local meetups, panels, and networking events are listed. It also helps to check startup websites and curated event directories like OpenVC, which focus specifically on startup and VC events rather than general networking events.
Following local accelerators, coworking spaces, and venture capital firms is another practical way to discover smaller, high-quality gatherings that may not appear on large platforms. Most founders get better results by consistently tracking a few reliable sources instead of searching from scratch each time, which makes it easier to spot relevant upcoming events and conferences as they are announced.
The top startup events for founders to attend in 2026 include TechCrunch Disrupt (Oct 13–15, San Francisco), SaaStr Annual (May 12–14, SF Bay Area), and the Startup Grind Conference (Apr 27–29, Silicon Valley), all known for strong investor attendance and high founder density. Major cross-industry events include SXSW (Mar 12–18, Austin) and London Tech Week (Jun 8-12, London), which combine startups, investors, and enterprise partners in one place. International entrepreneurs looking to connect with emerging markets and global capital should explore LEAP 2026 (Apr 13–16, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) for its scale, investor participation, and focus on innovation.
Startup founders typically connect with VCs at events through small group conversations, introductions from other founders or operators, and follow-up after panels or networking sessions. The goal is not to pitch immediately but to start a relevant conversation around what you’re building and why it fits the investor’s focus. Strong connections usually happen after the event through a short follow-up message that references the conversation and shares context like a deck or update.
Founders usually benefit from attending VC events once they have a clear narrative on the problem, market, and the company's early direction, even if fundraising has not started yet. Early attendance helps build familiarity with investors, understand how VCs evaluate opportunities, and start relationships before capital is needed. The most productive conversations happen when founders are gathering feedback and learning how their story resonates, rather than actively pitching for a check.
Yes. Many startup and VC events now run in virtual or hybrid formats, including demo days, investor panels, pitch sessions, workshops, and networking events. Virtual VC events make it easier for founders to connect with investors outside their local ecosystem and attend events without travel constraints.
The quality varies, so it helps to prioritize special events with curated attendees or clear investor participation rather than open networking sessions. OpenVC’s startup and VC events directory includes both in-person and virtual events, making it easier to find relevant opportunities based on format, stage, and focus.
Before attending an upcoming VC event, founders should research the investors who will be there and understand where real alignment exists based on stage, thesis, and check size. A concise 30-second elevator pitch is essential, focused on the problem, solution, and why the timing makes sense now.
Founders should also be fully confident in their numbers, including key metrics, growth trends, and basic financials, since conversations often move quickly into traction and execution. The goal is not to pitch everyone, but to have informed conversations with investors where there is a clear fit.