20 Startup Conferences to Attend in 2026 [UPDATED]

If you’re a founder in 2026, you know that the "Zoom era" of fundraising is dead. The biggest checks are written after a real handshake. But with hundreds of events globally, which ones actually deliver ROI?

In 2026, the focus has shifted entirely. It's no longer just about "apps"; it's about AI implementation, Generative Agents, and Cross-Platform Efficiency. Founders need to connect with key players who understand that the next unicorn won't just hold data — it will think with it.

Whatever your niche—FinTech, SaaS, or Deep Tech—attending the right conference is your shortcut to Series A. Here is the curated list of events where innovation meets capital in 2026.

1. sTARTUp Day 2026

📅 Prediction: Late January 2026
📍 Where: Tartu, Estonia
🌐 Link: startupday.ee
The Pitch: Forget stiff corporate panels. sTARTUp Day is a business festival where the motto "From Zero to Hero" is taken literally. Located in the Baltic smart city hub, it sets the tone for the startup year. It’s unpretentious, energetic, and heavily focused on results.
Best For: Validating your MVP in the tech-savvy Baltic market and finding technical co-founders.

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2. SiGMA Eurasia 2026

📅 Prediction: February 2026
📍 Where: Dubai, UAE
🌐 Link: sigma.world/eurasia
The Pitch: Dubai is the new global hub for crypto, blockchain, and AI capital. With over 15,000 delegates expected, this isn't just a conference; it's a spectacle. If you are fundraising for Web3 or Gambling tech, the liquidity here is unmatched.
Best For: Founders looking for MENA region investors and big-ticket sponsorship deals.

3. 4YFN 2026 (at MWC Barcelona)

📅 Prediction: March 2-5, 2026
📍 Where: Barcelona, Spain
🌐 Link: 4yfn.com
The Pitch: Located inside the Mobile World Congress (MWC), 4YFN is the heavyweight champion of connectivity events. The 2026 themes will likely focus purely on "AI at the Edge" and 6G infrastructure. If your product relies on mobile tech, you simply have to be here.
Best For: Mobile-first startups and securing corporate partnerships with telco giants.

4. SXSW (South by Southwest) 2026

📅 Prediction: March 2026
📍 Where: Austin, Texas, USA
🌐 Link: sxsw.com
The Pitch: The intersection of tech, film, and culture. SXSW is where startups go to become pop-culture phenomena. It’s chaotic, massive, and the best place to launch a consumer app to a global audience.
Best For: B2C apps looking for viral growth and major US press coverage.

5. START Summit 2026

📅 Prediction: March 2026
📍 Where: St. Gallen, Switzerland
🌐 Link: startsummit.com
The Pitch: Europe’s premier student-run conference has matured into a serious tech event. It serves as a melting pot where top talents connect with future creators. If you are hiring Gen-Z talent or looking for early-stage VC money that understands youth culture, this is it.
Best For: Recruiting top-tier talent and connecting with DACH region investors.

6. Hello Tomorrow Global Summit 2026

📅 Prediction: March 2026
📍 Where: Paris, France
🌐 Link: hello-tomorrow.org
The Pitch: The "Deep Tech" sanctuary. If you are building flying taxis, quantum computers, or synthetic biology, this is your tribe. Standard SaaS apps might feel out of place here, but for science-backed startups, there is no better stage.
Best For: Deep Tech founders looking for specialized R&D grants and industrial partners.

7. TechChill 2026

📅 Prediction: April 2026
📍 Where: Riga, Latvia
🌐 Link: techchill.co
The Pitch: The leading tech event in the Baltics bridging the gap between Western capital and Eastern talent. Known for its legendary after-parties and accessible speakers. You won't just see investors on stage; you'll have a beer with them.
Best For: Networking in a relaxed environment and bridging the Nordic-Baltic gap.

8. PODIM 2026

📅 Prediction: May 2026
📍 Where: Maribor, Slovenia
🌐 Link: podim.org
The Pitch: The hidden gem of the Alps-Adriatic region. PODIM is designed for quality over quantity. They facilitate 1:1 meetings like no other, ensuring you actually get face time with the investors you need.
Best For: Early-stage startups looking for hands-on mentorship and regional funding.

9. EU-Startups Summit 2026

📅 Prediction: May 2026
📍 Where: Malta (Venue varies)
🌐 Link: eu-startups.com
The Pitch: An exclusive showcase of Europe’s hottest startups. It’s intimate enough to be effective but large enough to attract top-tier media. Winning their pitch competition puts you on the radar of every major tech blog in the EU.
Best For: SaaS B2B startups wanting to generate leads and media buzz across Europe.

10. London Tech Week 2026

📅 Prediction: June 2026
📍 Where: London, UK
🌐 Link: londontechweek.com
The Pitch: An unparalleled convergence of innovators in Europe's financial capital. Despite Brexit, London remains the Fintech capital of the world. If you are in Fintech or Insurtech, skipping this is a strategic error.
Best For: Fintech startups and connecting with global banking institutions.

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11. Viva Technology 2026

📅 Prediction: June 2026
📍 Where: Paris, France
🌐 Link: vivatechnology.com
The Pitch: Massive. Corporate. Powerful. VivaTech is where the biggest corporations in the world (LVMH, L'Oréal, Google) come to shop for startup innovation. If your strategy involves B2B enterprise sales, this is your hunting ground.
Best For: B2B startups looking for Proof of Concept (PoC) deals with Fortune 500 companies.

12. Dublin Tech Summit 2026

📅 Prediction: June 2026
📍 Where: Dublin, Ireland
🌐 Link: dublintechsummit.com
The Pitch: Dublin is the European HQ for almost every major US tech giant. This summit connects the dots between the Silicon Valley mindset and European regulation.
Best For: Startups looking to scale into the US market from a European base.

13. TNW (The Next Web) Conference 2026

📅 Prediction: June 2026
📍 Where: Amsterdam, Netherlands
🌐 Link: thenextweb.com/conference
The Pitch: A tech festival with a unique "festival" vibe. It blends serious tech talks with music, food, and networking. The atmosphere encourages serendipitous meetings rather than forced networking.
Best For: Creative tech startups and building brand awareness in a fun environment.

14. Infoshare 2026

📅 Prediction: June 2026
📍 Where: Gdańsk, Poland
🌐 Link: infoshare.pl
The Pitch: The largest tech festival in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Infoshare is famous for its developer-centric approach and massive networking parties on the beach. It’s where CEE technical talent meets Western capital.
Best For: Finding developers, CTOs, and tech partners (~6000 attendees).

15. DMEXCO 2026

📅 Prediction: September 2026
📍 Where: Cologne, Germany
🌐 Link: dmexco.com
The Pitch: Europe’s leading digital marketing and tech event. If your startup sells MarTech or AdTech solutions, this is the only event that matters. It’s purely transactional—people come here to buy software.
Best For: MarTech/AdTech startups focused on generating qualified sales leads.

16. TechBBQ 2026

📅 Prediction: September 2026
📍 Where: Copenhagen, Denmark
🌐 Link: techbbq.dk
The Pitch: "Hygge" meets high-growth. TechBBQ is the gateway to the Scandinavian ecosystem. Known for its focus on sustainability and work-life balance in tech. If you are in GreenTech, this is your home turf.
Best For: GreenTech and sustainability-focused startups.

17. Bits & Pretzels 2026

📅 Prediction: September/October 2026
📍 Where: Munich, Germany
🌐 Link: bitsandpretzels.com
The Pitch: It starts with a conference and ends in an Oktoberfest tent. Seriously. Founders and VCs wearing lederhosen drinking beer together. It builds relationships faster than any boardroom meeting ever could. Previous speakers include Barack Obama.
Best For: Building deep, personal relationships with German investors.

18. GITEX Global 2026

📅 Prediction: October 2026
📍 Where: Dubai, UAE (Dubai World Trade Centre)
🌐 Link: gitex.com
The Pitch: The largest tech show in the world by square footage. GITEX is overwhelming in the best way possible. It is the primary gateway to the Middle East & Africa markets. If you want to sell to governments or huge conglomerates, book a booth here.
Best For: Enterprise expansion into the Middle East and government contracts.

19. Web Summit 2026

📅 Prediction: November 2026
📍 Where: Lisbon, Portugal
🌐 Link: websummit.com
The Pitch: The "Glastonbury for Geeks". With 70,000+ attendees, it defines the global tech agenda for the year. It's crowded, so you need a strategy, but everyone who matters in tech passes through Lisbon in November.
Best For: Global visibility, brand building, and "being seen" in the industry.

20. Slush 2026

📅 Prediction: November/December 2026
📍 Where: Helsinki, Finland
🌐 Link: slush.org
The Pitch: Dark, cold, and full of lasers. Slush is widely considered the best founder/investor event in the world. The matchmaking tool is legendary. People come here for one reason: to do deals.
Best For: Serious fundraising (Series A+) and high-impact networking.

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Choosing which conferences to attend can consume your budget fast. In 2026, prioritize ROI: go where your customers are, or where the liquidity is. It’s important to find conferences that offer excellent networking opportunities relevant to your field. Each conference provides unique benefits, so consider attending at least one to help your startup stay ahead of the competition. This is a great opportunity to learn more about emerging technologies in your industry. Start planning your next trip now! Good luck, entrepreneurs — we wish you all success, and don’t forget to have fun along the way!

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