18-19 Nov 2026
Slush
Helsinki, Finland · In person
A meetings-first startup event in Helsinki for early-stage founders and investors.
Conferences for founders and CEOs, 2027
For founders, the right event depends on stage. Early-stage founders raising money get most from investor-heavy events such as Slush, Web Summit and Bits & Pretzels. Founders of established businesses usually get more from smaller, curated events where every attendee has been vetted.
Several events on this list are by application or invitation only; we flag those clearly.
1-4 Mar 2027
4YFN (4 Years From Now)
Barcelona, Spain · In person
Startup founders meeting investors and corporate buyers during MWC Barcelona week.
15-21 Mar 2027
SXSW
Austin, United States · In person
The Innovation Conference at SXSW, inside Austin's wider festival, for marketers and brand teams.
3-5 May 2027
OMR Festival
Hamburg, Germany · In person
A huge Hamburg festival and expo for digital marketing, aimed at German-speaking professionals.
11-12 May 2027
SaaStr AI Annual
San Mateo (San Francisco Bay Area), United States · In person
Go-to-market, scaling and investor networking for B2B SaaS and AI founders and executives.
25-28 May 2027
Web Summit Vancouver
Vancouver, Canada · In person
Web Summit's North American edition: investor access and broad tech networking in Vancouver.
7-11 Jun 2027
London Tech Week
London, United Kingdom · In person
The UK's biggest tech week: an expo at Olympia plus fringe events across London for founders, investors and enterprise leaders.
8-10 Jun 2027
Founders Forum Global
London, United Kingdom · In personInvite or application only
A curated gathering for founders of scaled tech companies and CEOs, by application only.
16-19 Jun 2027
VivaTech
Paris, France · In person
A huge Paris technology show where corporates and startups meet.
21-23 Sept 2027
Dreamforce
San Francisco, United States · Hybrid
Salesforce's annual conference for customers and partners: product roadmaps, training and large-scale networking.
27-29 Sept 2027
Bits & Pretzels
Munich, Germany · In person
A Munich founder festival capped at 7,500 people, with the final day at Oktoberfest.
2-4 Nov 2027
GTM2027 by Pavilion
Philadelphia, United States · In person
Peer networking and strategy for VP-level and above B2B go-to-market leaders.
8-11 Nov 2027
Web Summit
Lisbon, Portugal · In person
A very large Lisbon tech conference with a big startup exhibition, for founders, investors and tech executives.
Usually June (next dates not announced)
TNW Conference
London, United Kingdom · In person
European tech founders and investors. The flagship conference is moving from Amsterdam to London.
Usually September (next dates not announced)
Funnel Hacking Live
Las Vegas, United States · In person
ClickFunnels' event for online business owners building funnel-based sales.
Usually September (next dates not announced)
Turing Fest
Edinburgh, United Kingdom · In person
A small, curated Edinburgh summit pairing early-stage founders with investors in arranged meetings.
Before you book
- Book investor meetings before you arrive: the large festivals have matchmaking apps that open weeks in advance.
- Curated, application-only events can be free or cheap for founders but expect you to be at a certain stage.
More guides: Marketing conferences in the UK and IrelandMarketing, growth and startup conferences in EuropeMarketing conferences in North AmericaConferences for CMOs and marketing leadersB2B marketing conferencesSEO and search marketing conferences
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