Top 25 Startup Events for Early-Stage Startups in 2025
The startup ecosystem continues to grow, offering numerous opportunities for entrepreneurs to connect, learn, and innovate. In 2025, events around the globe will provide early-stage startups with invaluable networking and growth opportunities. Here’s a detailed list of the Top 25 Startup Events for Early-Stage Startups in 2025, including dates, locations, focus areas, and links for each event.
Write FREE SEO-optimized Blog Articles! Our Article Writer ensures your blog is loved by both Google and your readers, turning those clicks into customers.
👉 Write your article here
1. CES 2025
When: January 7 - 10, 2025
Where: Las Vegas, USA
Focus: Consumer technology, including AI, digital health, gaming, and more.
Attendees: Senior-level tech visionaries, innovators, and decision-makers.
Opportunities: Networking, exploring diverse tech areas, and observing future tech trends.
2. One Giant Leap Event (LEAP)
When: February 9 - 12, 2025
Where: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Focus: FinTech, sustainability, cybersecurity, retail, and smart cities.
Attendees: 215,000+ attendees, 1,800+ exhibitors.
Opportunities: Startup pitch competition with a $1 million prize, startup bootcamp, 1:1 meetings with investors.
3. sTARTUp Day
When: January 29 – 31, 2025
Where: Tartu, Estonia
Focus: Mental health, deep tech, marketing, and defense.
Attendees: 320+ startups, 220+ investors, and 55+ exhibiting companies.
Opportunities: Workshops, tours, networking events, and a pitching contest.
Boost Your SEO by listing your startup and get a FREE backlink.
Create a profile in the F/MS Startup Game, add the link to your website and submit.
👉 List your startup now!
4. TechChill
When: February 5 – 7, 2025
Where: Riga, Latvia
Focus: Connecting early-stage startups with investors and growth opportunities.
Attendees: 310+ startups and 250+ investors from Europe and Silicon Valley.
Opportunities: Pitch competition with €300,000 in prizes, networking, and learning from tech executives.
5. Startup Champions Seed Night
When: April 10, 2025
Where: EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
Focus: Seed/Pre-seed stage startups, originating from EPFL or based in Romandie.
Attendees: 400+ angel investors, mentors, scientists, and students.
Opportunities: 90-second pitch opportunity, startup exhibition, and networking.
6. Venture Capital Conference
When: March 5, 2025
Where: Dublin, Ireland
Focus: Investment landscape in 2025, equity funding, and venture capital.
Opportunities: Keynote addresses, panel discussions, breakout sessions, and networking.
Details: Highlights current sources of equity funding and helps navigate raising venture capital.
7. EU-Startups Summit
When: April 24-25, 2025
Where: Valletta, Malta
Focus: Tech-based and tech-enabled startups with global ambitions.
Attendees: 2,500 founders, investors, and corporates.
Opportunities: Networking, fireside chats, and a pitch competition with a €390,000 prize package.
8. Latitude59
When: May 21-23, 2025
Where: Tallinn, Estonia
Focus: Tech, entrepreneurship, and growth.
Opportunities: €1 million pitch competition, networking, and inspiring talks.
Details: Known for its intimate atmosphere, making meaningful connections possible.
9. Startup Grind Global Conference
When: April 29-30, 2025
Where: (Both in-person and online options)
Focus: Global startup ecosystem, networking, and growth.
Attendees: Thousands of large-scale and early-phase startups.
Opportunities: 1:1 meetings with angel investors, 175+ sessions, and 5,000+ attendees.
10. Slush
When: November 19-20, 2025
Where: Helsinki, Finland
Focus: Global startup event and the largest gathering of VCs.
Opportunities: Meet with 3,300 investors, receive company-building advice, and gain traction for your startup.
Details: Includes founders day, pitch on stage, and startup booths.
Boost Your SEO with 1,500+ Free Business Directories: increase your DA, get backlinks and traffic.
We've compiled an exclusive list of directories and websites where you can submit your business and start building high-quality backlinks to boost your website traffic and get your SEO snowball rolling.
👉 Submit your startup now!
11. Collision Conference
When: June 17-20, 2025
Where: Toronto, Canada
Focus: Technology, startups, and innovation.
Attendees: Over 35,000 global participants.
Opportunities: Networking, workshops, and a chance to pitch ideas.
12. VivaTech
When: June 11-14, 2025
Where: Paris, France
Focus: AI, robotics, and all things digital transformation.
Attendees: 13,000 startups and key industry leaders.
Opportunities: Networking events and participating in workshops.
13. Startup Festival
When: July 8-10, 2025
Where: Montreal, Canada
Focus: International startup innovation.
Attendees: A mix of startups, investors, and experienced mentors.
Opportunities: Panel discussions and interactive workshops.
14. Health 2.0 Annual Conference
When: October 7-9, 2025
Where: San Francisco, USA
Focus: Health technology and innovations.
Attendees: Innovators, investors, and industry leaders.
Opportunities: Networking and showcasing health tech startups.
15. FinovateFall
When: September 25-27, 2025
Where: New York City, USA
Focus: Financial technology innovations for startups.
Attendees: Fintech professionals and investors.
Opportunities: Pitch your startup and gain exposure.
Boost Your SEO by Getting Featured in Our Blogs and get a backlink.
We publish content about startups, education, tech, funding, etc. that ranks well not only in Google but also in Perplexity, ChatGPT, Grok and other AI tools.
👉 Get featured now!
16. TechCrunch Disrupt
When: September 18-20, 2025
Where: San Francisco, USA
Focus: Startup technologies and innovations.
Attendees: Founders, investors, and reporters.
Opportunities: Pitch your startup to a panel of VCs and industry experts.
17. Startup World Cup
When: May 1, 2025
Where: San Francisco, USA
Focus: Global innovation from top startups.
Attendees: Global venture capitalists and entrepreneurs.
Opportunities: Compete for a $1 million grand prize and gain visibility.
18. South Summit
When: June 4-6, 2025
Where: Madrid, Spain
Focus: Innovative startups across multiple sectors.
Attendees: Founders, investors, and corporate representatives.
Opportunities: Networking, mentoring, and pitching competitions.
19. Mobility Conference
When: September 12-14, 2025
Where: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Focus: Future mobility and transport innovation.
Attendees: Startups, industry experts, and investors.
Opportunities: Showcase new mobility technologies and connect with peers.
20. SaaStr Annual
When: March 10-12, 2025
Where: San Francisco, USA
Focus: SaaS startup strategies and business growth.
Attendees: 15,000+ SaaS founders and executives.
Opportunities: Workshops and panels to enhance SaaS ideas.
21. Web Summit
When: November 4-7, 2025
Where: Lisbon, Portugal
Focus: Global technology and startup innovation.
Attendees: 70,000+ participants, including startups, investors, and media.
Opportunities: Networking and learning from the best in the industry.
22. IEEE Innovation Summit
When: October 15-16, 2025
Where: San Francisco, USA
Focus: Emerging technologies and engineering innovations.
Attendees: Engineers, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
Opportunities: Keynotes and workshops on the latest tech advancements.
23. Digital Summit Series
When: Throughout 2025 (various dates)
Where: Multiple locations across the US
Focus: Digital marketing and innovative technologies.
Attendees: Marketing professionals, techies, and startup founders.
Opportunities: Workshops, keynotes, and networking events.
24. Future of Work Conference
When: April 14-15, 2025
Where: Los Angeles, USA
Focus: Workplace innovation and remote work technologies.
Attendees: Business leaders, startups, and HR professionals.
Opportunities: Workshop sessions and networking platforms.
25. UK Tech Week
When: October 21-25, 2025
Where: London, UK
Focus: Technology innovation across multiple sectors.
Attendees: Innovators, investors, and influential tech leaders.
Opportunities: Networking and showcasing the latest technologies.
These events in 2025 are poised to empower early-stage startups with essential resources, opportunities, and connections to thrive in a competitive landscape.
Join F/MS: Startup Facilitator & Incubator and unlock your startup dreams today! Get your first customers, register you company in the Netherlands and get startup visas for the team.
FAQ
Q: What is an essential event for consumer technology startups in early 2025?
A: CES 2025 in Las Vegas focuses on the latest in consumer technology. Learn more about CES 2025.
Q: Which event offers a significant prize for startup pitches in 2025?
A: One Giant Leap Event (LEAP) features a pitch competition with a $1 million prize. Discover more about LEAP & Orangesoft.
Q: Where can startups network specifically within the mental health sector?
A: sTARTUp Day in Tartu, Estonia, focuses on mental health and offers numerous networking opportunities. Find out more about sTARTUp Day.
Q: Which event is recognized for connecting European startups with investors?
A: TechChill in Riga, Latvia, aims to connect early-stage startups with potential investors. Learn more about TechChill & Codigee.
Q: What event is geared towards seed-stage startups and investors?
A: Startup Champions Seed Night in Lausanne serves seed/pre-seed startups, featuring pitch opportunities and networking. Explore Startup Champions Seed Night.
Q: Which event focuses on the venture capital landscape specifically?
A: Venture Capital Conference in Dublin discusses the investment landscape for 2025, featuring keynote addresses and networking. Learn more about the Venture Capital Conference.
Q: What event is best for startups with global ambitions?
A: EU-Startups Summit in Valletta attracts tech-based startups with global ambitions and offers a large networking opportunity. Discover EU-Startups Summit.
Q: Where can startups compete for significant funding in 2025?
A: Latitude59 in Tallinn features a €1 million pitch competition for tech startups. Learn more about Latitude59.
Q: Which event allows startups to connect with numerous investors worldwide?
A: Startup Grind Global Conference offers opportunities for 1:1 meetings with angel investors and a large number of sessions. Check out Startup Grind Global Conference.
Q: What is one of the largest gatherings of investors in the startup ecosystem?
A: Slush in Helsinki is recognized as one of the largest global startup events, attracting many investors. Explore Slush.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.
