Startup Events

Must Attend Startup Events in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam's startup calendar runs on two engines: big international conferences at the RAI, with Money20/20 Europe, HLTH Europe and IBC, and a steady stream of small pitch nights, demo nights and hackathons where early-stage founders actually meet investors.
This guide lists startup, tech, investor and women-founder events in Amsterdam from October 2026 to the end of 2027. We checked every date on the organiser's own website. Where a date isn't published yet, we say so, and we mark each event as Confirmed (date on the official site), Announced (date from a reliable second source) or Expected (based on past editions only). For events elsewhere in the country, see our guide to the best startup events in the Netherlands.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.

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Must Attend Startup Events in Amsterdam 2026–2027: Calendar from October 2026 to October 2027

DatesEventVenueTypeStatus
27 Oct 2026AI Tinkerers Amsterdam Demo NightAmsterdamAI demo nightConfirmed
29 Oct, 10 Nov, 1 Dec 2026Startup Valley Pitch & NetworkingI DockPitch nightConfirmed
13–15 Nov 2026European Defense Tech HackathonAlmereHackathonConfirmed
16–22 Nov 2026Global Entrepreneurship WeekVariousFounder eventsConfirmed (global week)
17 Nov 2026AmplifyHERHotel OkuraWomen in business summitConfirmed
12 Jan 2027Startup Valley Pitch & NetworkingI DockPitch nightConfirmed
10–11 Feb 2027The Business Show AmsterdamRAI AmsterdamSME and startup expoConfirmed
9–12 Mar 2027Aquatech AmsterdamRAI AmsterdamWater tech trade showConfirmed
16–18 Mar 2027AppdevconAmsterdamApp developer conferenceConfirmed
17–23 May 2027Dutch Blockchain WeekJohan Cruijff ArenAWeb3 week and summitConfirmed
21 May 2027JSNation and React SummitAmsterdamDeveloper conferenceConfirmed
1–3 Jun 2027Hello Tomorrow Global SummitAmsterdamDeep tech summit, pitchConfirmed
8–10 Jun 2027Money20/20 EuropeRAI AmsterdamFintech conferenceConfirmed
15–17 Jun 2027GreenTech AmsterdamRAI AmsterdamAgri-tech trade showConfirmed
21–24 Jun 2027HLTH EuropeRAI AmsterdamHealth innovation, pitchConfirmed
10–13 Sep 2027IBC2027RAI AmsterdamMedia tech, startup zoneConfirmed
28–29 Sep 2027The Things ConferenceDe KromhouthalIoT conferenceConfirmed
6–7 Oct 2027World Summit AIZaandamAI conferenceConfirmed

Autumn 2026: October to December

Startup Valley pitch nights: 29 October, 10 November and 1 December 2026

📅 Startup Valley Pitch & Networking AmsterdamConfirmed
Dates29 October, 10 November and 1 December 2026, and 12 January 2027, from 18:00
WhereI Dock, IJdok 4, Amsterdam
TypePitch and networking night
Who it's forEarly-stage founders, angels and VCs
TicketsFrom $22 (early bird $10); pitch ticket $49.99 on 29 October, $39.99 on 10 November
Official siteluma.com/StartupValley
The cheapest way to pitch to investors in Amsterdam: five minutes on stage plus questions, and your deck goes into a digest sent to about 300 investors. For AI builders, AI Tinkerers Amsterdam holds its next demo night on 27 October 2026, where you show working products, not slides.

European Defense Tech Hackathon: 13–15 November 2026

📅 European Defense Tech Hackathon AlmereConfirmed
Dates13–15 November 2026, demo day on the Sunday
WhereAlmere, about 30 minutes from Amsterdam (address after registration)
TypeDual-use and defence tech hackathon
Who it's forEngineers and dual-use founders
TicketsApply as a hacker; prices not published
Official siteluma.com
The 2026 Dutch edition moved from Amsterdam to Almere. It is a fast way into Europe's defence and dual-use investor network. Global Entrepreneurship Week runs on 16–22 November 2026 too, though we found no Amsterdam programme yet.

AmplifyHER: 17 November 2026

📅 AmplifyHER 2026Confirmed
Dates17 November 2026, 12:00–19:00
WhereHotel Okura Amsterdam
TypeSummit on visibility and leadership for women
Who it's forWomen founders and professionals
Tickets€499 (discounted €365 excl. VAT); €699 package with a visibility shoot
Official sitebrandedu.nl
The one dedicated women-in-business summit in Amsterdam this autumn. There is no pitch, so go for personal brand, speaking and network rather than investors.

Winter and spring 2027: January to May

The Business Show Amsterdam: 10–11 February 2027

📅 The Business Show Amsterdam 2027Confirmed
Dates10–11 February 2027
WhereRAI Amsterdam
TypeSME and startup expo with masterclasses and speed networking
Who it's forFounders, small business owners and service providers
TicketsFree tickets
Official sitethebusinessshowamsterdam.nl
The first Amsterdam edition of a long-running UK show. Free entry makes it a low-risk day for finding suppliers, first customers and advisers.

Aquatech Amsterdam: 9–12 March 2027

📅 Aquatech Amsterdam 2027Confirmed
Dates9–12 March 2027
WhereRAI Amsterdam
TypeWater technology trade show
Who it's forWater and climate tech founders
TicketsFree visitor registration
Official siteaquatechtrade.com
One of the world's main water technology shows, with startups among the roughly 900 exhibitors. A week later, Appdevcon (16–18 March 2027) is a good place to meet and hire mobile developers.

Dutch Blockchain Week: 17–23 May 2027

📅 Dutch Blockchain Week 2027Confirmed
Dates17–23 May 2027; summit 19–20 May
WhereJohan Cruijff ArenA (summit) and venues across Amsterdam
TypeWeb3, digital assets and fintech week
Who it's forWeb3 and fintech founders, investors and builders
TicketsPro €99 and VIP €549 at super early bird prices until 30 November 2026; student €25
Official sitedutchblockchainweek.com
Cheap if you book before the end of November. On 21 May, JSNation and React Summit meet in person in Amsterdam (remote day on 25 May), which is one of the best places in Europe to recruit front-end engineers.

Summer 2027: June

Hello Tomorrow Global Summit: 1–3 June 2027

📅 Hello Tomorrow Global Summit 2027Confirmed
Dates1–3 June 2027
WhereAmsterdam (the 2026 edition was at NDSM)
TypeDeep tech summit with the Hello Tomorrow Challenge finals
Who it's forDeep tech founders, corporates and investors
Tickets2026 prices: startup pass from €490, student and ecosystem €95
Official sitehello-tomorrow.org
Hello Tomorrow moved its global summit from Paris to Amsterdam. Founders pitch to corporate venture funds and hard tech investors, and the programme has a Women in Deep Tech track.

Money20/20 Europe: 8–10 June 2027

📅 Money20/20 Europe 2027Confirmed
Dates8–10 June 2027
WhereRAI Amsterdam
TypeFintech and payments conference
Who it's forFintech founders, banks, payment companies and investors
TicketsLaunch rate open; prices on the site
Official siteeurope.money2020.com
Europe's biggest fintech meeting. Many bank and payment partnerships start in its meeting areas, so book meetings before you arrive.

HLTH Europe: 21–24 June 2027

📅 HLTH Europe 2027Confirmed
Dates21–24 June 2027
WhereRAI Convention Centre, Amsterdam
TypeHealth innovation conference with a startup pitch
Who it's forHealthtech founders, hospitals, insurers, pharma and investors
TicketsRegistration open; prices on the site
Official sitehlth.com
Health buyers, from hospitals to insurers, in one place, plus a startup pitch. The week before, GreenTech Amsterdam (15–17 June 2027, RAI) is the global meeting point for horticulture and agri-tech founders.

Autumn 2027: September and October

IBC2027: 10–13 September 2027

📅 IBC2027Confirmed
Dates10–13 September 2027
WhereRAI Amsterdam
TypeMedia, entertainment and broadcast technology show
Who it's forMedia tech founders and buyers
TicketsNot published
Official siteshow.ibc.org
Media tech startups can get onto the show floor through Future Tech Ignite, which brought together more than 70 startups in 2026. At the end of the month, The Things Conference (28–29 September, De Kromhouthal) is the main event for IoT and LoRaWAN hardware founders.

World Summit AI: 6–7 October 2027

📅 World Summit AI 2027Confirmed
Dates6–7 October 2027
WhereTaets Art & Event Park, Zaandam (near Amsterdam)
TypeAI conference with a startup accelerator programme
Who it's forAI founders, investors and enterprise buyers
TicketsSuper early bird tickets on sale
Official siteworldsummit.ai
Europe's flagship AI summit, with a startups and investors section. Book early: prices rise as the date gets closer.

Dates not announced yet

  • Amsterdam Fintech Week 2027: the 2026 edition ran on 1–4 June; expected again in early June, just before Money20/20.
  • Hack4Her 2027: the women-focused student hackathon ran at VU Amsterdam on 19–21 June 2026; expected again in June.
  • European Women in Technology 2027: held at the RAI in June 2026, according to event listings; 2027 dates are not published.
  • 0100 Europe 2027: a conference for venture capital fund managers and their investors; the 2026 edition ran on 21–23 April.
  • TechEx Europe 2027 and ADE 2027: both yearly in October, with dates still to be announced.
  • CES Unveiled Amsterdam: an invite-only edition ran on 14 September 2026; a 2027 edition hasn't been announced.

Past events

  • TechEx Europe 2026 (AI & Big Data, Cyber Security and IoT expos): 19–20 October 2026 at RAI Amsterdam.
  • Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) 2026: 21–25 October 2026 across the city, with the ADE Pro programme for the music industry. ADE

Recurring meetups and communities

  • Startup Valley: pitch and networking nights at I Dock every three to six weeks. Startup Valley calendar
  • AI Tinkerers Amsterdam: demo nights for AI builders, roughly monthly. amsterdam.aitinkerers.org
  • StartupAmsterdam: the City of Amsterdam's startup programme, with an events calendar and #FoundersFridays. StartupAmsterdam
  • TNW Gathering: free, invite-only networking evenings, including in Amsterdam.
  • Startup Village (Amsterdam Science Park) and B. Amsterdam: startup hubs with community events, mostly for members.
Some events no longer run in Amsterdam: TNW Conference has moved to London, ISE and KubeCon Europe 2027 are in Barcelona, Cisco Live EMEA is in London, SaaSiest Amsterdam's last edition was in 2025, and we found no recent Amsterdam Capital Week. Startup Grind Amsterdam has shown no local events recently.

Events for women founders in Amsterdam

  • AmplifyHER: the women's visibility and leadership summit on 17 November 2026 at Hotel Okura.
  • Dutch Women in Tech: monthly meetups, mostly in Dutch, usually on the second Tuesday of the month.
  • Hack4Her: a hackathon for women students in tech, held at VU Amsterdam in June. hack4her.github.io
  • Women in Deep Tech: a track at the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit (1–3 June 2027).
  • The Next Women: now a monthly letter for women building businesses, rather than an events programme. thenextwomen.com
The City of Amsterdam keeps a list of communities supporting women in tech. Women in Tech Amsterdam (WomenTech Network) has listed no events since 2023. If you organise an event for women founders in Amsterdam, send it to us and we'll add it.

Funding and support to know before you go

  • Dutch startup visa: a one-year residence permit for founders of innovative startups, with an experienced facilitator (mentor) and proof of enough money to live on; the application costs €423. IND
  • Company registration: registering with the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) costs a one-off €85.15, which is tax-deductible. KVK
  • Innovation Credit: RVO's loan for development projects with significant technical risk has a €50 million budget for 2026; this round closes on 31 December 2026. RVO
  • 30% facility for hires from abroad: since 2024 it is 30% tax-free for the first 20 months, then 20%, then 10%; the government plans to partly reverse this from 2027, so check the current rules. Government.nl
  • StartupAmsterdam: the city's programme since 2015, with a startup map, events calendar and newsletter. iamsterdam.com

How to get the most out of Amsterdam startup events

  1. Start small. A Startup Valley pitch night or an AI Tinkerers demo night costs little and gets you in front of investors and builders quickly.
  2. Plan June. Hello Tomorrow, Money20/20 and HLTH Europe run within three weeks of each other at the start of summer.
  3. Use the free expo passes. The Business Show and Aquatech both offer free visitor entry, and TechEx usually does too.
  4. Apply to pitch. The Hello Tomorrow Challenge, the HLTH Europe startup pitch and IBC's Future Tech Ignite are the big stages. See more startup competitions.
  5. Book early. Dutch Blockchain Week, World Summit AI and Money20/20 sell their cheapest tickets months ahead.

List your event in this guide

Do you run a startup, tech or investor event in Amsterdam? Send us the name, dates, venue and official link, and we'll check whether it fits this guide. We list events for founders, with a real date and an official page.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.

🔗 Add an awesome event

Startup events in other places

FAQ

What is the biggest startup event in Amsterdam?

The biggest are Money20/20 Europe (8–10 June 2027), HLTH Europe (21–24 June 2027) and the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit (1–3 June 2027). World Summit AI (6–7 October 2027) is held just outside the city, in Zaandam.

Is TNW Conference still in Amsterdam?

No. TNW announced in January 2026 that its flagship conference is moving to London.

Are there free startup events in Amsterdam?

Yes. The Business Show Amsterdam and Aquatech offer free expo passes, as TechEx Europe did in 2026, and StartupAmsterdam lists free community events.

Where can I pitch my startup in Amsterdam?

At Startup Valley's pitch nights at I Dock, the Hello Tomorrow Challenge, the HLTH Europe startup pitch and IBC's Future Tech Ignite.

Are there events for women founders in Amsterdam?

Yes: AmplifyHER on 17 November 2026, Dutch Women in Tech's monthly meetups, Hack4Her in June and the Women in Deep Tech track at Hello Tomorrow.

Can foreign founders move to Amsterdam to start a company?

Yes. The Dutch startup visa gives a one-year residence permit if you work with an approved facilitator; the application costs €423.

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. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
2026-10-15 15:27 By city