Milan's startup calendar is packed from late October to mid-December 2026: Codemotion, SMAU, Founders Cove, Investor Days, Grand Prix Innovation and StartupItalia's SIOS26 Winter. In 2027 the big dates are AI Festival (11–12 February), Design Week (12–18 April) and AI WEEK (25–26 May).
This guide lists startup, tech, investor and women-founder events in Milan from late October 2026 to the end of 2027. We checked every date on the organiser's own website. 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 Turin, Rome, Bologna and the rest of the country, see our startup events in Italy guide.
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 Milan 2026–2027: Calendar from October 2026 to May 2027
Autumn 2026
Codemotion Milan: 28–29 October 2026
Italy's largest developer conference. First speakers include Matteo Flora, Katharine Jarmul and Andrey Breslav. Go to hire engineers or to learn what Italian tech teams are building.
SMAU Milano: 3–4 November 2026
More than 180 startups exhibit, and Startup Safari tours walk corporate teams past them. The calls for startup stands through Regione Lombardia and Assolombarda are closed, but a visitor pass is free.
Founders Cove: 13–14 November 2026
Startup Geeks' festival is the most founder-focused event in the city. Five Startup Showcase finalists pitch to a jury on 14 November. Speakers include Erika De Santi of WeRoad, Marco Ogliengo of Jet HR, Giorgio Ciron of InnovUp and business angel Veronica Mariani.
Italian Insurtech Summit: 19–20 November 2026
A niche room, but the right one if you sell to insurers. See our insurtech startup events for 2027.
Investor Days: 25–26 November 2026
Regione Lombardia and Finlombarda run this with the Enterprise Europe Network. Twelve startups pitch on 25 November; the pitch call and startup registration are closed, but investors and partners can still book meetings.
Grand Prix Innovation: 26 November 2026
The French-Italian Chamber of Commerce's prize night. Finalists pitch live in the Startup Arena, and there are B2B meetings and a startup expo. Startups are nominated by SMEs or corporates.
SIOS26 Winter: 16 December 2026
StartupItalia's winter summit has the theme "AI First" and ends with its Startup of the Year award. StartupItalia agenda
Winter and spring 2027
AI Festival: 11–12 February 2027
Run by the team behind WMF in Bologna. Startups can enter the AI 4 Future competition (phase 2 closes on 10 November) and the Call 4 Investors. More in our AI startup events for 2027.
Milan Design Week: Fuorisalone and Salone del Mobile, 12–18 April 2027
Design Week fills the whole city. SaloneSatellite shows designers under 35; applications for 2027 closed on 30 August 2026.
Netcomm Forum: 21–22 April 2027
Italy's main e-commerce event adds a FinTech Theatre in 2027. See our e-commerce startup events.
AI WEEK: 25–26 May 2027
With 700+ speakers it is one of Europe's largest AI events. The AI Startup Competition and AI Startup Summit run alongside.
Hardware and robotics founders: EMO Milano, the world machine-tool and automation fair, runs 4–8 October 2027 at fieramilano Rho. emo-milan.com
Dates not announced yet
- Milano Digital Week 2027: the city's free digital week ran 30 September–4 October in 2026. milanodigitalweek.com
- Codemotion Milan and SMAU Milano 2027: expected in October and November 2027.
- Founders Cove, Investor Days, Grand Prix Innovation and SIOS Winter 2027: all expected again in November and December 2027.
- Cariplo Factory "Get it!" Investor Day: the social-impact pitch morning ran on 28 January in 2026; a 2027 date is not out yet.
Recurring meetups and communities
- Milano Tech Events: a free weekly newsletter listing the city's tech meetups every Friday. milanotechevents.substack.com
- Tech Startups in the Pub: monthly networking with a pitch battle, free. meetup.com
- Mindstone Milan AI Meetup: monthly AI talks at Talent Garden Calabiana. meetup.com
- PyData Milano: data and AI talks hosted by local tech companies. meetup.com
Quiet now: Startup Grind Milan lists no upcoming events, and the Milan Fintech Summit and Seeds&Chips have not announced new editions.
Events for women founders in Milan
No women-only founder event in Milan has a published date yet for this period. These are the places to start:
- Women in Tech Milano: casual drinks and networking in the city, most recently on 20 October 2026. meetup.com
- Unstoppable Women: StartupItalia's touring event on women's entrepreneurship stopped in Milan on 1 October 2026; meet the same community at SIOS26 Winter. startupitalia.eu
- Premio GammaDonna: the national prize for innovative women entrepreneurs; the 2026 final is in Turin on 5 November. gammadonna.it
- Valore D: the Milan-based business network for gender balance in companies. valored.it
Run an event for women founders in Milan? Send it to us and we'll add it. See also our women in tech events for 2027.
Funding and support to know before you go
- Smart&Start Italia (Invitalia): open now, a zero-interest loan for 80% of costs, or 90% for teams made up entirely of women and/or people under 36; applications are reviewed within 60 days. The page notes that grant funds have run out, so check before counting on the 30% grant in central and southern Italy. Invitalia
- Fondo Impresa Femminile: the women's enterprise fund has been closed since 7 June 2022, with no reopening announced. Invitalia
- Lombardy tech-development grant: registered innovative startups can apply until 25 November 2026 for a non-repayable grant of up to 80% of research, prototype and testing costs. EconomyUp
- Coming from outside the EU? Italia Startup Visa and innovative startup status are explained in our startup events in Italy guide.
How to get the most out of Milan startup events
- Plan a November trip. SMAU, Founders Cove, the Insurtech Summit, Investor Days and Grand Prix Innovation fall between 3 and 26 November 2026.
- Buy early. Founders Cove is €179 until 1 November, and AI Festival's early bird is €149 + VAT until 4 November.
- Use the free ones. SMAU and Investor Days are free with registration, and the first 150 SIOS26 Winter tickets cost nothing.
- Pitch in 2027. AI Festival's AI 4 Future competition (phase 2 closes 10 November) and AI WEEK's AI Startup Competition are open to startups; see more startup competitions.
- Apply for Smart&Start before you raise. All-women teams get a 90% zero-interest loan.
List your event in this guide
Do you run a startup, tech or investor event in Milan? 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
- Best startup events in Italy
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- Best startup events in Europe (with country guides)
FAQ
What are the main startup events in Milan?
SMAU Milano (3–4 November 2026), Founders Cove (13–14 November), Investor Days (25–26 November), Grand Prix Innovation (26 November), SIOS26 Winter (16 December), AI Festival (11–12 February 2027) and AI WEEK (25–26 May 2027).
When is AI WEEK 2027?
25–26 May 2027 at Fiera Milano in Rho. The Business Pass was €199 when we checked on 30 October 2026; prices rise in steps to a final €599.
Are there events for women founders in Milan?
No women-only founder event has a published date yet, but Women in Tech Milano meets regularly, StartupItalia runs Unstoppable Women, and Premio GammaDonna is the national prize for innovative women entrepreneurs.
Are there free startup events in Milan?
Yes: SMAU Milano (3–4 November 2026) and Investor Days (25–26 November) are free with registration, and the first 150 SIOS26 Winter tickets are free.
What funding can a women-led startup in Italy get?
Smart&Start Italia gives a zero-interest loan for 90% of costs to teams made up entirely of women and/or people under 36. The Fondo Impresa Femminile has been closed since June 2022.
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.
