Startup Events

Must Attend Startup Events in New York, USA

New York's autumn is strong for women founders: a pitch night for women-led food brands and a Women's Entrepreneurship Day summit at the United Nations, both in early November. The rest of the year is driven by fintech, retail, AI, health and climate, with the big shows at the Javits Center and city-wide weeks in March, June and September.
This guide lists startup, tech, investor and women-founder events in New York City from November 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).
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 New York 2026–2027: Calendar from November 2026 to September 2027

DatesEventVenueTypeStatus
5 Nov 2026Enthuse Foundation Pitch NightMidtown ManhattanPitch night, women-led food and CPGConfirmed
13 Nov 2026#WEDO2026 SummitUnited NationsWomen's Entrepreneurship Day summitConfirmed
16–22 Nov 2026Global Entrepreneurship WeekVariousFounder eventsConfirmed (global week)
18–19 Nov 2026New York Venture SummitJavits CenterFounders meet VCsAnnounced
9–10 Dec 2026The AI Summit New YorkJavits CenterEnterprise AI, startup villageConfirmed
10–12 Jan 2027NRF 2027: Retail's Big ShowJavits CenterRetail show, Startup HubConfirmed
28 Jan 2027Healthcare Shares VC ConferenceCivic HallHealth tech, pitch showcaseConfirmed
21–27 Mar 2027New York Startup WeekAcross the cityStartup weekConfirmed
30 Mar–1 Apr 2027Digital Asset Summit NYCJavits NorthCrypto and digital assetsConfirmed
5–6 Apr 2027InsurTech NY Spring ConferenceNew YorkInsurtech conferenceConfirmed
3 Jun 2027Techstars NYC Demo DayNot publishedAccelerator demo dayConfirmed
7–9 Jun 2027Lesbians Who Tech SummitThe Seaport, Pier 17LGBTQ+ women in techConfirmed
15–16 Jun 2027DASH by DatadogNew YorkDeveloper and AI conferenceConfirmed
13–15 Sep 2027FinovateFallMarriott Marquis Times SquareFintech demosConfirmed
13–16 Sep 2027Fast Company Innovation FestivalNew YorkInnovation festivalConfirmed
19–26 Sep 2027Climate Week NYCAcross the cityClimate weekConfirmed

Autumn 2026: October to December

Enthuse Foundation Pitch Night: 5 November 2026

📅 Enthuse Foundation 8th Annual Pitch Night & BenefitConfirmed
DatesThursday 5 November 2026, 18:00
WhereMidtown Manhattan; exact venue not published
TypePitch night and benefit for women-led food, beverage and consumer brands
Who it's forWomen founders in food, drink and CPG, buyers and investors
TicketsTicketed; price on the site
Official siteenthusefoundation.org
Companies must be at least 51% women-owned; the 2025 grand prize was worth $35,000. Applications for 2026 closed in September, so come to watch and meet the buyers, and apply next year.

#WEDO2026 Women's Entrepreneurship Day Summit: 13 November 2026

📅 #WEDO2026 SummitConfirmed
DatesFriday 13 November 2026, 10:00–20:30
WhereDelegates Dining Room, United Nations, and online
TypeGlobal summit for women entrepreneurs
Who it's forWomen founders, investors and supporters
TicketsNot published
Official sitejoinwedo.org
Women's Entrepreneurship Day itself falls on 19 November, but the 2026 summit at the UN is on 13 November. Global Entrepreneurship Week follows on 16–22 November. In the same week, the New York Venture Summit (18–19 November at the Javits Center, a date we found only on Dealroom) puts founders in front of VCs and corporate investors; check the organiser's site before you book.

The AI Summit New York: 9–10 December 2026

📅 The AI Summit New York 2026Confirmed
Dates9–10 December 2026
WhereJavits Center
TypeEnterprise AI conference with a Start-up & Investor Village
Who it's forAI founders and corporate AI buyers
TicketsExpo pass $129 (offer until 8 December); delegate $2,399
Official sitetheaisummit.com
More than 7,500 people and 350 speakers. The cheap expo pass is enough to walk the floor and meet buyers.

Winter and spring 2027: January to April

NRF 2027: Retail's Big Show: 10–12 January 2027

📅 NRF 2027: Retail's Big ShowConfirmed
Dates10–12 January 2027
WhereJavits Center
TypeThe biggest retail trade show, with a Startup Hub and the NRF Innovators Showcase
Who it's forRetail tech, e-commerce and consumer founders
TicketsNot published
Official sitenrf.com
Retailers from around the world scout the Startup Hub. If you sell to shops or brands, this is the week to book meetings.

Healthcare Shares VC Conference: 28 January 2027

📅 Healthcare Shares Venture Capital Conference 2027Confirmed
DatesThursday 28 January 2027, 9:00–20:00
WhereCivic Hall, 124 East 14th Street
TypeHealth tech conference with a Capital Showcase pitch
Who it's forHealth tech founders, investors and clinicians
Tickets$1,295
Official sitehealthcareshares.com
Eight founders pitch in the Capital Showcase; you can apply to pitch on the site.

New York Startup Week: 21–27 March 2027

📅 New York Startup Week 2027Confirmed
Dates21–27 March 2027
WhereVenues across the city
TypeStartup week with a calendar built by the community
Who it's forFounders, students, investors and operators
TicketsNot published
Official sitenysw.org
Run by Tech@NYU. Anyone can add events to the calendar, so it's a cheap way to host your own meetup.

Digital Asset Summit and InsurTech NY: 30 March–6 April 2027

📅 Digital Asset Summit NYC 2027Confirmed
Dates30 March–1 April 2027
WhereJavits North
TypeInstitutional crypto and digital asset summit
Who it's forCrypto and fintech founders, institutional investors
TicketsNot published
Official siteblockworks.com
Blockworks' summit is the main place in New York to meet institutional crypto investors. The week after, the InsurTech NY Spring Conference (5–6 April 2027) gathers more than 1,100 people from insurance carriers, brokers and startups.

Summer 2027: June

Techstars NYC Demo Day: 3 June 2027

📅 Techstars NYC Accelerator Demo DayConfirmed
Dates3 June 2027
WhereVenue not published
TypeAccelerator demo day
Who it's forInvestors and founders
TicketsNot published
Official sitetechstars.com
Techstars invests $220,000 in each company. The final application deadline for the spring 2027 programme is 18 November 2026, and the programme starts on 8 March 2027.

Lesbians Who Tech Summit: 7–9 June 2027

📅 Lesbians Who Tech Summit 2027Confirmed
Dates7–9 June 2027
WhereThe Seaport, with The Rooftop at Pier 17
TypeSummit for LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people in tech, and allies
Who it's forLGBTQ+ women in tech, founders and allies
TicketsSeveral pass levels, including a free virtual pass; see the site
Official sitelwtsquad.com
The summit has moved from San Francisco to New York. A big room of women in tech: future hires, customers and angel investors.

DASH by Datadog: 15–16 June 2027

📅 DASH by Datadog 2027Confirmed
Dates15–16 June 2027 (workshops likely on 14 June)
WhereNew York; venue not published (Javits North in 2026)
TypeDeveloper, observability and AI conference
Who it's forDevelopers, devtools and AI infrastructure founders
TicketsNot published
Official sitedatadoghq.com
Useful if you sell to engineering teams. NY Tech Week usually runs in early June too; see below.

Autumn 2027: September

FinovateFall: 13–15 September 2027

📅 FinovateFall 2027Confirmed
Dates13–15 September 2027
WhereMarriott Marquis Times Square
TypeFintech showcase with more than 70 seven-minute live demos
Who it's forFintech founders, banks, credit unions and investors
TicketsNot published
Official siteinformaconnect.com
A live demo here puts your product in front of bank buyers. The same week, the Fast Company Innovation Festival (13–16 September) brings brand and corporate innovation leaders.

Climate Week NYC: 19–26 September 2027

📅 Climate Week NYC 2027Confirmed
Dates19–26 September 2027
WhereVenues across the city
TypeClimate week with hundreds of events run by many hosts
Who it's forClimate tech founders, investors and corporates
TicketsVaries by host
Official siteclimateweeknyc.org
The biggest yearly gathering of climate investors in New York, timed with the UN General Assembly.

Dates not announced yet

  • NY Tech Week 2027: the 2026 edition ran on 1–7 June with hundreds of community-hosted events; expected again in June.
  • New York FinTech Week 2027 (Empire Startups): the 2026 edition was on 27 April–1 May. Empire Startups
  • ERA Demo Day: ERA's Winter 2027 programme starts on 11 January 2027 and lasts four months; the Demo Day date is not published. Apply by 2 November 2026. ERA
  • NYU Entrepreneurs Festival: the 15th edition, with a Demo Day, took place in early October 2026; expected again next autumn. NYU Entrepreneurship
  • Advertising Week New York 2027: the 2026 edition was on 5–8 October. advertisingweek.com
  • The AI Summit New York 2027: usually in December at the Javits Center.

Past events

  • The Business of WE (Women Entrepreneurs) 11th Annual Summit: a full day for women entrepreneurs on 26 October 2026 at 125 Barclay Street in the Financial District.

Recurring meetups and communities

  • NY Tech Meetup (NY Tech Alliance): monthly demo nights at Civic Hall; the next is on 9 November 2026. nytech.org
  • Entrepreneurs Roundtable (ERA): a monthly founder event, plus themed pitch nights for female, health tech, AI and climate founders. ERA
  • Startup Grind NYC: pitch showcases, talks and happy hours several times a month. Startup Grind NYC
  • Founder Institute New York: a pre-seed programme with a Fall 2026 cohort. Founder Institute
  • Startup Columbia: Columbia's startup competition launches again in January 2027. Columbia Entrepreneurship
Some names are gone: Fintech Nexus (formerly LendIt) closed in 2024, Women Who Code closed in April 2024, and we found no recent events for Girls in Tech NYC.

Events for women founders in New York

  • Enthuse Foundation Pitch Night (5 November 2026): a cash-prize pitch for women-led food, beverage and consumer brands.
  • #WEDO2026 Summit (13 November 2026) at the United Nations, for Women's Entrepreneurship Day.
  • Lesbians Who Tech Summit (7–9 June 2027) at the Seaport.
  • ERA Female Founders pitch events: themed pitch nights that ERA runs alongside its monthly Entrepreneurs Roundtable. ERA
  • WE NYC: free workshops and coaching for women entrepreneurs from the city's Department of Small Business Services, such as the WE Master series. we.nyc
If you organise an event for women founders in New York, send it to us and we'll add it.

Funding and support to know before you go

  • New York LLC: filing the Articles of Organization costs $200. Within 120 days you must publish a notice in two newspapers for six weeks and file a Certificate of Publication ($50), or the LLC's authority is suspended. NY Department of State
  • WE NYC: the city's free programme for women entrepreneurs, open to all New Yorkers. we.nyc
  • Accelerators: ERA invests $150,000 for 6% (post-money SAFE); Techstars NYC invests $220,000. ERA's deadline is 2 November 2026 and Techstars' is 18 November 2026.
  • IN2NYC, the city's visa programme for foreign founders, is closed to new applications for now. NYCEDC
  • International Entrepreneur Rule: foreign founders backed by at least $311,071 from qualified US investors, or $124,429 in government grants, can get parole of up to 2.5 years. Rules change often; check before you apply. USCIS

How to get the most out of New York startup events

  1. Start with the women-founder events. Enthuse Pitch Night and the WEDO summit at the UN fall on 5 and 13 November 2026.
  2. Pick your sector show. Retail: NRF. Health: Healthcare Shares. Crypto: Digital Asset Summit. Insurance: InsurTech NY. Fintech: FinovateFall. AI: The AI Summit New York.
  3. Use the cheap passes. The AI Summit's expo pass and most Startup Week, Tech Week and Climate Week events cost little or nothing.
  4. Pitch. ERA's themed pitch nights, the Healthcare Shares Capital Showcase and Startup Grind's demo showcases are open to apply. See more startup competitions.
  5. Know the paperwork. If you form a New York LLC, budget for the publication requirement; it often costs more than the filing fee.

List your event in this guide

Do you run a startup, tech or investor event in New York? 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 are the biggest startup events in New York?

NRF Retail's Big Show (10–12 January 2027), The AI Summit New York (9–10 December 2026), FinovateFall (13–15 September 2027) and Climate Week NYC (19–26 September 2027), plus the city-wide Startup Week (21–27 March 2027) and NY Tech Week in June.

Are there events for women founders in New York?

Yes: the Enthuse Foundation Pitch Night (5 November 2026), the #WEDO2026 summit at the UN (13 November 2026) and the Lesbians Who Tech Summit (7–9 June 2027).

When is NY Tech Week 2027?

The dates are not published yet. The 2026 edition ran on 1–7 June 2026.

Are there free startup events in New York?

Yes. Most New York Startup Week and Climate Week NYC events are free or cheap, and NY Tech Meetup, Startup Grind NYC and ERA run regular founder events.

Which accelerators in New York are open now?

ERA (apply by 2 November 2026; $150,000 for 6%) and Techstars NYC (final deadline 18 November 2026; $220,000).

How much does it cost to form an LLC in New York?

$200 to file the Articles of Organization, plus the cost of publishing a notice in two newspapers for six weeks and a $50 Certificate of Publication.

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.
2026-10-16 15:30 By city