Startup Events

Top 10 Startup Events on Female Entrepreneurship in 2027

The best events for women founders in 2027 range from EU prize money and curated investor rooms to the biggest women-in-tech gatherings in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. These are the ten worth planning your year around.
We chose events that help women founders raise money, find customers or build a network, with Europe first and the best of the rest of the world. We checked every date on the organiser's own website and mark each one as Confirmed (date on the official site), Announced (announced without a full date) 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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Top 10 Female Entrepreneurship Startup Events of 2027 at a Glance

#EventDatesWhereStatus
1Web Summit Qatar: Women in Tech31 Jan – 3 Feb 2027Doha, QatarConfirmed
2FFX Barcelona (Female Founders Experience)Early 2027Barcelona, SpainAnnounced
3Women in Tech Global Summit20–22 Apr 2027Rio de Janeiro, BrazilConfirmed
4Women in Tech Global Conference18–21 May 2027Online + satellite eventsConfirmed
5European Prize for Women InnovatorsJune 2027 (ceremony)EUConfirmed (month)
6Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit16–17 Jun 2027Warsaw, Poland + onlineConfirmed
7Cartier Women's Initiative Awards2027 (date TBA)Amsterdam, NetherlandsAnnounced
8WEConnect Europe & MENA SummitOctober 2027Berlin, GermanyConfirmed (month)
9Women in AI Global Summit11–12 Nov 2027London, UKConfirmed
10Women's Entrepreneurship Day and #WEDO Summit19 Nov 2027 (day); summit mid-NovNew York + onlineExpected

The 10 best startup events for women founders in 2027

1. Web Summit Qatar, Women in Tech: 31 January – 3 February 2027, Doha

📅 Web Summit Qatar 2027: Women in TechConfirmed
Dates31 January – 3 February 2027
WhereDoha, Qatar
TypeTech conference with a dedicated Women in Tech ticket track and startup programme
Who it's forWomen founders and women in tech
TicketsWomen in Tech tickets are listed as sold out; general and startup tickets on the main site
Official siteqatar.websummit.com
Web Summit runs a dedicated Women in Tech programme at each of its conferences, and says 40% of the startups at Web Summit 2025 were women-founded. Qatar is the way into Gulf investors; the women's tickets have already sold out, so watch for the startup programme instead.

2. FFX Barcelona: early 2027, Barcelona

📅 FFX Barcelona (Female Founders Experience)Announced
DatesEarly 2027 (exact date not yet published)
WhereBarcelona, Spain
TypeCurated, application-only gathering with investor matchmaking
Who it's forAbout 120 women founders, investors and leaders
TicketsNot published; applications open in November 2026
Official sitefemale-founders.org
Run by the Vienna-based Female Founders network. The 2026 Barcelona edition sold out. A small, women-only room where guided matchmaking puts you directly in front of investors. The same organiser runs the Female Founders Bootcamp, a four-week programme that costs €500.

3. Women in Tech Global Summit: 20–22 April 2027, Rio de Janeiro

📅 Women in Tech® Global Summit 2027Confirmed
Dates20–22 April 2027
WhereRio de Janeiro, Brazil
TypeGlobal summit on leadership and policy
Who it's for500+ delegates: women in tech, founders and policymakers
TicketsEarly-bird tickets on sale
Official sitewomenintech-summit.com
The yearly summit of the Women in Tech® network. Your entry point to the Latin American ecosystem and its investors.

4. Women in Tech Global Conference: 18–21 May 2027, online

📅 Women in Tech Global Conference 2027Confirmed
Dates18–21 May 2027; Startup & Innovation Summit on 21 May
WhereOnline, with in-person satellite events
TypeConference with a startup showcase and demos
Who it's forWomen in tech and women founders worldwide
TicketsTicket prices on the official site
Official sitewomentech.net
WomenTech Network's eighth global conference. The fourth day is for founders and investors, with a startup showcase and ten-minute demos. Global reach without travel.

5. European Prize for Women Innovators: ceremony June 2027

📅 European Prize for Women Innovators 2027Confirmed
DatesApplications close 1 December 2026 at 17:00 CET; ceremony in June 2027
WhereEU (ceremony city not yet announced)
TypePrize for women founders
Who it's forWomen founders and co-founders in the EU and Horizon Europe countries
TicketsFree to apply; prizes up to €100,000
Official siteeic.ec.europa.eu
Run by the European Innovation Council and EIT. Top prizes are €100,000, €70,000 and €50,000, and a Rising Innovators category for women under 35 awards up to €50,000. Non-dilutive money and EU-wide visibility: if you are eligible, apply before 1 December 2026.

6. Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit: 16–17 June 2027, Warsaw

📅 Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit 2027Confirmed
Dates16–17 June 2027
WhereEXPO XXI, Warsaw, Poland, and online
TypeConference and career fair
Who it's forWomen in STEM and tech; more career-focused than founder-focused
TicketsNot published
Official sitewomenintechsummit.pl
One of Europe's largest women-in-tech gatherings. Less about fundraising, more about hiring, partners and visibility in Central and Eastern Europe.

7. Cartier Women's Initiative Awards: 2027, Amsterdam

📅 Cartier Women's Initiative 2027 AwardsAnnounced
Dates2027 (ceremony date not yet published)
WhereAmsterdam, Netherlands
TypeFellowship and awards for women-run impact businesses
Who it's forWomen impact founders from any country and sector
TicketsFree to apply (the 2027 application window has closed); first prize US$100,000 per award
Official sitecartierwomensinitiative.com
The 2027 fellows will be celebrated at the awards in Amsterdam. Prizes are US$100,000, US$60,000 and US$30,000 per award. Watch for the next application window if you run an impact business.

8. WEConnect International Europe & MENA Summit: October 2027, Berlin

📅 WEConnect Europe & MENA Summit 2027Confirmed
DatesOctober 2027 (exact days not yet published)
WhereBerlin, Germany
TypeSummit with buyer matchmaking
Who it's forWomen-owned businesses and corporate buyers
TicketsNot published
Official siteweconnectinternational.org
A route to revenue rather than equity: WEConnect connects women-owned businesses with the procurement teams of large companies. The 2026 edition is in Seville on 9–10 November.

9. Women in AI Global Summit: 11–12 November 2027, London

📅 Women in AI Global Summit 2027Confirmed
Dates11–12 November 2027
WhereLondon, UK (and online)
TypeSummit for women working in AI
Who it's forWomen in AI, including founders and investors
TicketsFrom £499
Official sitewomeninaiglobalsummit.com
Run by FemTechConf (not the Women in AI non-profit). The most useful network of the year if you are building an AI company.

10. Women's Entrepreneurship Day and the #WEDO Summit: November 2027

Women's Entrepreneurship Day falls on 19 November every year (a Friday in 2027), and the #WEDO organisation holds a summit at the United Nations in New York, in person and online, in mid-November; the 2026 summit is on 13 November. Use the day as a hook for your own local event or campaign. joinwedo.org

Also worth a look

  • VivaTech, Paris, 16–19 June 2027: Europe's biggest corporate-startup event. vivatech.com
  • Web Summit Vancouver (25–28 May 2027) and Web Summit Rio (14–17 June 2027), both with Women in Tech programmes; Web Summit Lisbon's 2027 dates are not out yet.
  • Women TechEU: €75,000 in non-dilutive funding for women-led deep tech startups, with cut-offs into July 2027. womentecheurope.eu
  • GatherVerse Women's Innovation & Funding Summit, online, 23–24 March 2027: an online summit on funding for women founders.
  • We-Fi Research Conference, London, 1–2 February 2027: research and policy on growing women-led businesses, at the EBRD.

Dates not announced yet

  • Women in Tech Sweden conference: expected in spring 2027 in Stockholm. See our Sweden guide.
  • Premio GammaDonna (Italy): the 2026 final is in Turin on 5 November; 2027 not announced. See our Italy guide.
  • Hack4Her (Netherlands): the women-focused hackathon ran in June 2026; expected again in June 2027.
  • FemTechConf Women in Tech London Summit 2027: dates to be announced.
Some once-popular events are paused: She Loves Tech has listed no event since its 2024 global final, and the Global Female Leaders Summit appears to have stopped.

Why these events matter: the funding gap in numbers

  • European female-founded startups raised €7.5 billion in 2025 across 1,376 deals, up 19% on 2024, according to the Female Innovation Index 2026 (data from Dealroom).
  • Five European female-founded companies became unicorns in 2025, bringing the total to 29, the highest ever recorded (same source).
  • In 2024, startups with at least one female founder received about 20% of European VC money, and all-female teams raised €814 million against €38.3 billion for all-male teams, according to PitchBook data reported by Maddyness.
Read more about how women founders in Europe are closing the funding gap and meet the female entrepreneurs shaping Europe.

How to choose the right event

  1. Decide what you need this year. Money: the EU prize, Cartier and FFX. Customers: WEConnect. Network and hiring: Perspektywy and the Women in Tech summits.
  2. Apply early. FFX, Cartier and the EU prize all select participants; the EU prize closes on 1 December 2026.
  3. Combine with a big general event. Web Summit and VivaTech have women-founder programmes and far more investors than most specialised events.
  4. Use online events to test. The WomenTech conference and GatherVerse are online, so you can meet a global network before you travel.
  5. Follow up. Write to the people you meet within 48 hours; the event is only the start. See more startup competitions.

List your event

Do you organise an event for women founders or female entrepreneurs? Send us the name, dates, city and official link, and we'll check whether it fits this list.
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

More startup event lists

FAQ

What are the best startup events for women founders in 2027?

Our top picks are FFX Barcelona, the European Prize for Women Innovators, the Women in Tech Global Conference, the Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit in Warsaw, WEConnect Europe & MENA in Berlin and the Women in AI Global Summit in London.

Are there prizes for women founders in 2027?

Yes. The European Prize for Women Innovators pays up to €100,000 (apply by 1 December 2026), and the Cartier Women's Initiative awards up to US$100,000 per award.

Which women-founder events are online?

The Women in Tech Global Conference (18–21 May 2027) is virtual-first, and the GatherVerse Women's Innovation & Funding Summit (23–24 March 2027) is online.

What is the biggest women-in-tech event in Europe?

The Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit in Warsaw, on 16–17 June 2027, is one of Europe's largest.

How much VC funding do women founders get in Europe?

European female-founded startups raised €7.5 billion in 2025, according to the Female Innovation Index; in 2024, startups with at least one female founder received about 20% of European VC funding.

When is Women's Entrepreneurship Day 2027?

19 November 2027. The #WEDO summit is usually held at the United Nations in New York in mid-November.

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 12:39 By type