The best founder networking events of 2027 are the ones built around meetings, not keynotes: matchmaking apps, pre-booked one-to-one slots with investors, office hours and side events where founders meet each other. These are the ten worth the trip, from Munich, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Tallinn, Warsaw and Bucharest to Silicon Valley and Vancouver.
For each event we say exactly how the networking works, so you can pick the format that suits you. We checked every date on the organiser's own website and mark each one as Confirmed (date on the official site), Announced (reliable second source only) or Expected (based on past editions only). All ten below are Confirmed for 2027, with Europe first when the quality is equal.
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 Founder Networking Startup Events of 2027 at a Glance
The 10 best founder networking events of 2027
1. Wolves Summit: 7–8 April 2027, Warsaw
Wolves Summit is the most meeting-dense format on this list: startups can book up to 35 pre-screened meetings a day through the event app, which opens two weeks before the event, and each meeting lasts 15 minutes at an assigned table. The organisers promise 100+ investors, 300 founders and 2,000+ one-to-one meetings.
2. Startup Grind Conference: 27–28 April 2027, Redwood City
Startup Grind runs founder communities in many cities, and its yearly conference in Silicon Valley brings 5,000+ people, 800+ investors who come to scout and 150+ exhibiting startups. It suits founders who want a first trip to Silicon Valley with a ready-made community around them.
3. Latitude59: 19–21 May 2027, Tallinn
Latitude59 is compact, so you can actually meet the people you came for. In 2026 it had 3,500 attendees from 70 countries, 800 investors, 900 startup representatives and 40+ side events. Startup tickets include the matchmaking app, the matchmaking area and the list of attending investors, and Ukrainian founders can apply for an 80% discount. See our guide to startup events in Estonia for more.
4. Web Summit Vancouver: 25–28 May 2027, Vancouver
Web Summit's North American event had 20,235 attendees in 2026, with its largest investor turnout yet. Founders meet people through the startup programme, the PITCH competition, topic meetups, a women in tech community and the evening Night Summit.
5. London Tech Week: 7–11 June 2027, London
London Tech Week counted 31,600+ attendees in 2026. Much of the networking happens in the fringe event programme, which runs across London from 7 to 11 June. The event app lets you find investors by profile. The invite-only Founders Forum Global runs in London in the same week.
6. VivaTech: 16–19 June 2027, Paris
VivaTech is huge, so use its structured formats. At Investors Office Hours founders get 15 minutes one to one with an investor, first come, first served. At the Investors Reverse Pitch more than 30 funds present themselves and then meet startups, and Incubator Office Hours connect founders with programmes.
7. ARCTIC15: 16–17 June 2027, Helsinki
ArcticStartup turns 20 in 2027, and ARCTIC15's Growth Edition expects 6,500+ attendees, 750+ investors, 1,500+ startups and 20,000 meetings. The heart of it is the curated one-on-one Deal Room, with sector speed-networking sessions and official side events around it. The startup ticket is one of the cheapest on this list.
8. TechBBQ: 8–9 September 2027, Copenhagen
TechBBQ moves from late August to September in 2027. It counts 10,000+ attendees and 1,720+ investors, and every pass includes AI matchmaking in the event app, the networking area and side events. The Startup Showcase lets startups pitch to active investors.
9. Bits & Pretzels: 27–29 September 2027, Munich
Bits & Pretzels is the European event built most clearly around founders meeting investors. It promises 7,500 founders, investors and industry leaders with a curated founder-to-investor ratio of 2 to 1, 1:1 investor meetings booked in the app, investment speed dating, roundtables and a matchmaking team. On day 3, founders sit at Table Captain tables of seven at the real Oktoberfest.
10. How to Web: 5–7 October 2027, Bucharest
How to Web is the main founder conference in Central and Eastern Europe, with 3,000+ attendees from 40+ countries, 2,500+ curated meetings, 1:1 matchmaking, lounges, side events and Demo Nights. Its Startup ticket is the cheapest full ticket on this list.
Also worth a look
- EU-Startups Summit, Valletta, 13–14 May 2027, Mediterranean Conference Centre: a networking app, rooftop drinks on both evenings and 15 VCs a day on stage. eu-startups.com
- Startupfest, Montreal, 7–9 July 2027: a founder-first festival with mentor office hours and curated match-ups; the organisers say 25% of attendees can sign a term sheet. startupfest.com
- 4YFN, Barcelona, 1–4 March 2027: 700+ curated meetings, more than 60% of them between startups and investors, during MWC week. 4yfn.com
- Web Summit Qatar, Doha, 31 January–3 February 2027: an investor lounge and invite-only investor side events. qatar.websummit.com
- Founders Forum Global, London, 8–10 June 2027: invite-only, in the same week as London Tech Week.
- LEAP, Riyadh, 12–15 April 2027: an Investors Hub and an Investor and Founder Stage.
- SXSW, Austin, 15–21 March 2027: wide creative and industry networking rather than a founder-only event.
- Sifted Summit, London, October 2027 (days not announced yet): tickets from £99 + VAT.
Dates not announced yet
- Slush, Helsinki: Slush 2026 is on 18–19 November 2026 at Messukeskus, with Day 0 founder-only side events and investor office hours; no 2027 date yet.
- Web Summit, Lisbon: 9–12 November 2026; no 2027 date yet.
- South Summit, Madrid: last held on 3–5 June 2026; no 2027 networking programme published yet (its Startup Competition runs on 2–4 June 2027).
- SF Tech Week and NYC Tech Week by a16z: last held in October and June 2026; no 2027 dates yet.
- Echelon, Singapore: last held on 3–4 June 2026; no 2027 date yet.
- Expand North Star, Dubai: 8–10 December 2026; 2027 not announced.
Why founder networking matters: the numbers
- In a survey of 885 venture capitalists, over 30% of deals came through professional networks, another 20% were referred by other investors and only 10% came inbound from company management, according to research summarised by the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance.
- In Europe, all-women founding teams doubled their share of pre-seed funding to 4.9%, but received only 1.7% of Series B and later funding, according to Atomico's State of European Tech as reported by Startups Magazine.
- Events now deliver meetings at scale: Bits & Pretzels counts 21,000 founder-investor meetings, and at 4YFN more than 60% of 700+ curated meetings are between startups and investors, according to the organisers.
Want to get more out of every event? Read our guides to networking events for women entrepreneurs, startup community networking and networking without drinking.
How to network at a startup event
- Book meetings before you arrive. Matchmaking apps at Wolves Summit, Latitude59, TechBBQ, Bits & Pretzels and How to Web open before the event, and the best slots go first.
- Pick the format, not the size. A curated Deal Room or a 15-minute office hour often beats three days in a crowd of tens of thousands.
- Go to the side events. Fringe programmes, founder dinners and Day 0 events are where founders meet each other in smaller groups.
- Watch the ticket rules. Some startup tickets include the investor list and matchmaking, others don't; Latitude59 and How to Web say so on their ticket pages.
- Follow up within a week. A short note with your deck and one clear ask turns a meeting into a relationship.
List your event
Do you organise a founder networking event, a matchmaking day or a founder retreat in 2027? 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
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FAQ
What are the best founder networking events in 2027?
Our top picks are Bits & Pretzels in Munich, ARCTIC15 in Helsinki, TechBBQ in Copenhagen, VivaTech in Paris, London Tech Week, Latitude59 in Tallinn, Wolves Summit in Warsaw, How to Web in Bucharest, the Startup Grind Conference in Silicon Valley and Web Summit Vancouver.
Which startup events have investor matchmaking?
Wolves Summit, Latitude59, ARCTIC15, TechBBQ, Bits & Pretzels and How to Web all offer app-based or curated one-to-one meetings, and VivaTech runs Investors Office Hours with 15-minute slots.
What is the cheapest founder networking event on this list?
ARCTIC15's startup ticket costs €49 with the SiRA fundraising-readiness assessment, or €99 without it, plus VAT. How to Web's Startup ticket costs €119.
When is Bits & Pretzels 2027?
On 27–29 September 2027 in Munich, during Oktoberfest. On day 3, founders sit at Table Captain tables at the Oktoberfest.
When is Slush 2027?
Slush has not announced its 2027 dates yet. Slush 2026 is on 18–19 November 2026 in Helsinki.
Are there networking events for women founders?
Several events have women in tech programmes, such as Web Summit's women in tech community. See our list of startup events for women founders and our guide to networking events for women entrepreneurs.
How do founders usually meet investors?
Mostly through networks: in a survey of 885 venture capitalists, over 30% of deals came through professional networks and only 10% came inbound from company management.
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.
