Scaleup events are for founders who have found product–market fit and now need the next round, senior hires and new markets. These are the ten best for 2027, from London, Barcelona, Amsterdam and five South Summit stops across Europe to Doha, Rio de Janeiro and the San Francisco Bay Area.
We picked events built for growth-stage companies, or with a clear scaleup track, and say who gets in, because several are curated or invitation-only. 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 Scaleups Startup Events of 2027 at a Glance
The 10 best scaleup events of 2027
1. Web Summit Qatar: 31 January – 3 February 2027, Doha
Web Summit's Doha event expects over 30,000 entrepreneurs and investors and has separate programmes for investors and LP investors. It is the event on this list for scaleups looking at the Gulf, where sovereign and family-office money is active.
2. South Summit Scaleup Series: 4 February – 27 April 2027, five European cities
South Summit, the organiser of the big Madrid startup event, takes a one-day scaleup format on tour. The programme covers scaleup funding, operational excellence, attracting senior talent and entering new markets, with a panel of later-stage unicorn founders and IE Venture Days. Pick the city you want to expand into.
3. 4YFN: 1–4 March 2027, Barcelona
4YFN is the startup and scaleup event of MWC week, run by the GSMA. Its fundraising fast track lets companies pitch directly to VCs, and the 2026 edition had 700+ curated meetings. For a scaleup selling to telecoms or large corporates, the MWC crowd next door is the real draw. See our list of startup events in Barcelona.
4. SCALE London: 20–21 April 2027, London
SCALE London brings 3,000 UK scaleup founders and business owners together for two days of talks and networking. For women founders, Women Who Scale brings its Female Founders Pitch Competition to SCALE Manchester on 25 November 2026 (applications are closed, but you can watch live).
5. SaaStr AI Annual: 11–12 May 2027, San Mateo
SaaStr's yearly conference in the San Francisco Bay Area expects 10,000+ founders, executives and VCs. It has a Meet a VC programme, a pitch competition and CRO, CMO and CCO summits, which makes it the main room for B2B scaleups that want to sell into the US.
6. Founders Forum Global: 8–10 June 2027, London
Founders Forum is curated: it accepts scaled tech founders, corporate CEOs (no other C-suite roles for now), partner-level investors and government leaders. It runs in the same week as London Tech Week, so you can combine an application with the open event. See our list of startup events in London.
7. Money20/20 Europe: 8–10 June 2027, Amsterdam
Money20/20 Europe counts 7,500+ attendees, and one in three is C-suite, from banks, payments, retail, crypto and cybersecurity. For a fintech scaleup it is three days of meetings with the partners and buyers you need. The 2027 theme is "Control is Changing Hands".
8. Web Summit Rio: 14–17 June 2027, Rio de Janeiro
Web Summit Rio is the expansion event for Latin America, with a startup programme, the PITCH competition and an investor crowd from the region. It also runs a women in tech programme: see our women in tech events of 2027.
9. IESE Founders Forum: 15–16 June 2027, Barcelona
IESE Business School's School of Founders brings scaleup founders together for two days on leadership and how to scale. It is invitation-only and mostly for the IESE community, so it suits founders who already have a link to the school.
10. Sifted Summit: 6–7 October 2027, London
Sifted Summit is the event on this list built most squarely for scaleups: its content is about the realities of growth after Series A, for 1,500 attendees and 200+ investors. At the launch price, the scaleup ticket is also one of the cheapest on this list.
Also worth a look
- Step Dubai, Dubai Internet City, 3–4 February 2027: a Middle East tech event for scaleups heading to the Gulf. stepconference.com
- EU-Startups Summit, Malta, 13–14 May 2027: more early-stage, with a pitch competition and a matchmaking app. eu-startups.com
- SXSW London, 24–29 May 2027: passes from £210 at 50% off. sxswlondon.com
- London Tech Week, Olympia London, 7–11 June 2027: the open event in Founders Forum week.
- VivaTech, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, 16–19 June 2027: Europe's largest startup and tech event.
- Latitude59, Tallinn, 19–21 May 2027, and Web Summit Vancouver, 25–28 May 2027: see our founder networking events of 2027.
Dates not announced yet
- Slush, Helsinki: Slush 2026 is on 18–19 November 2026; no 2027 date yet.
- Web Summit, Lisbon: 9–12 November 2026; no 2027 date yet.
- Tech.eu Summit, London: last held on 21–22 April 2026; no 2027 date yet.
- EIC Summit, Brussels: last held in June 2026; no 2027 date yet.
- ScaleUp:AI, New York (Insight Partners): last held on 6 October 2026; no 2027 date yet.
- International ScaleUp Summit, Hilversum: 18 November 2026; no 2027 date yet.
Why scaleup events matter: the numbers
- More than 30% of repeat founders now set up their headquarters outside Europe by Series C, and European venture investment was projected at $44 billion in 2025, flat year on year, according to Atomico's State of European Tech 2025 as summarised by CVCA.
- The new Scaleup Europe fund plans to invest €5 billion in growth-stage startups based in the EU or partner countries, according to TechCrunch.
- All-female-founded companies in Europe raised €814.6 million in 2024, against more than €38 billion for all-male-founded companies, according to PitchBook.
Getting ready to scale? Read our guides to international expansion for women-led startups, expansion strategies, a growth metrics dashboard and scaling without burning out your team.
How to choose a scaleup event
- Start from your next goal. A Series B, a US launch, senior hires or a Gulf partner each point to a different event on this list.
- Check who gets in. Founders Forum and IESE Founders Forum are curated or invitation-only; apply early or use the open events in the same week.
- Go where your buyers are. Fintech scaleups meet banks at Money20/20, B2B software companies meet US buyers at SaaStr, and telecom suppliers meet corporates at 4YFN.
- Use one-day formats to test a market. A South Summit stop in Lisbon, Warsaw or Istanbul costs one day, not a week.
- Watch the launch prices. Sifted Summit's £99 scaleup ticket is the launch price until 30 October 2026.
List your event
Do you organise a scaleup summit, growth programme or growth-stage investor day 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 scaleup events in 2027?
Our top picks are Sifted Summit, SCALE London and Founders Forum Global in London, the South Summit Scaleup Series in five European cities, 4YFN and the IESE Founders Forum in Barcelona, Money20/20 Europe in Amsterdam, SaaStr AI Annual in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Web Summit Qatar and Web Summit Rio.
Which events are only for scaleups?
Sifted Summit is built for founders and operators after Series A, the South Summit Scaleup Series and SCALE London are for scaleup founders, and the IESE Founders Forum is an invitation-only forum for scaleup founders.
When is Sifted Summit 2027?
On 6–7 October 2027 at Protein Studios in London. The scaleup ticket costs £99 + VAT at the launch price until 30 October 2026; the full price is £399 + VAT.
Where does the South Summit Scaleup Series go in 2027?
Amsterdam on 4 February, Lisbon on 18 February, Istanbul on 24 February, Warsaw on 3 March and London on 27 April 2027.
How do I get into Founders Forum Global?
You register your interest on ff.co. The forum accepts scaled tech founders, corporate CEOs, partner-level investors and government leaders.
When is Slush 2027?
Slush has not announced its 2027 dates yet. Slush 2026 is on 18–19 November 2026 in Helsinki.
Why do European scaleups move abroad?
More than 30% of repeat founders set up their headquarters outside Europe by Series C, citing fragmented regulation and shallow late-stage capital markets, according to Atomico's State of European Tech 2025.
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.
