Startup Events

Top 10 Startup Events on Social Impact in 2027

The best social impact events for founders in 2027 are the ones where social entrepreneurs meet impact investors, foundations and award juries, and where a young company can pitch, exhibit or apply for a prize. These are the ten worth planning around, from Paris, Oxford, The Hague and Amsterdam to Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, New York and Tokyo.
Social impact is a field where the money comes from many places: impact funds, foundations, prizes, public programmes and customers who care. So we chose a mix of summits, investor forums, awards and challenges, with Europe first. 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 by their organisers; for three of them the exact days are not out yet.
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 Social Impact Startup Events of 2027 at a Glance

#EventDatesWhereStatus
1Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and the Zayed Sustainability Prize10–14 Jan 2027Abu Dhabi, UAEConfirmed
2GSG Impact Summit2–3 Mar 2027The Hague, NetherlandsConfirmed
3Skoll World Forum6–8 Apr 2027Oxford, UK, and onlineConfirmed
4Impact Summit Europe (impact investors)6–7 Apr 2027Amsterdam, NetherlandsConfirmed
5ChangeNOW Summit26–28 Apr 2027Paris, FranceConfirmed
6SEWF Regional (Social Enterprise World Forum)4–5 May 2027Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaConfirmed
7MIT Solve Global ChallengesApr and Sep 2027Cambridge (MA) and New York, USAConfirmed (months)
8One Young World Summit28 Sep–1 Oct 2027Tokyo, JapanConfirmed
9Cartier Women's Initiative Awards2027, days not announcedAmsterdam, NetherlandsConfirmed (year and city)
10Katapult Future Fest2027, days not announcedAmsterdam, NetherlandsConfirmed (year and city)

The 10 best social impact startup events of 2027

1. Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week: 10–14 January 2027, Abu Dhabi

📅 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2027Confirmed
Dates10–14 January 2027; Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony on 12 January
WhereADNEC, Abu Dhabi, UAE
TypeSustainability week with summits, the World Future Energy Summit and the Zayed Sustainability Prize ceremony
Who it's forGovernments, companies, investors, nonprofits and sustainability founders
TicketsOpening and prize ceremonies open to the public (register your interest); the ADSW Summit is by invitation
Official siteabudhabisustainabilityweek.com
Hosted by Masdar since 2008, it is the first big impact gathering of the year. The Zayed Sustainability Prize rewards solutions in health, food, energy, water and climate action, plus a Global High Schools category; the 2027 edition drew a record 10,233 submissions from 177 countries, and its finalists are already announced. Even without a summit invitation, the public ceremonies and the World Future Energy Summit are open to registered visitors.

2. GSG Impact Summit: 2–3 March 2027, The Hague

📅 GSG Impact Summit 2027Confirmed
Dates2–3 March 2027
WhereAmare, The Hague, Netherlands
TypeImpact economy and impact investing summit
Who it's forGovernments, investors, businesses and impact leaders; 1,200+ delegates from 70+ countries
TicketsNot published yet
Official sitegsgimpactsummit2027.org
GSG Impact is the global network behind national impact investing advisory boards. Its summit shows where public policy and impact capital are going, which helps founders who want blended finance, outcome contracts or public co-investment.

3. Skoll World Forum: 6–8 April 2027, Oxford

📅 Skoll World Forum 2027Confirmed
Dates6–8 April 2027
WhereOxford, UK, and online
TypeGlobal forum on social entrepreneurship and systems change
Who it's forSocial entrepreneurs, funders, foundations and policymakers
TicketsIn person by invitation; free online viewing open to all
Official siteskoll.org
The Skoll Foundation's forum is the world's best-known meeting of social entrepreneurs and the people who fund them; more than half of the participants are social entrepreneurs and other innovators. The main programme is by invitation, but the partner-led fringe events around the Forum in Oxford are free and open to everyone. The 2027 programme comes out in March.

4. Impact Summit Europe: 6–7 April 2027, Amsterdam

📅 Impact Summit Europe 2027Confirmed
Dates6–7 April 2027
WhereAmsterdam, Netherlands
TypeImpact investing conference for institutional investors
Who it's forAsset owners, impact fund managers and institutional investors
TicketsInstitutional investors and asset owners attend at no cost; other rates not published
Official sitephenixcapitalgroup.com
Phenix Capital Group's yearly summit is about where pension funds and other large investors put impact money; investors' places are worth €699. It is not a startup event, but it is useful for impact fund managers and later-stage founders who want to understand the investors behind the funds.

5. ChangeNOW Summit: 26–28 April 2027, Paris

📅 ChangeNOW Summit 2027Confirmed
Dates26–28 April 2027
WhereGrand Palais, Paris, France
TypeImpact solutions summit and expo with pitches
Who it's forImpact startups, NGOs, investors, companies and the public sector
TicketsStartups and NGOs pass €250, tax excluded (Super Early Bird €150 until 4 February 2027); Summit Pass €450
Official sitechangenow.world
The 10th edition of Europe's largest show of solutions for people and the planet, at the Grand Palais. Through its Call for solutions 2027 (rounds until 20 February 2027), selected startups can exhibit or pitch in front of investors and buyers. A free Solidarity pass is available on request.

6. SEWF Regional: 4–5 May 2027, Kuala Lumpur

📅 SEWF Regional 2027 Kuala LumpurConfirmed
Dates4–5 May 2027
WhereAsia School of Business, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
TypeSocial enterprise conference with panels, workshops and a social enterprise marketplace
Who it's forSocial entrepreneurs, support organisations, funders and governments
TicketsNot published yet (express interest on the site)
Official sitesewfonline.com
In 2027 the Social Enterprise World Forum replaces its global forum with regional events, and Kuala Lumpur is the first, co-hosted with Biji-biji Initiative and Malaysian partners. A second regional event later in 2027 has not been announced yet. The marketplace suits social enterprises that sell products or services.

7. MIT Solve Global Challenges: April and September 2027, Cambridge and New York

📅 MIT Solve 2027 Global ChallengesConfirmed (months)
DatesSolver Orientation in April 2027; Solve Challenge Finals in September 2027 (days not announced)
WhereCambridge, Massachusetts, and New York City, USA
TypeGlobal challenge and support programme for tech-based social enterprises
Who it's forSocial entrepreneurs using technology, from any country
TicketsFree to apply; applications close on 6 November 2026, 12:00 EST
Official sitesolve.mit.edu
Every team selected for Solve's 2027 Global Challenges gets a $10,000 grant and a nine-month support programme, with four days at Solver Orientation at MIT and four days at the Challenge Finals in New York. Extra prizes such as the AI for Humanity Prize are open to selected teams. Apply before 6 November 2026.

8. One Young World Summit: 28 September–1 October 2027, Tokyo

📅 One Young World Summit 2027Confirmed
Dates28 September–1 October 2027
WhereTokyo International Forum, Tokyo, Japan
TypeGlobal summit for young leaders, with delegate applications and scholarships
Who it's forYoung leaders, social entrepreneurs and corporate delegations
TicketsNot published yet
Official siteoneyoungworld.com
One Young World brings more than 2,000 young leaders together at its yearly summit. Young founders can apply as delegates or through scholarships, and many companies send delegations, which makes it a good place to meet future partners.

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

📅 Cartier Women's Initiative Awards 2027Confirmed (year and city)
Dates2027; days not announced yet (the 2026 ceremony was on 10 June in Bangkok)
WhereAmsterdam, Netherlands
TypeAwards and fellowship for women-led impact businesses
Who it's forWomen impact entrepreneurs from every region
TicketsFellows only; applications for the 2027 edition closed on 16 June 2026
Official sitecartierwomensinitiative.com
The most important stage for women impact founders. The 2027 edition has nine regional awards and the Science and Technology Pioneer Award; first places win $100,000, second $60,000 and third $30,000, and all 30 fellows get a year-long fellowship. According to Cartier's ceremony press release, the 2027 fellows will be celebrated in Amsterdam. The call for the 2027 edition opened in March 2026, so watch for the next call around the same time.

10. Katapult Future Fest: 2027, Amsterdam

📅 Katapult Future Fest 2027Confirmed (year and city)
Dates2027; days not announced yet
WhereAmsterdam, Netherlands
TypeImpact festival for founders, investors and changemakers
Who it's forImpact founders, investors and the wider impact community
TicketsNot published yet
Official sitekatapultfuturefest.com
Katapult's festival takes place in Amsterdam; the 2026 edition used Tolhuistuin on the IJ waterfront and the Ruigoord artist village. It is smaller and more personal than the big summits, a community gathering of impact founders, investors and changemakers. Sign up on the site to hear the 2027 dates first.

Also worth a look

  • Impact Week by Impact Europe (formerly EVPA): returns at the beginning of 2027, details to be announced. impacteurope.net
  • FLII 2027, the Latin American Impact Investment Forum in Mexico: tickets are on sale for the 17th edition, but the date and city are not on the site yet. flii.org
  • 4YFN, Barcelona, 1–4 March 2027, South Summit, Madrid, 2–4 June 2027, and VivaTech, Paris, 16–19 June 2027: big general startup events where impact startups pitch alongside everyone else.
  • Hult Prize: the student social enterprise competition with a $1 million prize; no 2027 date is out yet.
  • SEWF Regional, second stop: later in 2027; city not announced yet. sewfonline.com

Dates not announced yet

  • SOCAP: SOCAP26 ran on 12–14 October 2026 in Chicago; no 2027 dates yet.
  • GIIN Impact Forum: 27–29 October 2026 at RAI Amsterdam; no 2027 dates yet.
  • Global Entrepreneurship Congress: GEC 2026 was in Doha on 21–24 September 2026; GEN promotes GEC 2027 without a city or date.
  • Impact Festival, Frankfurt: 25–26 November 2026 at Messe Frankfurt, run by TechQuartier; no 2027 dates yet.
  • Impact Days by Impact Europe: last held on 9–10 June 2026 in Brussels.
  • AVPN Global Conference: last held on 25–27 August 2026 in New Delhi.
  • Doing Good Doing Well, IESE Barcelona: last held in February 2026; no 2027 date yet.

Why these events matter: social impact in numbers

  • More than 3,907 organisations manage $1.571 trillion in impact investing assets worldwide, with 21% compound annual growth since 2019, according to the GIIN.
  • There are around 10 million social enterprises worldwide, with about $2 trillion in yearly revenue and 200 million jobs, and they seek around $1.1 trillion in outside financing, according to the World Economic Forum.
  • One in two social enterprises around the world is led by a woman, compared with one in five conventional businesses, according to the same World Economic Forum research.
Building a business with a mission? Compare models with our list of sustainable business model canvas examples and find support in our guide to accelerators for female founders.

How to choose the right social impact event

  1. Know who funds you. Impact investors meet at Impact Summit Europe and the GIIN Impact Forum; foundations and philanthropists at the Skoll World Forum; governments at the GSG Impact Summit.
  2. Apply for prizes early. MIT Solve closes on 6 November 2026, the Zayed Sustainability Prize and the Cartier Women's Initiative open yearly calls, and many winners are invited to the ceremonies.
  3. Pitch and exhibit where buyers come. ChangeNOW's Call for solutions and the SEWF marketplace put your product in front of companies, cities and the public.
  4. Use the free options. Skoll's online programme and Oxford fringe events, ADSW's public ceremonies and ChangeNOW's Solidarity pass cost nothing. See more startup competitions with prize money.
  5. Combine trips. The Skoll World Forum in Oxford and Impact Summit Europe in Amsterdam are in the same week of April, and ChangeNOW in Paris follows three weeks later.

List your event

Do you organise a social impact summit, an impact investor forum or a social enterprise pitch? 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 social impact events for founders in 2027?

Our top picks are ChangeNOW in Paris, the Skoll World Forum in Oxford, the GSG Impact Summit in The Hague, Impact Summit Europe, the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards and Katapult Future Fest in Amsterdam, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, SEWF Regional in Kuala Lumpur, MIT Solve and the One Young World Summit in Tokyo.

When is ChangeNOW 2027?

On 26–28 April 2027 at the Grand Palais in Paris. The Startups and NGOs pass costs €250 excluding tax, or €150 with the Super Early Bird rate until 4 February 2027.

Can I attend the Skoll World Forum without an invitation?

In-person attendance at the 6–8 April 2027 Forum in Oxford is by invitation, but online viewing is free and open to all, and the partner-led fringe events in Oxford are free and open to everyone.

Is there a Social Enterprise World Forum in 2027?

Not as one global forum. In 2027 SEWF runs regional events instead; the first is in Kuala Lumpur on 4–5 May 2027 at the Asia School of Business.

Which social impact awards are for women founders?

The Cartier Women's Initiative is for women-led impact businesses, with up to $100,000 for first place; its 2027 fellows will be celebrated in Amsterdam. See also our list of startup events for women founders.

How can a social enterprise get a grant at these events?

MIT Solve gives every selected team a $10,000 grant (apply by 6 November 2026), and the Zayed Sustainability Prize and the Cartier Women's Initiative give prize money to their winners.

How big is impact investing?

The GIIN estimates $1.571 trillion in impact investing assets under management, managed by more than 3,907 organisations, with 21% yearly growth since 2019.

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.
2026-10-21 13:25 By type