The Netherlands has one of Europe's busiest startup calendars: Amsterdam hosts big international conferences like Money20/20, HLTH Europe and World Summit AI, while Delft, Groningen, Utrecht, Eindhoven and Rotterdam run strong local scenes built around universities and incubators.
This guide lists startup, tech, investor and women-founder events in the Netherlands 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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Best Startup Events in the Netherlands 2026–2027: Calendar from November 2026 to October 2027
Autumn 2026: November and December
Groningen and Delft: Innovation Day and CTO Unconference, 4 and 5 November 2026
On 4 November, Innovation Day at the Feringa Building in Groningen focuses on academic entrepreneurship and university spin-offs. On 5 November, YES!Delft and TNO host the first CTO Unconference in Delft (09:00–13:00), for deep tech CTOs with a Delft connection. It is free; register by 2 November.
AI Summit Brainport: 12 November 2026
This year's theme is "AI at work. Use it or lose it?" A good room for meeting the Brainport region's industrial companies. The final of the AI Pitch Competition 2026, for AI startups from the Brabant region, runs from 14:15 to 16:15. See also our guide to startup events in Eindhoven.
European Defense Tech Hackathon: 13–15 November 2026
The Dutch edition of this dual-use and defence tech hackathon moved from Amsterdam to Almere and ends with a demo day on the Sunday; registration runs on its Luma page. Global Entrepreneurship Week runs on 16–22 November 2026, but no Dutch programme has been published.
UtrechtInc founder events: November 2026
Utrecht's university-linked incubator runs regular free or low-cost events: a Pizza Night for Founders (12 November), Team up with a Startup (24 November), which matches talent with startups, and Meet UtrechtInc (26 November, then 28 January 2027). UtrechtInc events
Dutch Life Sciences Conference: 26 November 2026
The 22nd edition of this life sciences and health business conference includes the Health~Holland Venture Challenge winner announcement and Startup Forum pitches by early- and later-stage startups. The startup ticket is for companies up to four years old.
YES!Delft Meet your co-founder: 4 December 2026
YES!Delft, the Delft tech incubator, runs these sessions about every six weeks; the December one is in Rotterdam. You can pitch your startup or present yourself as a potential co-founder.
Dealflow Donderdag (Founded): 10 December 2026
Founded, the startup organisation of the northern Netherlands, runs Dealflow sessions four times a year: selected startups pitch to regional public and private investors.
2027: January to October
New Energy Challenge and MXT: January 2027
The fifth edition of the flagship founder day of the northern Netherlands. YES!Delft's New Energy Challenge also runs from 3 January to 9 April 2027: a competition for energy startups that leads to pilots with energy companies (applications closed on 23 October 2026).
Dutch Blockchain Week and Upstream Festival: May 2027
Rotterdam's main startup and capital event, built around founder–investor conversations and speed-dating, with more than 2,000 attendees in 2026. Dutch Blockchain Week runs in Amsterdam on 17–23 May 2027, with its summit at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on 19–20 May.
F&A Next Summit: 19–20 May 2027
The 12th edition of the agrifood summit in Wageningen, where startups pitch to investors and food and agriculture corporates.
JSNation and React Summit: 21 May 2027
Two large developer conferences, held together in Amsterdam on 21 May (with remote days on 25 May). Useful for hiring and for developer-tool startups. jsnation.com
Hello Tomorrow Global Summit: 1–3 June 2027
Hello Tomorrow moved its global summit from Paris to Amsterdam. It is the best deep tech investor and corporate room in Europe, with one-to-one investor meetings.
Money20/20 Europe: 8–10 June 2027
Europe's largest fintech deal room. The startup pass is for early-stage companies under 3 years old that have raised less than €5 million, and growth-stage ones under 5 years and €15 million.
HLTH Europe: 21–24 June 2027
Where European health tech founders meet buyers and pilot partners, with a startup pitch.
Cybersec Netherlands and World Summit AI: September and October 2027
The largest AI audience in the Netherlands. Before it, Cybersec Netherlands (15–16 September 2027, Jaarbeurs Utrecht) is the place for security startups selling to Dutch buyers.
TechEx Europe: 19–20 October 2027
A large enterprise technology expo at the RAI, with co-located AI, big data and cyber security events. Expo passes for 2027 are not on sale yet.
Dates not announced yet
- Level Up, Eindhoven. The 2026 edition was on 28 September at the Evoluon; expected again in September 2027.
- CES Unveiled Amsterdam. Held on 14 September 2026 (invite only, with a pitch for the Dutch CES delegation); a 2027 edition hasn't been announced.
- Hack4Her 2027. The women-focused hackathon ran in Amsterdam and Eindhoven in 2026 (TU Eindhoven, 12–14 June); expected again in June 2027.
- SaaSiest Amsterdam. SaaSiest held an Amsterdam Executive Edition on 7 October 2026; no 2027 Amsterdam date has been published, and SaaSiest 2027 is in Malmö (11–12 May).
- ImpactFest, The Hague. Paused in 2026; it returns in 2027 with a new concept, and the date hasn't been announced.
Past events
- TechEx Europe 2026 (with AI & Big Data Expo): 19–20 October 2026 at the RAI, Amsterdam.
- YES!Delft Meet your co-founder: the October session was on 23 October 2026 in Delft; the next one is on 4 December in Rotterdam.
- Dealflow Dinsdag (Founded): listed for 27 October 2026; Founded's next session is Dealflow Donderdag on 10 December.
- Startup Valley Pitch Night Amsterdam: 29 October 2026 at I Dock, Amsterdam.
- NXTGEN Conference 2026: 29 October 2026 at the Fokker Terminal, The Hague.
- Meet UtrechtInc: 29 October 2026 in Utrecht; the next one is on 26 November.
Recurring meetups and communities
- Founded (northern Netherlands): Dealflow investor sessions four times a year, plus Fuckup Nights, such as Leeuwarden on 19 November. founded.in
- YES!Delft: Meet your co-founder sessions about every six weeks and free online info sessions.
- UtrechtInc: monthly Meet UtrechtInc, Finance Fridays and founder pizza nights. UtrechtInc
- Startup Valley: monthly pitch nights in Amsterdam and other cities; the next Amsterdam nights at I Dock are on 10 November, 1 December and 22 December 2026 and 12 January 2027 (doors 18:00, paid tickets).
- High Tech Campus Eindhoven: many free campus events, such as the AI Salon Eindhoven.
- Startup Village Amsterdam (Science Park): an active startup hub with its own events calendar.
- Techleap: the national startup programme's event calendar is for members only.
Some events from earlier versions of this guide have ended or moved. TNW Conference has moved to London, DevOpsDays Amsterdam 2026 was cancelled, GOTO Amsterdam is paused, and we found no recent editions of Amsterdam Capital Week, StartupFest Europe, Dutch Technology Week or ACE Venture Lab events.
Events for women founders in the Netherlands
We found few dated women-founder events in the Netherlands for the coming year, so these are the communities to know:
- Fe+male Tech Heroes, High Tech Campus Eindhoven: free women-in-tech meetups; the October 2026 edition was about angel investing, with one-minute pitches.
- The Next Women: an invite-only membership for women building and scaling a business in the Netherlands, with monthly masterminds in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. thenextwomen.com
- Hack4Her: a women-focused hackathon, expected again in June 2027.
- Women Entrepreneurs Connect, Amsterdam: Finance Friday sessions for women entrepreneurs (about €15).
If you organise an event for women founders in the Netherlands, send it to us and we'll add it.
Funding and support to know before you go
- WBSO R&D tax credit: 36% of R&D wage costs in the first bracket (50% for starters) up to €391,020, then 16%; the rates are unchanged in 2027, and applications for 2027 open in mid-November 2026. RVO
- Innovatiekrediet (Innovation Credit): a €50 million budget in 2026 for risky development projects, up to €10 million per project and up to 45% of costs for small companies. RVO
- Start-up residence permit for non-EU founders: you need a recognised facilitator (mentor); the permit lasts one year and the application costs €423. IND
- KVK registration: registering a company with the Chamber of Commerce costs a one-off €85.15. KVK
For more, see our list of startup accelerators in the Netherlands and the Dutch startups to watch.
How to get the most out of Dutch startup events
- Go regional. Delft, Groningen, Utrecht and Eindhoven have smaller events where investors and incubators actually have time to talk.
- Use the free events. YES!Delft's co-founder sessions, UtrechtInc meetups and High Tech Campus events cost nothing. TechEx Europe expo passes for 2027 are not on sale yet.
- Plan June in Amsterdam. Hello Tomorrow, Money20/20 and HLTH Europe run within three weeks of each other.
- Apply for startup programmes. Money20/20, Hello Tomorrow and the Dealflow sessions select startups for cheaper passes or pitch slots. See more startup competitions.
- Know the schemes. Incubators and RVO staff at these events can explain the WBSO and Innovatiekrediet, which most Dutch tech startups use.
List your event in this guide
Do you run a startup, tech or investor event in the Netherlands? 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 countries
FAQ
What are the biggest startup events in the Netherlands?
Money20/20 Europe (8–10 June 2027), HLTH Europe (21–24 June 2027), Hello Tomorrow (1–3 June 2027) and World Summit AI (6–7 October 2027), all in or near Amsterdam, plus Upstream Festival in Rotterdam (20 May 2027).
Is TNW Conference still in Amsterdam?
No. TNW announced in January 2026 that its flagship conference is moving to London; no London dates have been published yet.
Are there free startup events in the Netherlands?
Yes. YES!Delft's Meet your co-founder sessions and CTO Unconference, UtrechtInc meetups and High Tech Campus Eindhoven events are free. TechEx Europe expo passes for 2027 are not on sale yet.
Where can I pitch my startup in the Netherlands?
At Startup Valley pitch nights in Amsterdam, Founded's Dealflow sessions in Groningen (for rounds of €200,000 or more; next on 10 December 2026), the Startup Forum at the Dutch Life Sciences Conference (26 November 2026), and the Money20/20 and Hello Tomorrow startup programmes.
Are there events for women founders in the Netherlands?
Fe+male Tech Heroes in Eindhoven runs free meetups, The Next Women has invite-only masterminds, and the Hack4Her hackathon is expected again in June 2027.
Can non-EU founders start a company in the Netherlands?
Yes, through the start-up residence permit: you need a recognised facilitator, the permit lasts one year and the application costs €423.
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.
