The pandemic is not even a topic anymore (yes, I know, sorry for even mentioning it). However, thanks to it we know better than ever before that going to events is totally worth it and a great source of energy to keep pushing in the relentless endeavour that is startup building. Now that we have all tasted again the sweetness of real life events over the past couple of years, we can’t wait to plan the next year and build even more memories of learning, productivity and friendship. Bring on 2025!

With so many events on the horizon, we decided to create the definitive list that European startups should consider as they embark on their journey of storytelling and meeting partners, investors, clients, and talent.

It’s a mix of local, sub-regional and pan-European startup events. All the events tend to give a ‘home advantage’ to startups and speakers from the home country, and serve as a bit of a showcase for the national and regional startup community. Some have a much more local flavour; some look like the Champions League of startups. Some are intimate and cozy; some turn entire cities into a festival. But all share a common DNA – the cosmopolitan, transnational spirit of the startup world that sees founders and others come together to learn from each other. You won’t find events where the focus is only the local language or only the local ecosystem. These should all be international-friendly and potentially worth a visit for you 😉

Without further ado, here is our ultimate guide to European startup events in 2025:

Date	Event	Month	Location	Website
29-31 January 2025	sTARTUp Day	JANUARY	Tartu, Estonia 🇪🇪	Website
5-7 February 2025	TechChill	FEBRUARY	Riga, Latvia 🇱🇻	Website
20-21 February 2025	Techarenan	FEBRUARY	Stockholm, Sweden 🇸🇪	Website
3-6 March 2025	4YFN	MARCH	Barcelona, Spain 🇪🇸	Website
13-14 March 2025	Hello Tomorrow	MARCH	Paris, France 🇫🇷	Website
20-21 March 2025	START Summit	MARCH	St. Gallen, Switzerland 🇨🇭	Website
25-26 March 2025	Tech.eu Summit	MARCH	London, UK 🇬🇧	Website
24-25 April 2025	EU Startups Summit	APRIL	Valletta, Malta 🇲🇹	Website
7-8 May 2025	Turing Fest	MAY	Edinburgh, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿	Website
8-16 May 2025	ViennaUP	MAY	Vienna, Austria 🇦🇹	Website
12-14 May 2025	PODIM	MAY	Maribor, Slovenia 🇸🇮	Website
12-16 May 2025	Iceland Innovation Week	MAY	Reykjavík, Iceland 🇮🇸	Website
21-23 May 2025	Latitude59	MAY	Tallinn, Estonia 🇪🇪	Website
28-29 May 2025	Infoshare	MAY	Gdańsk, Poland 🇵🇱	Website
28-29 May 2025	Dublin Tech Summit	MAY	Dublin, Ireland 🇮🇪	Website
2-7 June 2025	SXSW London	JUNE	London, UK 🇬🇧	Website
4-5 June 2025	Perspektywy Women in Tech	JUNE	Warsaw, Poland 🇵🇱	Website
4-5 June 2025	Arctic15	JUNE	Helsinki, Finland 🇫🇮	Website
4-6 June 2025	South Summit	JUNE	Madrid, Spain 🇪🇸	Website
5 June 2025	Hinterland of Things	JUNE	Bielefeld, Germany 🇩🇪	Website
9-13 June 2025	London Tech Week	JUNE	London, UK 🇬🇧	Website
11-14 June 2025	VivaTech	JUNE	Paris, France 🇫🇷	Website
19-20 June 2025	The Next Web Conference	JUNE	Amsterdam, Netherlands 🇳🇱	Website
25-26 June 2025	Techsylvania	JUNE	Cluj-Napoca, Romania 🇷🇴	Website
27-28 August 2025	TechBBQ	AUGUST	Copenhagen, Denmark 🇩🇰	Website
14-16 September 2025	Infobip Shift	SEPTEMBER	Zadar, Croatia 🇭🇷	Website
24-26 September 2025	Italian Tech Week	SEPTEMBER	Turin, Italy 🇮🇹	Website
26-28 September 2025	IT Arena	SEPTEMBER	Lviv, Ukraine 🇺🇦	Website
29 September – 1 October 2025	Bits & Pretzels	SEPTEMBER	Munich, Germany 🇩🇪	Website
1-2 October 2025	How to Web	OCTOBER	Bucharest, Romania 🇷🇴	Website
8-9 October 2025	Sifted Summit	OCTOBER	London, UK 🇬🇧	Website
20-24 October 2025	Oslo Innovation Week	OCTOBER	Oslo, Norway 🇳🇴	Website
9 October 2025	Startup Fair	OCTOBER	Vilnius, Lithuania 🇱🇹	Website
2025 TBD, typically October	Valencia Digital Summit	OCTOBER	Valencia, Spain 🇪🇸	Website
27-29 October 2025	TechCrunch Disrupt	OCTOBER	San Francisco, US 🇺🇸	Website
29-30 October 2024	Wolves Summit	OCTOBER	Vienna, Austria 🇦🇹	Website
10-13 November 2025	Web Summit	NOVEMBER	Lisbon, Portugal 🇵🇹	Website
19-20 November 2025	Slush	NOVEMBER	Helsinki, Finland 🇫🇮	Website
26-27 November 2025	Women of Silicon Roundabout	NOVEMBER	London, UK 🇬🇧	Website
TBC	EMERGE	TBC	TBC	Website

JANUARY 2025

🇪🇪 sTARTUp Day

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again! Estonia loves startups so much that they even named a city after them 😉 So, it makes sense that sTARTUp Day brings together over 3500 startup-minded people across 52 countries to celebrate entrepreneurship in the smart city of Tartu!

sTARTUp Day itself describes its philosophy as championing the startup mindset — a philosophy that prioritises growth, smart work, actionable strategies, and adaptability amidst the dynamic business landscape, curating a space where every attendee is empowered to think, act, and evolve like the next big startup.

This business festival is the home of the legendary sTARTUp Day pitching competition in which the winners compete for a €200k investment from the Estonian Business Angels Network EstBAN, €200k from Baltic Sandbox Ventures, €140,000 investment from Opus11, €10k equity-free money from Swedbank and a lot more perks. Previous winners of the big prize have included LightCode, VSight, and BUPR friends Jeff App.

In 2025, speakers will include friends of Black Unicorn PR such as Robin Saluoks, co-founder and CEO of eAgronom and Zoltan Vardy, a sales expert and startup mentor that closed $2 billion over the course of his sales career and now helps founders master B2B sales with The Launch Code. Do check out our podcast episode with Zoltan, here.

sTARTUp Day offers three days of inspirational and educational eventing excitement! This event includes a fantastic stage program with over 182 speakers. Among them in 2023 was, for example, Timmu Tōke, CEO of Ready Player Me. In 2025, the emphasis will be on stories from founders, operators and investors (in other words, those that get their hands dirty) ike never before.

Tickets are on sale. We suggest you get shopping today. But if our blurb is not enough to convince you, and you’re all about visuals, check out their 2024 aftermovie:

And if that is not enough, perhaps it might tempt you to know that Black Unicorn PR will be present!

Where: 🇪🇪 Tartu, Estonia
When: 29-31 January 2025
More info: https://www.startupday.ee/ 

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FEBRUARY 2025

🇱🇻 TechChill

TechChill is honestly anything but chill when it comes to its EBrrrr! TechChill is going back to its chilled roots as they move the event from March to February. But it’s totally worth it, as we’re talking about the Baltic’s classic, OG startup event. With over 120 speakers, 310 startups, 250 investors, 60+ media reps and 2300 attendees, Techchill Riga is unmissable! Founded to bridge gaps in knowledge, skill, and network, it has since grown into so much more. TechChill offers the opportunity to discover and meet the current and future stars (and unicorns) of the Baltic startup scene!

In 2024, Black Unicorn PR was present and involved, with JJ hosting a fireside chat with sales expert and startup mentor Zoltan Vardy, who revealed his playbook for B2B enterprise sales. We don’t want to spill the beans too much, but you can read more about it here (plus, check out our pod interview with Zoltan here). Will we see you in 2025? You bet!

Where: 🇱🇻 Riga, Latvia
When: 5-7 February 2025
More info: https://techchill.co/

🇸🇪 Techarenan

Taking place at Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, Techarenan is an event that gathers over 7,500 attendees for a two-day experience. In 2025, the theme, Becoming the Best, will guide an exploration of leadership from every angle—business to sustainability, sports to culture, policy to investment. The event’s four stages feature a dynamic lineup of keynotes, fireside sessions, and panel discussions, delving into how global leaders turn challenges into opportunities and shape the future.

Dive into startup pitches, expert seminars, and specialized sessions for investors and founders. With ample networking opportunities, structured matchmaking, and side events for meaningful connections, Techarenan offers workspaces for meetings alongside exhibitions, experience areas, and interactive tech demos. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with the community at the intersection of innovation, business, and the future.

Why not do some fika with Steven Bartlett, or former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Netflix founder Marc Randolph (he might be accepting new series suggestions).

Where: 🇸🇪 Stockholm, Sweden
When: 20-21 February 2025
More info: techarena.se

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MARCH 2025

🇪🇸 4YFN

Celebrating over a decade of igniting startup dreams, 4YFN (4 Years From Now) returns as the essential startup event at MWC Barcelona, the world’s premier connectivity gathering. 4YFN not only brings together a curated mix of investors, corporate innovators, and founders from over 110 countries, but also provides a launchpad to connect with top decision-makers from global mobile operators and frontier tech companies.

With a focus on cutting-edge themes like disruptive innovation, startup funding, and AI, 4YFN offers startups the chance to shine on the global stage. It’s an early stage startup paradise featuring an exclusive network of 1,000 investors and venture capitalists, as well as corporate partners seeking groundbreaking partnerships. Dive into bleeding-edge discussions, expand your funding prospects, and unlock collaborative ventures that could accelerate your startup’s journey to scale.

Get ready to elevate your network, knowledge, and funding opportunities in this grand celebration of startup energy and innovation! 🎉🔍💡

Check out the event highlights from last year, which was their 10-year anniversary.

Where: 🇪🇸 Barcelona, Spain
When: 3-6 March 2025
More info: https://www.4yfn.com/ 

🇫🇷 Hello Tomorrow Global Summit

Calling all deep tech startups! This event is for you. The Hello Tomorrow Global summit prides itself on a niche focus on cutting-edge deep tech startups, dubbing itself the “epicentre of deep tech.” In fact it’s part of “Deep Tech Days” and under the high patronage of Monsieur Emmanuel Macron, President of France and of the French Tech unofficial fans’ association.

The event is designed to help attendees explore exclusive business/collaboration opportunities and connect with like-minded people to share advice, success stories, best practices and build networks! Global deep tech investors will share their insights; entrepreneurs will offer pro-tips; side events will be on offer, and the Deep Tech Expo to experience the technologies enabling change in a wide range of industries.

The 2025 edition expects 3,000+ attendees, over a hundred speakers and has room for 125 exhibitors. With 4 stages full of startup goodness, it’ll be hard to say no to this one.

Here’s their 2024 aftermovie:

Where: 🇫🇷 Paris, France
When: 13-14 March 2025
More info: https://hello-tomorrow.org/global-summit/

🇨🇭 START Summit

Ready, start, START Summit! Say hello, or grüezi, to the future leaders of tomorrow in this student-run conference for entrepreneurship and technology that started in 1997. And well, it’s no wonder it takes place in St. Gallen, home to one of the best business schools in Europe. Check out the event for the opportunity to dive into a Swiss-flavoured world of tech, startup, and entrepreneurial world.

In 2023, START Summit gathered more than 7,000 participants and over 210 speakers, 1050+ startup and more than a thousand investors! We’re looking forward to seeing what they will have in store for us in 2025.

We can’t embed it here, but head over to their website for a really cool video of the event shot also with drones! 

Where: 🇨🇭 St. Gallen, Switzerland
When: 20-21 March 2025
More info: https://www.startsummit.ch/

🇬🇧 Tech.eu Summit

After the success of the year’s first-ever Tech.eu Summit, 1800 thinkers turned up to turn the capital of Europe also into the capital of European tech. Entrepreneurs, investors, company leaders, policymakers, researchers, and journalists met in Brussels in 2023. And guess who else was there? 👀 There’s something undeniably quirky, fun and chaotic about Brussels that we love! Mix in the EU, NATO, frites, waffles, the Peeing Boy, cartoons, and the best beer in the world and you got the perfect storm!

In 2024, Tech.eu swapped frites with mayo for chips with vinegar, and the Atomium for the London Eye, as it moved the venue to the UK (and let’s face it, European VC) capital. The Tech.eu Summit is organised by the tech and startup-focused media outlet of the same name, which means you can expect the same top quality for the event and its topics, conversations, moderation, and photography. 

If you’re wondering what 2024 looked like, check out the video below!

Where: 🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom
When: 25-26 March 2025
More info: https://tech.eu/event/2025/summit-london/

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APRIL 2025

🇲🇹 EU Startups Summit

Bongu! 👋 Are you ready for two full days of learning, inspiration, and connection? (And maybe some Pastizzi while you’re in town?) We are!​​ This two-day in-person event will showcase many of Europe’s hottest startups, hosted by EU Startups, one of Europe’s leading online startup publications! There will be off-the-chart fireside chats, a bunch of “aha!” moments from insightful keynote presentations, and a little healthy competition in the form of a pitch! 

The 2025 edition sees the event in Malta for the second time, which is an advantage because it is both a hot startup destination and a hot country. As well as getting an early glimpse of summer, the event will also feature a pitch competition in which 1,000+ startups are expected to apply to later compete for a prize worth €390k, so make sure you check their event page to find out more.

Previous speakers include Jeff Burton, co-founder of Electronic Arts and VC investor, and Valentin Stalf, co-founder and CEO of unicorn N26, as well as BUPR friends Erika de Santi, co-founder of WeRoad and Robin Saluoks, co-founder and CEO of eAgronom. You can’t miss it!

Where: 🇲🇹 Valletta, Malta
When: 24-25 April 2025
More info: https://www.eu-startups.com/summit/ 

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MAY 2025

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Turing Fest

Turing Fest is typically a great opportunity to check out the next in B2B tech, while enjoying Scotland in clement weather conditions. The conference will bring together a range of speakers from the fields of technology to share their insights and expertise. Attendees can expect to hear from industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts in the field from the likes of LinkedIn, TIER, but also media companies like The Financial Times. The event provides a platform for discussions on the latest developments in the tech and startup world, and their impact on business and society. Turing Fest describes itself as a perfect blend of work and play, which already wins the hearts and minds of our unicorns.

Where: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Edinburgh, Scotland
When: 7-8 May 2025
More info: https://turingfest.com/

🇦🇹 ViennaUP

You’ve heard that ‘Vienna waits for you’, right? Well, so does ViennaUP! Emerging businesses can explore Vienna’s “ecosystem of opportunity,” covering subjects like Impact to Smart Cities, creative industries, life sciences, manufacturing, and more. It’s a decentralised experience, with investors and entrepreneurs from across the world meeting and networking at events throughout the city – a great opportunity to check out the different faces and facets of the city. 

In 2024, Vienna welcomed over 10,000 participants from 90+ countries to more than 80 events across 33 locations in 11 of the city’s districts. That’s enough to fill all the city’s high society cafes!

More exciting than Before Sunrise, if you ask us!

Where: 🇦🇹 Vienna, Austria
When: 8-16 May 2025
More info: https://viennaup.com/

🇸🇮 PODIM

Get ready to rock the world with ideas and innovation inspired by your time at PODIM! Based in Slovenia, PODIM is one of the most important startup & tech events in the Alps-Adriatic & Western Balkans region. Attendees have long been encouraged by PODIM to study, develop, and consider new ideas, resulting in developing innovative company concepts that are prepared to change the world.

We’ve scanned reviews, testimonials and their website and can conclude that everyone that has made the trip to Slovenia has not regretted it! And if you needed another second opinion, it’s recognised by EU Startups as a top event. If you need more, check out their own blog post on how the 2024 edition went. See you there?

Where: 🇸🇮 Maribor, Slovenia
When: 12-14 May 2025
More info: https://podim.org/podim/ 

🇮🇸 Iceland Innovation Week

Get your jackets (and quite possibly, swimwear) ready for Iceland Innovation Week, an annual celebration and exhibition of innovation! Throughout the week, Reykjavík hosts events ranging from panel talks and company tours to happy hours and a dip in both chilly and hot spring waters. In 2024, the topics were pretty cool if you ask us, and who can deny themselves of participating in a pitch competition called “Fermented Shark Tank”? Speaking of, more than 50 funds attended in 2024, as well as media reps from the likes of Sifted, TechCrunch, Tech.eu and Reuters.

Larger corporations and governmental organisations, as well as scaleups, all take part as well. Wolt made use of the event to launch in Iceland, so it’s definitely a place where things happen. This event aims to boost awareness of the innovation industry and build a knowledge-sharing platform to develop into a thriving, global marketing window in a country that consistently punches way above its weight. Plus, we are big fans of their fun, colourful website.

Where: 🇮🇸 Reykjavík, Iceland
When: 12-16 May 2025
More info: https://www.innovationweek.is/

🇵🇱 Infoshare 

Infoshare does what it says on the box, and we love them for that! But for good measure, here’s a quick run-down. This once-small gathering has evolved into one of CEE’s largest technology conferences throughout the years, with a mindblowing array of CEE investors. Thousands of people gather at the picturesque city of Gdansk in the North of Poland annually to share knowledge, form connections, and grow, grow, GROW!

Since 2014, Infoshare also organises a startup contest in which the startup with the best sustainable development initiative gets a prize of €20k in cash. Business Insider called it “amazing”, Computer World “a celebration of the digital world”. Gdansk you very much!

Also, Infosharing is caring, so here is their promo video with mandatory aerial views of the city and the must-have robot dogs:

Where: 🇵🇱 Gdańsk, Poland
When: 28-29 May 2025
More info: https://infoshare.pl/ 

🇪🇪 Latitude59

Yay for Baltic, I mean Northern, unicorns! Latitude59 is the event to attend for a legitimate plethora of networking possibilities, in-depth conversations with top international players, multiple startup and investor pitching rounds, and an opportunity to gather and reflect on the wild year we’ve just had and create new ideas for the future. 

Latitude59 considers itself the flagship startup event of Estonia and “the best boutique startup show”. Despite being small by design, in 2024 it brought startup thought leaders as well as global leaders, from Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas to defence tech Helsing co-founder and co-CEO Dr Gundbert Scherf and Bolt co-founder and CEO Markus Villig.

Like in Tartu, EstBAN was present there with large cheques. Latitude59’s prize money totalled €1 million in 2024 (yes, on mill!). As if that wasn’t enough, in their competition, startups can also secure a ticket to represent the Baltics in Slush’s New Nordics Pitch Competition finals. No brainer!

Because it couldn’t have been otherwise, BUPR was repped. You can read about our time at Latitude59 2024, here.

PS: Interested in Africa or Southeast Asia? Latitude is going global! Check out Latitude59 Kenya and Latitude59 Singapore!

Where: 🇪🇪 Tallinn, Estonia
When: 21-23 May 2025
More info: https://latitude59.ee/

🇮🇪 Dublin Tech Summit

At the centre of the global tech ecosystem is Dublin Tech Summit. Over the years, some of the largest international tech businesses have made Dublin their EMEA headquarters. Dublin Tech Summit has been one of the fastest-growing B2B tech events in Europe. No wonder, given they have speakers from some of the hottest companies in Ireland or with Irish connections, such as Stripe, Intercom, and Google, as well as Spotify and Depop. A visit to Ireland sounds enticing in 2025 – and hey, maybe we could join you for a Guinness or two? 

Where: 🇮🇪 Dublin, Ireland
When: 28-29 May 2025
More info: https://dublintechsummit.tech/

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JUNE 2025

🇬🇧 SXSW London

In case you’ve been living under a rock and didn’t hear the big news, SXSW is landing in Europe for the very first time! And it’s bringing its iconic blend of creativity, tech, and groundbreaking ideas that to Shoreditch, London, from June 2-7, 2025. Hosted in the heart of Europe’s biggest tech hub, SXSW London promises a high-energy convergence of industry leaders, boundary-pushing startups, and top investors. And there’s even a music festival!

The Austin event has been a springboard for Twitter, Airbnb, and other transformative platforms. Hoping to do the same in London, it will feature keynote talks, tech showcases, live performances, film screenings, and immersive experiences, making it a must-attend for anyone looking to connect, collaborate, and innovate. Expect over 400 international speakers, exclusive networking opportunities, and curated spaces for discussing the future of connectivity, AI, and digital business. With London’s vibrant creative and tech scenes blending together and setting the stage, SXSW London is primed to help startups and VCs discover Europe’s next big thing. What a chance to be part of history!

Where: 🇬🇧 London, UK
When: 2-7 June 2025
More info: https://sxswlondon.com/

🇫🇮 Arctic15

What’s one of the most successful startup events in Northern Europe when it comes to matchmaking, you ask? Well, it’s Arctic15! This event is centred around various markets, technologies, and subjects, from AI and Digital Health to Social Impact and Scaling. Participants can make good use of the time by congregating with a global group of entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, media, and influencers.

Where: 🇫🇮 Helsinki, Finland
When: 4-5 June 2025
More info: https://arctic15.com/    

🇬🇧 London Tech Week

London calling also in 2025! London is widely regarded as the hottest startup location in Europe, and in case they weren’t there already, London Tech Week will bring together motivational founders, top business executives, policymakers, investors, and up-and-coming stars.

Main events, side events, startups, scaleups, corporates, politicians, operators, founders – London Tech Week’s “thing” is that it brings them all together. Which is not an easy task.

Previous speakers included the very top of public bodies, corporates, and startups, with Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Google, Klarna to give you an example of what to expect. In addition, there are dedicated stages for startups, scaleups, impact, and “NextTech” (metaverse, web3, quantum, and other frontier tech). Impactful innovation and visions of the newest technological frontiers continue to be at the forefront of London Tech Week, with UK enterprise solutions, inclusion, and entrepreneurship setting the pace.

London Tech Week has a ridiculously good website full of videos, resources and other content on its previous editions.

Where: 🇬🇧 London, UK
When: 9-13 June 2025
More info: https://londontechweek.com/ 

🇵🇱 Perspektywy Women in Tech

Let’s hear it for the ladies and the largest conference for women in technology! With an array of speakers, mentors, workshops, and much more, we can’t wait for the sixth international Perspektywy Women in Tech Summit. Two days of inspiration that, last time around, gathered more than 14,000 participants from 85+ different nations, 500 speakers, 32 side events and 300 mentoring sessions over 5 stages.

BONUS: It’s Poland’s first climate-positive event. With the negative news about declining investment in female founders, we hope they break all records this year and discuss ways to tackle inequality challenges in the startup world. We need more startup events like this. Let’s go in search for tech-life balance!

Where: 🇵🇱 Warsaw, Poland
When: 4-5 June 2025
More info: https://womenintechsummit.pl/

🇪🇸 South Summit

We really don’t need an excuse to head to Spain, but if you were looking for one – what better than a startup event! After its eleventh trip around the sun, South Summit has clearly established itself as the premier Spain-based international event for the top corporations, startups, businesspeople, investors, and institutions to accelerate innovation, create lasting relationships, find commercial possibilities, and produce revenue.

Head through for the chance to pitch your project to the attending foreign investors, to study under the greatest CEOs of unicorn companies, and connect with and meet hundreds of prospective customers – “​​the most valuable network for entrepreneurship and business.”

You want numbers, you say? South Summit brings together more than 30,000 startups in 30+ international & sector-specific events. Over $16 billion was invested in South Summit finalists (that’s a good sign, by the way) and reps come from all over the world (more than 130 countries to be precise). Head over to their website for loads more information and tickets! Que esta de la ostia!

Where: 🇪🇸 Madrid, Spain
When: 4-6 June 2025
More info: https://www.southsummit.co/

🇩🇪 Hinterland of Things 

Sometimes – you gotta swim upstream! Sometimes – you gotta take the path less travelled! Challenge the status quo by immersing yourself in an ecosystem of fascinating people and innovative ideas. Hinterland will be your go-to for B2B in 2025 thanks to its strong focus and carefully curated material, and outstanding speakers. Expect 300+ of Europe’s leading VCs with €30bn+ of managed assets, as well as more than 1,000 family business decision-makers (aka future clients). The most sought-after thought leaders gather at the heart of the German Mittelstand (and Technologiestand) in Bielefeld, at the Hinterland of Things Conference. Pre-register now on their site!

Where: 🇩🇪 Bielefeld, Germany
When: 5 June 2025
More info: https://hinterlandofthings.com/

🇫🇷 Viva Technology

Allow us to introduce you to one of Europe’s top startup events, VivaTech. It’s France’s number one international startup event, one that most international investors, journalists, and thought leaders tend to mark on their calendars. And with speakers such as Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Yann LeCun, Vitalik Buterin, Satya Nadella, Melanie Perkins, and Nik Storonsky, it’s easy to understand why. 

The conference and exhibition are devoted to startups and technology, showcasing new ideas and upcoming technologies. Over 91,000 people came to VivaTech in person in 2022 to learn about innovations and attend live presentations. The VivaTech Awards have been given out since 2019, and the chosen ones always have always done well. So hop on the Eurostar, fly to Charles De Gaulle or find another way to get to Paris; don’t let VivaTech 2023 slip by! Vive la république! Et vive la French Tech!

Where: 🇫🇷 Paris, France
When: 11-14 June 2025
More info: https://vivatechnology.com/ 

🇳🇱 The Next Web (TNW) Conference

There is nothing quite like the TNW Conference. It’s a gathering for business leaders and tech lovers to discuss how technology will affect tomorrow’s world. Here you’ll meet global tech leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and scale-ups and gain insights from industry pioneers. All while surrounded by beautiful red brick streets and canals in the Amsterdam summer.

In 2024, BUPR was of course present, with our founder JJ leading two fireside sessions, including with Ōura’s CPO, Holly Shelton. 

Also, for those that don’t see the point in mega events where everyone seems to be all over the place, the Next Web (TNW) Conference is referred to by CNBC as “the most intimate technology festival on the planet.” And if that doesn’t sell it to ya, we give up. 

In 2025, the event venue is moving to NDSM in North Amsterdam, just a short swim away from the city centre, as Amsterdam celebrates its 750th anniversary.

Where: 🇳🇱 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
When: 19-20 June 2025
More info: https://thenextweb.com/conference

🇷🇴 Techsylvania

A whole decade old! We’re keeping our beady eyes on Techsylvania. People come to this conference for inspiration, to learn about the latest in technology, and pick up dos and don’ts from some of the brightest minds. Cluj-Napoca and Romania as a whole has been rising in tech ecosystems has been astronomical in the past few years, which is reflected in the number of awesome startup events held there. Techsylvania’s Conference scene is the heart of the community, hosting ground-breaking ideas and debating some of the most important issues that occur when business and technology collide.

Transylvania is often referred to by Romanians as the most beautiful region in their country. And no vampires are allowed in the conference, promise!

Where: 🇷🇴 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
When: 25-26 June 2025
More info: https://techsylvania.com/

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AUGUST 2025

🇩🇰 TechBBQ

Comfy? Cozy? Contentment? If those words appeal to you, then Tech BBQ is right up your alley! This annual conference in Scandinavia brings together tech and hygge, allowing attendees to discuss the newest trends, network in a comfortable setting, hear from inspirational speakers, all while chowing down on delish barbeque. Over time, TechBBQ emerged to, together with Slush, become one of Europe’s most important international startup events in the Nordics.

They are expanding and turning the heat up at Lokomotivvaerkstedet (which translates to The Train Workshop in English) It is a significant Copenhagen structure of both cultural and historical value. It was first used in 1907 to examine and maintain steam locomotives. Now, TechBBQ’s friendly environment makes it the ideal place to meet new people. TechBBQ employs tech to enhance the event experience.

Look forward to not just one but multiple startup pitch competitions: the North Star Pitch, where 10 Nordic and Baltic startups compete for the title and (usually) prize money, a life sciences contest and a hardware one. Being Danish and all, sustainability is extremely important at TechBBQ – the event is carbon-neutral. We do hope they are able to turn on the grill, though!

Where: 🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark
When: 27-28 August 2025
More info: https://techbbq.dk/ 

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SEPTEMBER 2025

🇭🇷 Infobip Shift

Not just another developer event, this one. The IT community from across the world will come together for this experience to learn, network, and make new memories over the course of two days in beautiful Croatia. Professionals, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, disruptors, and visionaries gather at Infobip Shift – with a  goal to change the world!

The 2025 edition promises to go “beyond the code” (escaping the Matrix?) promising more energy, more meaningful connections and more!

Where: 🇭🇷 Zadar, Croatia
When: 14-16 September 2025
More info: https://shift.infobip.com/

🇳🇴 Oslo Innovation Week

A WHOLE WEEK to innovate? YES PLEASE. You’ll encounter passionate company founders, scaleup professionals, researchers, and investors all surrounded by Oslo’s expansive cityscape. Attend 60 events to expand your network and acquire insightful knowledge on issues including investing, luring top personnel, and international growth.

Recently, Norway has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons when it comes to startups. Let’s hope this changes!

Check out the event’s video teaser for the 2024 edition with a focus on pioneers (aka, startup folks):

Where: 🇳🇴 Oslo, Norway
When: 20-24 October 2025
More info: https://oiw.no/

🇮🇹 Italian Tech Week

The Italians ain’t kiddin’ around here! Italian Tech Week is an annual event that celebrates innovation and technology. And it gets exponentially better and better with each year, just like the Italian startup ecosystem itself.

Organized by the GEDI’s content hub Italian Tech (you should check out the startup outlet!), the event is set to take place at OGR Torino, a centre dedicated to contemporary culture, innovation, and business acceleration. With the patronage of the City of Turin, home of Italy’s automotive industry and football giants Juventus, the event has the brightest minds from the startup and VC community in Europe and beyond – you can definitely expect some global heavyweights! In 2024, Sam Altman was the big name, but the lineups were littered with big brands with reps from the biggest VC houses and iconic Italian brands like Ferrari. And they had the coolest rotating stage (we’ve not seen that one before).

The event features three areas for panels, presentations, debates, and workshops and event offers a series of Masterclasses, which are workshops with free access by reservation, where specialists will share their in-depth experience with attendees. There will be awards with a stellar panel of judges including Luca Ferrari from Bending Spoons. Unmissable!

Check out the 2024 aftermovie:

Where: 🇮🇹 Turin, Italy
When: 24-26 September 2025
More info: https://italiantechweek.com/en

🇺🇦 IT Arena

IT Arena is Ukraine’s premier startup and tech event. Taking place in the city of Lviv, it consistently attracts over 5000 participants, serving as a vibrant hub for discussions, networking, and inspiration across three prolific days. In 2025, and with more than 10 editions under its belt, IT Arena is once again demonstrating its resilience after weathering the pandemic and still proudly demonstrating Ukrainian resilience in times of war.

In 2024, the event had a ridiculously awesome lineup of speakers, expanded global networking, and eclectic venues, ensuring an upgraded attendee experience in its enhanced format. Taking place within Lviv’s historical sites, IT Arena seeks to combine technological expertise with a unique atmospheric experience, offering attendees both meaningful insights and a captivating cultural backdrop. The conference prides itself on offering a unique and immersive experience, where the exploration of technological advancements dovetails with an appreciation for the rich historical context of Lviv, offering participants a multifaceted event experience.

Despite the challenges presented by the ongoing war, IT Arena successfully hosted an event that united tech professionals, government figures, and various experts to fortify support for Ukraine during its trials and to strategically envision its future. The 2025 will feature a business, tech, product and startup tracks, no fillers. In 2024, the event welcomed more than 27,000 attendees, 1000 startups and 800 speakers, and garnered media coverage from notable global media outlets.

IT Arena wrote a great blog post summarising what happened in the 2024 edition – read it here! Pre-register and check out more info on their beautifully designed website and insightful blog.

Where: 🇺🇦 Lviv, Ukraine
When: 26-28 September 2025
More info: https://itarena.ua/ 

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BONUS: DATES FOR 2025 PENDING / DISCONTINUED EVENTS

EMERGE

EMERGE began in Belarus in 2018, making it one of the newer startup events. Since then, the conference has developed into a hub for entrepreneurs, community leaders, large corporations, and investors from the New East, which includes nations in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and Central Asia.

More than 4,800 one-on-one mentoring sessions with international specialists from various industries were held at EMERGE, and 103 nations were represented by speakers, investors, and attendees.

In 2022, EMERGE was held in Yerevan, following two years of online conferences due to the pandemic. So we are very much looking forward to this year’s event! In 2023, EMERGE held two events. One in Istanbul 🇹🇷 and the other in Dubai 🇦🇪 (we’ve linked to the events where you can get more info on how they went). In 2024, the event took place in Yerevan, Armenia 🇦🇲 which is an interesting and unique destination for most startup aficionados. We kinda like this principle of moving the event, and can’t wait for the announcement of the next one.

Where: TBC
When: TBC
More info: https://emergeconf.io/ 

ScaleupFest

ScaleupFest encourages all to attend, discuss, get inspired, network, and build their own stories of scaling and expanding outside CEE together in a welcoming environment.

It is a space where startups, scaleups, investors, and corporations can identify and interact with other talented firms, technology, and innovation, worldwide experience, best practices, and funding. You will hear founders discuss their professional development and life experiences, actual international case studies, and investors discuss why one team succeeded and what kind of candidates they are seeking.

The last time we heard of ScaleupFest happening was in 2023, and we have not heard of anything since.

Where: 🇭🇺 Budapest, Hungary
When: TBC, usually September
More info: https://thescaleupfest.com/ 

Disraptors

Get ready for a Dino-Mite event! One of the key gatherings in the startup and technology space is Disraptors Summit (formerly SWCSummit). An event set up by VCs, startups, NGOs, corporates, all collaborating together to bring an amazing event home to Prague. It is also the home of the battleground for the title of Startup Champion – where the finest startup on the Old Continent will be chosen to stand a chance for $500,000 USD possible investment, the title of the European Champion, international media attention and a place in the Global Finale of Startup World Cup. Come Czech it out!

UPDATE: Disraptors have communicated that their event is postponed to 2024, exact date to be communicated. We’ll keep you posted folks!

UPDATE: It’s October 2024, and we still haven’t heard any news.

Where: 🇨🇿 Prague, Czechia
When: TBC
More info: https://disraptors.com/summit/ 

TechChill Milano

One of the new startup events you should definitely consider. The first TechChill Milano took place in September 2022 over the course of two days during which, coincidence or not, two mega rounds were announced and a new unicorn was born – Satispay, the country’s second after Scalapay. It has been long known that Italy is a diamond in the rough when it comes to startups, previously more inwards-focused but now more internationally oriented. But no international startup event existed, so of course who better than TechChill to seize the opportunity?

The Milan event mirrors the format we know from Riga, made up of a blend of local and international speakers from startups who made it and those on their way there. It’s always worth travelling to Milan for the food and city life alone. If you’re in startups, now you really don’t have any excuses left!

UPDATE: It looks like the 2023 edition was the last one, we are not sure if there will be future instances of the event.

Where: 🇮🇹 Milan, Italy
When: TBC
More info: https://www.techchillmilano.co/ 

Follow Black Unicorn PR on LinkedIn, and founders JJ and Mauro, to get more startup PR tips and takes on startup marketing.

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