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About
About Upstream
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Tickets
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Rotterdam
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Connecting startups, capital and opportunities

Upstream is where early-stage startups find capital and opportunities. Founders and investors are invited to join us to spark growth through funding opportunities, strategic partnerships and peer-learning. Upstream brings in some special focus on three industry tracks being, Port & Maritime, Health & Wellbeing, and Climate & Energy, while continuing to welcome innovations from all sectors. Whether you’re raising, investing, or looking to connect with peers, this community-driven festival is your gateway to meaningful connections.

Climate & Energy, Health & Wellbeing, Port & Maritime

While the opportunity to connect with peers remains relevant for founders across all industries, Upstream puts a special focus on innovation happening in the the fields of Climate & Energy, Health & Wellbeing and Port & Maritime. These three tracks are not just themes – they are the core of the festival. Together with our partners, these tracks will be shaped into relevant content, bringing in specialized investors who truly understand these domains, and support the most innovative founders who are building solutions that move the needle.
LEARN MORE
Download impact report 2025

Speakers

Check out some of the speakers of previous Upstream Festivals.

Constantijn van Oranje
Special Envoy Techleap
Melissa Ablett-Jordaan
Founder Sibyl
Matthijs Welle
CEO Mews
Vicky Kuang
Investor Draper Associates
Siete Hamminga
CEO Robin Radar Systems
Sophie Heijenberg
Venture Capital investor Graduate Ventures
Hans Scheffer
CEO HelloPrint
Arosha Brouwer
Chief Impact Officer TrueTribe
View more speakers
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Why attend?

Founders

  • Connect with other founders
  • Meet investors
  • Grow and scale your business

Investors

  • Find new deals
  • Meet (co-)investors
  • Showcase your expertise

Change Makers

  • Meet curated startups
  • Learn from other innovators
  • Highlight your impact

Program

Our founder-focused program consisted of carefully chosen speakers, active workshops, speeddating and engineered serendipity. And you enjoyed the best of what our Dutch ecosystem has to offer at official side events. Upstream provided the space to thrive and build companies that change the world for the better.

check out the program here

Updates

View all updates
May 13, 2026

Our Platform is live

The platform is live, and you can book your meetings now.

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May 11, 2026

Port & Maritime Guide

A guide for startups and scale-ups to navigate the Dutch port and maritime ecosystem.

Read more
May 6, 2026

Afraid to Win: How the Netherlands is Raising a Generation of Entrepreneurs Who Play It Safe

This session dives into where playing it safe creates strength, where it limits growth, and how to navigate both worlds more effectively.

Read more
View all updates

This was Upstream 2025

3000+

attendees

You connected with over 3000 change makers who drive the transition to a digital, carbon neutral, circular and inclusive economy. Want to be one of them? If you would like to dive deeper into our impact, you can download our full Impact report.

Community

driven

You joined a variety of side events that took place over several days and include partner-created sessions on three key topics: access to capital, markets and talent.

28

speakers

We hosted 28 inspirational talks, workshops and panels.

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Catch a glimpse of Upstream Festival and check out all the photos and videos.

2026

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2025

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Partners

Meet our partners driving Upstream forward.
Learn more about becoming a partner
Main Partners
Program Partners