May 20, 2027
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. Save the date: May 20, 2027
This was Upstream 2026
2000+
attendees at the main and side events
Over 2000 startups, investors and ecosystem builders connected across 4 different industry tracks over the entire Upstream week. If you'd like to dive deeper into the numbers, download our full impact report. Want to join us next year? Save the date for May 20th, 2027.
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2026
2025
Speakers
Check out some of the speakers of previous Upstream Festivals.
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
Updates
View all updates
Unlocking Venture Capital in the Netherlands: A guide for startups
Raising venture capital can feel like a world of its own. There are rounds, terms, decks, introductions, valuations, partner meetings, due diligence processes and a lot of advice that sounds confident until it starts contradicting the next
Founder turned investor: Thijn van Helvoirt on building with data and raising with purpose
What makes someone a better investor? For Thijn van Helvoirt, the answer was to become a founder first.
Two sides of the cap table: what founders and investors need from each other
Should founders bootstrap for as long as possible? Does founder–market fit matter more than market size? And when a startup is ready to raise a meaningful round, should it immediately look beyond the Netherlands?
Partners
