May 20, 2027
Connecting startups, capital and opportunities
What is Upstream Festival? Upstream is where early-stage startups find capital and opportunities. Founders and investors are invited to join us in Rotterdam 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.
Our Speed Dates format helps founders have focused conversations with relevant people in the ecosystem, from early-stage investors to industry partners and innovation teams.
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
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Founder readiness: what it really means before you meet investors, partners and customers
Founder readiness sounds like a formal concept, but for most startups it shows up in very practical moments. Being ready as a founder does not mean having every answer. Early-stage companies are still learning, testing, and changing.
How to pitch your startup to investors effectively
Pitching your startup to investors is one of the moments where founders have to turn everything they know about the company into a clear, focused conversation.
3 things founders get wrong before investor meetings
Investor meetings can feel like a high-pressure moment. For founders, especially in the early stages, every conversation can seem important.
Partners
