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About
About Upstream
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Tickets
View full video
Rotterdam
Van Nelle Fabriek
21.05.2026
Tickets
Tickets

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 21, 2026.

PRE-REGISTER NOW

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 ABOUT THE TRACKS

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 2025, you can download our full Impact report 2025.

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 by leading experts, founders and artists.

Download impact report 2025

Speakers

Check out the speakers of previous Upstream Festivals.

View more speakers
André Kuipers
Astronaut
Clare Jones
CEO Polarsteps
Constantijn van Oranje Nassau
Special Envoy Techleap
Evelien Bunnik-Remmelts
Co-founder Whoppah
Duncan Stutterheim
Co-founder ID&T
Elise de Reus
Co-Founder Cradle
Diederik Gommers
Professor Intensive Care Medicine Erasmus MC
Hannah Prins
Climate activist Extinction Rebellion
Want to get notified when speakers for 2026 are announced? Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to know.
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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 consists of carefully chosen speakers, active workshops, speed dating and engineered serendipity. And you can enjoy the best of what our Dutch ecosystem has to offer at official side events. Upstream provides the space to thrive and build companies that change the world for the better.

PRe-Register for Upstream 2026

Updates

View all updates
December 3, 2025

Pre-Register for the NL Startup Competition 2026

At Upstream Festival, we’re not just about bringing together bold thinkers and changemakers — we’re about creating real opportunities for growth. That’s why we’re proud to host the NL Startup Competition.

Read more
November 26, 2025

From a conversation to a €250k Investment: How Upstream Sparked Passionfruit’s Next Chapter

Sometimes the most powerful connections begin with a simple “hello.” For Passionfruit and Smarter Ventures, that moment happened at Upstream Festival 2023 in a casual conversation about the food industry.

Read more
November 19, 2025

Meet the team

You might have read our update about the changes we have been making. With that comes reforming the team – all familiar faces that have been involved with Upstream in one way or another before. We wanted to introduce the team members to you

Read more
View all updates

View gallery

Catch a glimpse of previous Upstream Festival editions or check out all the photos of previous editions.

2025

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2024

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2023

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2022

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2021

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Partners

Meet our partners of 2025 driving Upstream forward. Want to join forces with us and become a partner in 2026?
Become a partner 2026
Main Partners
Program Partners