Climate Tech Startup & Investor Event in the Netherlands

Meet climate tech investors

Raising capital for a climate tech company can look very different from raising capitalfor a conventional software startup.

Many climate technologies involve hardware, scientific development, infrastructure,industrial pilots or longer commercialization cycles. Founders may need investors who can evaluate technical risk alongside market potential and understand what it takes to bring complex technology into real-worldenvironments.

Upstreambrings early-stage founders together with venture capital funds, impact investors, corporate investors, angel investors and other capital providers.

The Climate & Energy focus helps connect climate founders with investors interested in areas such as energy transition, decarbonization, clean technology, industrial innovation, deep tech and sustainability.

Founders can meet investors through dedicated speed dates, introductions and scheduled meetings alongside conversations taking place throughout the festival.

For pre-seed and seed climate tech startups

Early-stageclimate companies face an unusual combination of technical, commercial andfinancial decisions.

You may bevalidating the technology while preparing your first pilot. You may alreadyhave early customers and need capital to expand production. You may be workingout how to move from a successful demonstration to repeatable commercialdeployment.

At eachstage, the people around the company can make a significant difference.

Upstream isparticularly relevant for pre-seed and seed-stage climate tech founderslooking for funding, strategic partnerships, pilot opportunities, market accessand connections to other founders.

Meetinginvestors in person gives you an opportunity to explain the complexity behindyour company, understand which investors fit your ambitions and start building relationships before or during a fundraising round.

Which climate tech startups are relevant?

Climate technology covers a growing range of industries and solutions.

The Climate & Energy community at Upstream is relevant for startups working acrossareas including:

Energy transition

Technologies changing how energy is generated, distributed, stored and consumed, including renewable energy, distributed systems and new approaches to energy infrastructure.

Energy storage and batteries

Solutions addressing storage, battery technology, grid flexibility and the increasing need to balance renewable energy systems.

Smart grids and energy infrastructure

Software, hardware, data and infrastructure technologies that can make energy networks smarter, more flexible and more efficient.

Industrial decarbonization

Technologie shelping industrial companies reduce emissions, improve efficiency and transition toward lower-carbon operations.

Carbon management

Solutions related to carbon measurement, reduction, utilization, removal and the technologies supporting companies on their decarbonization journeys.

Circularity and resource efficiency

Companies developing new ways to reduce material use, reuse resources, recover value fromwaste streams and build more circular production systems.

Sustainable materials

Newmaterials and technologies that can reduce environmental impact across manufacturing, construction, packaging and other industries.

Climate software and AI

Dataplatforms, artificial intelligence and software helping organizations understand, optimize and reduce their environmental impact.

Deep tech and climate hardware

Science and engineering-led technologies where physical products, advanced materials,hardware or infrastructure form an important part of the solution.

Climate tech funding needs the rightconnections

Climate founders often need several kinds of capital and support as their companies develop.

An investor may provide funding and strategic guidance. An industry partner can create access to a pilot environment. A corporate customer can validate the commercial proposition. A technical partner may help solve a critical scaling challenge.

Those relationships rarely appear through a single channel.

Upstream brings investors, founders and corporate organizations into the same environment so that conversations around funding can happen alongside discussions about commercialization, technology and market access.

For climate tech founders, this creates opportunities to build a network that supports the company beyond one funding round.

From pilot to commercial scale

A successful pilot is an important milestone for many climate tech companies. Scaling beyond it is where another set of challenges begins.

Founders need to demonstrate that the technology works reliably, identify customers with a genuine commercial need, build repeatable deployment models and find the capital required to grow.

Strong industry relationships can accelerate that process.

Upstream connects startups with corporates, ecosystem organizations and potential strategic partners alongside the investors attending the festival.

A conversation can open the door to a pilot, an introduction to a customer, insight into an industry requirement or a partnership that helps the technology reach the market faster.

Why Rotterdam for climate tech?

Rotterdam is a particularly relevant place for conversations about the energy transition and industrial decarbonization.

The region combines energy, industry, logistics, maritime activity and technology within one interconnected economic ecosystem. That creates a real-world environment in which many of the challenges climate tech founders are addressing are already visible.

Companies developing solutions for clean energy, industrial efficiency, circularity, alternative fuels, infrastructure and decarbonization can find potential applications across the Rotterdam region and the wider Dutch market.

Rotterdam also sits within a highly connected Dutch startup ecosystem of universities, investors, accelerators, research organizations, public institutions and established companies.

Upstream brings those worlds together with founders and investors from the Netherlands and beyond.

Where climate tech meets industry

Climate technologies rarely develop in isolation.

Energy startups may need to work with ports and industrial companies. Sustainable materials can have applications across construction, manufacturing or healthcare. AI can optimize energy networks. Robotics can improve infrastructure inspection. Maritime companies need new technologies to reduce emissions.

Upstream's wider community creates room for those connections.

Climate & Energy has a dedicated focus within the festival, while founders can also meet people working across Port & Maritime, Health & Wellbeing, deep tech, AI, software and other industries.

For founders building technologies with applications across several markets, those cross-sector conversations can reveal opportunities that are difficult to find at a narrowly specialized conference.

For climate tech investors

Upstream gives investors an opportunity to meet early-stage founders working across climate technology, energy and industrial innovation.

That includes companies developing solutions around clean energy, decarbonization, energy storage, smart grids, circularity, sustainable materials, climate software and deep tech.

Meeting founders directly creates a fuller picture of the company behind the pitch deck. Investors can explore how founders think about the market, technology, commercialization and scale while developing relationships with companies that may become relevant to their investment thesis.

Upstream also brings investors together with other investors, corporate partners and organizations active across the Dutch and European startup ecosystem.

Investor matchmaking at Upstream

Finding an investor becomes more useful when there is already a reason to talk.

Upstream uses speed dates, curated introductions and scheduled meetings to help founders and investors identify relevant people before and during the festival.

Previous editions have included investors focused on impact, energy transition, deep tech and early-stage technology alongside a broader community of venture capital and corporate investors.

Climate founders can combine these structured meetings with the informal conversations happening throughout Upstream.

That creates several routes to the same goal: meeting investors who understand what you are building and exploring whether there is a genuine fit.

Investor matchmaking at Upstream

Finding an investor becomes more useful when there is already a reason to talk.

Upstream uses speed dates, curated introductions and scheduled meetings to help founders and investors identify relevant people before and during the festival.

Previous editions have included investors focused on impact, energy transition, deep tech and early-stage technology alongside a broader community of venture capital and corporate investors.

Climate founders can combine these structured meetings with the informal conversations happening throughout Upstream.

That creates several routes to the same goal: meeting investors who understand what you are building and exploring whether there is a genuine fit.

A founder-focused climate tech event

Upstream is built around helping early-stage founders move their companies forward.

For climate tech startups, that can mean raising investment, finding a first customer, securing a pilot partner, meeting another founder who has solved a similar problem or gaining a clearer understanding of what needs to happen next.

The festival combines investor meetings with talks, workshops, startup pitches, founder gatherings and opportunities to meet people throughout the ecosystem.

There is room for structured meetings and for the conversations you could never have planned in advance.

Both can matter when you are building something new.

Climate & Energy at Upstream Festival

Climate & Energy is one of Upstream Festival's core industry focus areas.

The track brings additional attention to founders, investors and partners working across climate technology, energy transition and related fields while connecting them to the wider Upstream startup community.

Founders looking for a broader overview of the sector focus, relevant technologies and the ecosystem around it can explore the dedicated Climate & Energy track page.

Frequently asked questions

What is a climate tech startup event?

A climate tech startup event brings together founders, investors, industry partners and other organizations working on technologies that address climate, energy and resource challenges.

At Upstream, climate tech is part of the wider Climate & Energy focus, with opportunities for founders to meet investors, corporate partners and fellow entrepreneurs.

Is Upstream a climate tech event in the Netherlands?

Upstream is a broader startup and investor festival with a dedicated Climate & Energy focus. It takes place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and brings together climate tech founders with investors and partners alongside startups from other industries.

Can climate tech startups meet investors at Upstream?

Yes. Investor access is a central part of Upstream. Founders can connect with investors through speed dates, scheduled meetings, introductions and networking throughout the festival.

What stages of climate startups is Upstream relevant for?

Upstream focuses strongly on early-stage startups and is particularly relevant for founders at pre-seed and seed stage who are developing their companies, raising capital and looking for growth opportunities.

What types of climate tech companies can attend?

Relevant areas include clean energy, renewable energy, energy storage, batteries, smart grids, industrial decarbonization, carbon management, circularity, sustainable materials, climate software, AI, resource efficiency and climate-related deep tech.

Is Upstream relevant for cleantech startups?

Yes. Cleantech companies working on scalable technologies related to energy, sustainability, resources, industry and emissions reduction are relevant to the Climate & Energy community.

Can energy startups attend Upstream?

Yes. Energy transition, clean energy, storage, grid technology and energy infrastructure are central areas within the Climate & Energy focus.

What types of climate investors attend Upstream?

Upstream attracts a wider investor community that includes venture capital funds, impact investors, corporate investors, angels and other early-stage investors. Previous editions have included investors with specific interests in energy transition, decarbonization and impact.

Can climate startups find corporate partners at Upstream?

Yes. Corporates and ecosystem partners are part of the Upstream community, creating opportunities for founders looking for potential pilot partners, customers, technical partners and strategic collaborations.

Where is Upstream Festival held?

Upstream Festival takes place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Meet the people who can help your climate techcompany grow

Turning climate technology into a scalable company takes more than technical progress.

It takes investors who understand the opportunity, customers willing to adopt new solutions, partners who can help bring technology into the market and founders willing to share what they have learned.

Upstream brings those people together.

Join climate tech founders, investors and industry partners in Rotterdam and build the connections that can move your company forward.