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November 5, 2025

UPSTREAM IS EVOLVING, AND HERE’S WHAT THAT MEANS.

Over the past few months, we’ve been asking ourselves some big questions. Why do we do what we do? And how can we best deliver on our promise to help founders grow?

'Everything a startup needs for growth.' As much as we love our (old) payoff, if you try to be everything to everyone, you end up being not much to anyone.
So we’re narrowing our focus: taking a stand on who we’re really here for, and what we want Upstream to be.

Here’s what that means in practice:

Founder-first - with focus.
Upstream has always been about creating the right environment for founders to connect, learn, and grow. Going forward, we’ll focus more strongly on early-stage founders and their access to capital. It’s the space we know best - one that’s always been close to our audience - and the one where we can truly add value.
It also means we’ll be curating more carefully, aiming for 80–90% founders and investors in the room. And yes, that means saying “no” more often to keep the space true to its purpose.

Industry tracks.
Together with our partners, we’re introducing three dedicated tracks:
→ Port & Maritime
→ HealthTech
→ Climate & Energy
Expect themed “corners,” specialized investors, and programming designed around these industries. That doesn’t mean you need to fit neatly into one of these boxes to join us. Founders from all sectors will still find plenty of value in the peer connections and investor meetings that make Upstream what it is. We’re simply adding an extra layer of depth for those active in these industries.

Less passive, more participatory.
There’s a podcast for almost every topic out there - you don’t need another stage to sit and listen. Instead, we’re creating more opportunities for real conversation: workshops, expert sessions, and spaces for open conversations between peers.

Less is more.
No more choice overload. Fewer stages, fewer side events, more depth. We’re bringing it back to the core, because meaningful connections don’t happen when you’re rushing between twenty talks.

We’re still right in the middle of shaping all of this: talking to partners, gathering input, and experimenting as we go. But we wanted to be transparent about where we’re heading. Do nyou have extra input, tips or feedback to share? Please reach out to us, we'd love to talk.

Upstream is growing up, and we’re excited to take you along as we do.

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