Year-by-Year Overview

Welcome to the Upstream Festival Impact Facts page. As a community-driven startup and scale-up event in the Netherlands, Upstream Festival connects entrepreneurs, investors, corporates, policymakers, and talent to drive positive change in the world. Held annually in Rotterdam , the festival focuses on providing access to capital, markets, and talent while fostering innovation.

This page compiles key facts and metrics from our official Impact Reports for each year from 2020 to 2025. These insights highlight the festival's growth, economic impact, and role in the Dutch startup ecosystem. Whether you're a founder seeking inspiration, an investor exploring opportunities, or a researcher analyzing trends in European entrepreneurship, these data points showcase Upstream's contributions to scaling businesses and building a sustainable future.

Upstream Festival 2020: Pioneering Connections in Challenging Times

The inaugural Upstream Festival, held September 21–25, 2020, adapted to global challenges with a hybrid format, delivering 46 sessions over 5 days and uniting the Rotterdam Metropolitan Region’s innovation ecosystem.

• Event Overview: 120+ speakers, 35 co-creators, 10 partners, 46 sessions.
• Access to Capital: €7.7+ billion in assets under management by 32 participating investors from top European funds including Atomico, Project A, Target Global, Notion VC, DN Capital, Breega, SpeedInvest, Newion, Expon Capital, INKEF, Keen Venture Partners & Karma Ventures. 66 curated investor meetings. 32% of founders seeking €2M+ investment.Investment stage breakdown:

– Up to €500K: 46.6%

‍– Up to €2M: 20.7%

‍– Up to €5M: 13.8%

‍– Up to €10M: 13.8%

‍– €15M+: 5.2%

• Access to Markets: 19 new collaborations & 4 deals made during Upstream (e.g., StoredEnergy with Bierfabriek, UBIRCH GmbH with KPN, Deep Branch + Bergen Carbon Solutions AS with City of Rotterdam). 91 curated corporate-startup meetings. 90 network partners involved (47 co-creators, 35 corporates, 10 partners).
• Access to Talent: 10,423 students reached through partnerships with Utrecht University, Leiden University, Erasmus University, TU Delft, Haagse Hogeschool, Albeda College, Hogeschool Rotterdam. 185+ scale-up jobs promoted in Rotterdam via HackYourCareer.com. 40% of students international.
• Marketing Metrics: Featured in 18 magazines (e.g., Emerce, Silicon Canals, ICT Magazine, Vogue, Elle, Sustainable Brands) reaching 39.7 million readers. 130K+ social media impressions (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn). 2,860 online shares, 88,200 estimated coverage views. 1,936 registrants, 3,300 views.
• Event Metrics: 128 speakers & panelists. Program included:

– 11 keynotes

‍– 10 panel discussions

‍– 3 conferences

‍– 9 workshops

‍– 4 challenges

‍– 3 info sessions

‍– 4 matchmaking sessions

‍– 2 incubator visitsAverage rating: 4.4 stars.Topics: Circular Economy, Smart Digital, Smart Energy, Social Inclusivity.

"At Upstream you find people who maybe think alike, maybe think differently. Interact with them, get new ideas, get inspired and create a movement together." – Michiel Muller, CEO of Picnic.

Upstream Festival 2021: Scaling Up Post-Pandemic

The second Upstream Festival, held September 20–24, 2021, featured a hybrid format with curated events focused on providing startups and scale-ups access to talent, markets, and capital, promoting the transition to the Next Economy.

• Event Overview: 5 days, 38 events, 2,233 visitors, 51 co-creators, 31 speakers and panelists.
• Access to Capital: €32+ billion in assets under management. 300+ founders, 90+ investors from 14 cities and 7 countries. 181 curated investor meetings. 52% start-ups at Series A and above who collectively raised €230M+ in funding. 90+ investors focusing on funding startup ventures across all stages. 52% international investors. Country breakdown:

– Netherlands: 47.8%

‍– UK: 17.4%

‍– Germany: 13%

‍– Norway: 6.5%

‍– France: 6.5%

‍– USA: 4.3%

• Access to Markets: 167 curated startup meetings. 20 matches created on site. 8 corporates, 8 countries, 11 partners involved in creating opportunities. Facilitated direct connections to international markets. 25 startups participated in curated market access matchmaking events.
• Access to Talent: 893 scale-up and startup jobs promoted (via HackYourCareer.com). 14 universities and colleges represented (e.g., TU Delft, InHolland, Hogeschool Rotterdam, Erasmus University, Leiden University, Saxion University, VU Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, Albeda, Turing College, Avans Breda, Tilburg University, IT Campus Rotterdam, Rotterdam Business School). 25 scale-ups at career fair, leading to 415 new connections with job seekers. 9 co-creation partners hosting 10 sessions reaching 376 students on site.
• Connections: Welcomed 79 CEOs and CTOs for an exclusive scale-up dinner. 17 superconnectors provided 10 selected founders with 62 direct introductions. Welcomed startup representation from 8 startup regions of the Netherlands (Founded in Friesland, Founded in Groningen, Novel-T, Limburg LIOF, Techleap, Startup Amsterdam, Braventure, Startup Utrecht, Up!Rotterdam / Delft / Schiedam).
• Event Metrics: Average rating: 4.5 stars. Event types: Network (~10), Talkshow (~7.5), Matchmaking (~5), Workshops (~5), Keynote (~2.5), Dinners (~2.5).
• Marketing Metrics: 43% international online viewer audience. Visitor demographics: Startup/Scale-up Founder (28%), Students (21%), Government (11%), Startup/Scale-up Employee (10%), Other (8%), Investor (7%), Self-Employed (7%), Academia (3%), Corporate (5%). 24 publications in various media (e.g., Emerce, InnovationQuarter, Schiedam24, Siliconcanals, Greenevents, MT/Sprout, Utrecht Business, De Ondernemer, Baaz, Mijn ZZP, Foodclicks, NPT, Dutch IT Channel, Landenwater, Vastgoedmarkt.nl, Aftersalesmagazine, BNR Nieuwsradio, NU.nl).
• Speakers: Bas Vollebregt, Bob Hendrikx, Carolien Vat-Sandee, Constantijn van Oranje, Cor Lamers, Deborah Nas, Dirk de Bruijn, Hans Scheffer, Heleen Dura- van Oord, Henk Jansen, Jeroen van Glabbeek, Lara Koole, Lars Crama, Laurens van Nues, Lizan Atherly, Lynda Gratton, Marc Lammers, Marijn Pijnenborg, Marloes Mantel, Melissa Ablett, Michiel Muller, Paul Polman, Peter van Gelderen, Pieter Schoen, Roos Vermeij, Sabine Biesheuvel, Saskia Verstege, Simone Brummelhuis, Ton van 't Noordende, Vareska van de Vrande, Verne Harnish, Vincent Karremans, Yousef Yousef, and many more.
• Partners: Up!Rotterdam and partners including &Flux, 42Workspace, Aexus, Amsterdam Trade & Innovate, Arches Capital, BlueCity010, CIC, City of Delft, City of Rotterdam, City of Schiedam, College Life World, CVN, Deloitte, Dutch Basecamp, Dutch Chambre of Commerce, EBZH, EIT, EIT InnoEnergy, ECE, Erasmus Enterprise, Future Mobility Park, Golden Egg, Graduate Entrepreneur, Healthy Funding, Holland Instrumentation, ICOS Capital, InnovationQuarter, Investor Ready, iTanks, Klever, KPN, Laatbloeien, Lefthoek, Microlab, Mobility Lab, NLGroeit, NPEX, Philips Innovation Award, PHX, Port of Rotterdam, PortXL, Rabobank, RDM, Rotterdam Expat Centre, Rotterdam Partners, RSM Erasmus, RVO, Talents United, Techleap.nl, Turing College, Venture Cafe, Yes!Delft.

“The reality is that we have never been so forewarned about what is going to happen. But we have also never been so forearmed to do something about that.”– Paul Polman, former CEO Unilever

Upstream Festival 2022: Boosting Regional Innovatioe

Held May 31–June 2, 2022, Upstream transformed the Rotterdam Metropolitan Region into a vibrant hub for startups, scale-ups, investors, corporates, policymakers, and students to collaborate on positive global impact, with a focus on access to capital, markets, and talent.

• Event Overview: 3 days, 45 events, 2,000+ visitors, 42 co-creators, 22 speakers and panelists, 42 partners.
• Access to Capital: €2.5+ billion in assets under management by 32 investors across all stages, including Antler, Cottonwood Technology Fund, Endeit Capital, SpeedInvest, Graduate Entrepreneur, ICOS Capital, IQ Capital and more. 127 curated investor meetings with 22 investors specializing in software, deeptech, and impact. Investment stage breakdown:

– Seed: 58.6%

‍– Series A/B: 34.5%

‍– Growth: 6.9%

• Access to Markets: 175 speed dates and 114 serendipity meetings. 23 corporates involved, including KPN, Dell, Rabobank, Microsoft, Albert Heijn, TBI. Welcomed 35 start-up visa facilitators. 141 startups and scale-ups participated in curated market access matchmaking events.
• Access to Talent: 1,086 startup and scale-up jobs promoted via HackYourCareer.com. 25 scale-ups at the career fair, leading to 415 new connections with job seekers. International talent: 67.4% (EMEA 61.6%, APAC 25.8%, LATAM 9.4%, NAM 1.9%); Dutch talent: 32.6%.
• Connections: Welcomed 93 CEOs and CTOs for an exclusive scale-up dinner. 17 superconnectors provided 10 selected founders with 62 direct introductions. Representation from 8 Dutch startup regions, including Founded in Friesland, Founded in Groningen, Novel-T, Techleap, Startup Amsterdam, Up!Rotterdam/Delft/Schiedam, HighTech XL.
• Event Metrics: Average rating: 4.3 stars. 80% of attendees would recommend Upstream to a friend. Event types: Network (~25), Matchmaking (~10), Workshops (~5), Keynotes (~3), Dinners (~2).
• Marketing Metrics: 210K+ social media impressions. 42% of visitors from startups and scale-ups. X% international online viewer audience. Visitor demographics: Founders (37.5%), Students (17.4%), Corporates (11.3%), Other (10.9%), Investors (8.7%), Government (6.3%), Employees (4.5%), Academia (2%). Featured in 33 publications, including Events.nl, Innovation Origins, Fonkmagazine, ClickNL, Agre-Chemie, Marketingtribune, Duurzaam-ondernemer, Wijnoordholland, Insiderotterdam, Emerce, De Ondernemer, RTLnieuws, Wijzuidholland, Dutch IT Channel, Duurzaam-beleggen, BNR Nieuwsradio, Radio Rijnmond, Telecompaper.
• Speakers: Including André Kuipers (Astronaut & Earth Ambassador), Constantijn van Oranje (Special Envoy Techleap), and 20+ others across keynotes and panels.
• Partners: City of Rotterdam, Gemeente Delft, Gemeente Schiedam, Rabobank, ICOS Capital, RVO, KPN, InnovationQuarter, 42Workspace, Arches Capital, BlueCity, Builders Studio, CCI France Pays-Bas, CIC Rotterdam, College Life, De Investeerders Club, Dutch Basecamp, Dutch Fresh Port, ECE, ECE Students, Erasmus Alumni Club, Erasmus Enterprise, Fortify, iTanks, Leapfunder, Lunatech, Microlab, No Such Ventures, Phi Factory, Rotterdam The Hague Innovation Airport, ScaleUpNation, Startup Roulette, TNW, Varias, Venture Café, Voorgoed Agency, Yes!Delft, Zuid-Holland AI Startup Academy, BNR.

“Founders very often they have the same questions, the same challenges, so meeting each other, sharing things, connecting is really important for a very well-functioning start-up community.”– Constantijn van Oranje, Special Envoy Techleap

Upstream Festival 2023: Fostering Growth and Connections

Held May 23–25, 2023, Upstream transformed the Rotterdam Metropolitan Region into a hub for startups, scale-ups, investors, corporates, policymakers, and students, with themed days focused on talent, capital, and growth to drive positive impact.

• Event Overview: 3 days, +75 exhibitors, +20 speakers, +2,000 visitors.
• Access to Talent (Talent Day): +700 new job connections made. +20 scale-ups on the floor. +300 attendees. +40 MBAs attended. Talent demographics: Dutch talent (77.3%), international talent (22.7%). Education breakdown: High school (35%), Hogeschool (26%), MBA (20%), Bachelor (14%), Master/WO (5%).
• Access to Capital (Capital Day): €12 billion in assets under management. 522 connections made between investors and startups. Investment stage breakdown: Pre-seed (26.8%), Seed (31.7%), Series A-D (41.5%).
• Access to Markets (Growth Day): 1,120 serendipity meetings between corporates and startups/scale-ups. 23 exhibitors, including AWS, KPN, KPMG, Microsoft, PwC, Rabobank, S&T, Saint-Gobain, Superscript, and others.
• Connections: 25 superconnectors provided 7 selected starts (out of 100) with 14 direct introductions. 25 engineers actively participated in the Upstream 2023 live coding challenge. Event formats: Fireside chats, VIP & expert roundtables, CEO and CTO dinner, unconference, networking drinks.
• Event Metrics: Event rating: 4.2/5 stars. Most popular session: House of Capital. Most popular exhibitor: 4IMPCT. Most popular expert guest: Nityen Lal, ICOS Capital.
• Marketing Metrics: +81K page views of upstreamfestival.com. +17K page views of the ticket page. 54% of attendees were active on an event platform. +2.9 million social media impressions.
• Media & PR: +60 publications in national and international media, including Emerce, De Ondernemer, Techvisor, Baaz, Focus on IT, Risk en Business, Fonk Magazine, Duurzaam Financieel, Aboutmedia, Innovation Origins NL, Breaking Perspective, Startups Magazine, Z News Service, Silicon Canals.
• Speakers & Guests: Arosha Brouwer (Quan), Chris Zadeh (Ohpen), Constantijn van Oranje (Techleap.nl), Diederik Gommers (Erasmus MC), Ed Brinksma (Erasmus University), Hannah Prins (Climate Activist), Jimmy Nelson (Jimmy Nelson Studio), Kamael Ann Sugrim (Whangai), Lindy Hensen (Tekkoo & PeelPioneers), Matthijs Rijlaarsdam (Quantware), Micky Chen (Minite.Works), Nienke Roef (Graduate Entrepreneur), Veronique Swinkels (Arches Capital).
• Partners: Gemeente Rotterdam, Delft Creating History, Gemeente Schiedam, Gemeente Zoetermeer, ICOS Capital, KPN, Payhawk, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Superscript, Rabobank, Techleap.nl, Up!, Startups Magazine, Change Inc., MT/Sprout.

"Seeing how this event has grown in a few years is truly amazing. From a small online edition to a regional event across four cities (with almost 50 side events!), including our beloved Rotterdam. So many connections, so many new business ideas, so many new collaborations. From finding co-founders and investors to getting corporate and governmental support, it shows me again how important resilient ecosystems are. Rotterdam is one of them, and Upstream Festival is its demonstration; Not created for profit, but built up from the ground by many collaborators and partners to make a true impact." – Hans Scheffer, Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO at Helloprint

Upstream Festival 2024: Expanding the Ecosystem

Held May 28–29, 2024, Upstream Festival featured a dynamic two-day program across the Rotterdam Metropolitan Region, uniting startups, scale-ups, investors, corporates, and ecosystem builders with a focus on curation, collaboration, and sustainable growth in the Dutch startup scene.

• Event Overview: 2 days, 3 stages, 37 side events (Day Zero), 1050 main event visitors (sold out), 2250+ total unique visitors, 1203 side event visitors, 30 speakers, 47 exhibitors, 35+ partners.
• Access to Capital: €24 billion in assets under management. 4:1 founder-to-investor ratio. 286 speed dates with investors and corporate buyers. Investor stage breakdown:– Seed: 52.2%– Early growth: 40.7%– Late growth: 4.4%Investor solution scope:– Hard- & Software: 68.8%– Software: 29.5%– Hardware: 1.8%NL Startup Competition: 16 pitches, €10K cash prize for winner.
• Access to Markets: 47 exhibitors including corporates like Rabobank, KPMG, KPN, PwC. 11 fireside chats, 10 deep dives, 5 roundtables fostering corporate-startup connections. Startup client type:

– B2B: 70.1%

‍– B2C: 15.1%

‍– B2B2C: 14.2%

‍– C2C: 0.6%

‍Startup solution scope:

– Software: 63.4%

‍– Hard- & Software: 20.7%

‍– Hardware: 16%

• Access to Talent: 14.4% students among attendees. CoLab - Find your Co-founder event. Scale-up CEO Dinner connecting leaders with emerging talent. Superconnectors Summit for ecosystem builders.
• Connections: 11.2 new connections per attendee. Scale-up CEO Dinner for executives. Superconnectors Summit providing direct introductions. Representation from 29 countries.
• Event Metrics: Total sessions: 42 (11 fireside chats, 10 deep dives, 5 roundtables, 16 pitches). Best rated sessions: 1. Startup Pitches, 2. Speed Dating with Investors, 3. Fireside Stage. Startup stage breakdown: Seed 63.9%, Early growth 23.5%, Late growth 9.7%. Industries represented (top sectors by mentions): Climate tech (150+), Enterprise software (140+), Fintech (130+), Health (120+), Energy (110+), and 40+ others including Agriculture, Biotech, Cleantech, Education, Food, Gaming, Insurtech, Proptech, Robotics, Social tech, Sports, Travel.
• Marketing Metrics: 88 publications across national and international media reaching 192,505,422 total impressions. Visitor demographics: Startups 52.9%, Students 14.4%, Investors 12%, Ecosystem builders 8.4%, Public/NGO 5.3%, Corporate/SME 3.2%.
• Speakers: Kania Gill, Sebastian Peck, Elizabeth Gill, Geertje Zeegers, Gwen Kolader, Erik van Vliet, Edwin Koenraads, Yasmin Venema, Victor Straatman, Sergio Pandey, Joana Camero, Geert de Vries, Lina Ruiz, Myrianna de Boer, Leonardo Fuligni, Liza Rubenstein-Mamud, Sam Feit, Evelyn Burik-Remmelts, Krin de Nood, Hari Sadepian, Anastasia Kuskova, Bibi Jorissen, Matthijs Ingen, Sonja Meijerink, Aditya Putta, Melle Abbring-Jordaan.
• Partners: Main: City of Rotterdam, Rabobank, Gemeente Delft, Provincie Zuid-Holland. Program & Media: ICOS Capital, Handpicked, Seedblink, Techleap.nl, Zoetermeer, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, MT/Sprout. Special shoutout: EconSulate, Helloprint. Full network: 42Workspace, Arches Capital, B Lab Benelux, BlueCity, Builders, CIC, Dutch New Narrative Lab, Dutch Fresh Port, Dutch National Video Game Museum, Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship, Erasmus Enterprise, Faalverhaal Podcast, Graduate Entrepreneur, Handpicked Agencies, Helloprint, High Tech NL Robotics, Holland High Tech, HortiHeroes, IEEE Entrepreneurship, IEEE Robotics & Automation Society, Innovation Quarter, Interfas, Invest NL, iTanks, Ketelbinkie, KPMG Emerging Giants, Laatbloeien, Lumolabs, MKB Rotterdam Rijnmond, Merlin Software, Microlab Rotterdam, NL Startup Competition, No Dodos, Noorderwind, Odd.bot, Retrieve, Rotterdam Partners, Rotterdam Square, Rotterdam Women in Tech, Rough Diamonds Inc., RVO, Scalebooster, Startup Academy Hogeschool Rotterdam, StartupRoulette, Stichting Doen, Stichting Ondernemersbelang, SuperConnectors, Tekkoo, The Awesome Foundation, The Sandbox, The Social Hub Rotterdam, Titaan, Up!Rotterdam, Voor Goed Agency, World Horti Center, World Startup, Yes!Delft, YoungCreators, & others.

“Upstream Festival was a tremendous success. Inspiring to see a platform dedicated to nurturing the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.”– Hicham Shatou, CEO of LeQuest

Upstream Festival 2025: Building on Momentum

Held May 21–22, 2025, Upstream Festival delivered a dynamic two-day program with three stages across the Rotterdam Metropolitan Region, uniting startups, scale-ups, investors, corporates, and ecosystem builders through curation and collaboration to foster sustainable growth and innovation.

• Event Overview: 2 days, 3 stages, 28 speakers, 48 side events, 50+ co-creation partners, 2,000+ main event visitors, 3,100+ total visitors (including side events), 40 exhibitors.
• Access to Capital: €5 billion in assets under management by 41 investors. 456 speed dates and 522 connections made between investors and startups. 3:1 founder-to-investor ratio. Investor stage breakdown:

– Seed: 67.4%

‍– Early growth: 28.3%

‍– Late growth: 4.3%

‍Investor solution scope:

– Hard- & Software: 66.3%

‍– Software: 30.1%

‍– Hardware: 3.6%

‍NL Startup Competition: 16 pitches, €10K cash prize for winner (ExCulture by Aisling Foley).

• Access to Markets: 1,120 serendipity meetings between corporates and startups/scale-ups. 23 exhibitors including AWS, KPN, KPMG, Microsoft, PwC, Rabobank, S&T, Saint-Gobain, Superscript. Top industries represented (mentions): Enterprise software (120+), Health (100+), Climate tech (90+), Education (80+), Energy (70+), Cleantech (60+), Marketing (50+), Social tech (40+), Fintech (30+), Agriculture (20+), Biotech (20+), Service provider (20+), Food (10+), Transportation (10+), Engineering and manufacturing equipment (10+), Security (10+), Robotics (10+), Proptech (10+), Semiconductors (10+), Chemicals (10+).
• Access to Talent: +20 scale-ups on the floor, +300 attendees, +40 MBAs attended. +700 new job connections made. Talent demographics: Dutch talent (77.3%), international talent (22.7%). Education breakdown: High school (35%), Hogeschool (26%), MBA (20%), Bachelor (14%), Master/WO (5%). 14% students among attendees. CoLab - Find your Co-founder event. Scale-up CEO Dinner connecting leaders with emerging talent.
• Connections: 13.5 new connections per attendee. 25 superconnectors provided 7 selected startups (out of 100) with 14 direct introductions. 25 engineers actively participated in the Upstream 2025 live coding challenge. Formats: Fireside chats, VIP & expert roundtables, CEO and CTO dinner, unconference, networking drinks. Representation from 13 countries.
• Event Metrics: Total sessions: 39 (9 fireside chats, 9 deep dives, 5 roundtables, 16 pitches). Event rating: 4.2/5 stars. Best rated sessions: 1. Startup Pitches, 2. Networking opportunities, 3. Speed Dating with Investors. Startup stage breakdown: Seed 76%, Early growth 14.1%, Late growth 9.9%. Startup solution scope: Software 73.1%, Hardware 17.6%, Hard- & Software 9.3%. Client type: B2B 79.6%, B2B2C 17.4%, B2C 1.8%, C2C 1.2%. 60 co-creators, 47 city events (most popular: Unconference "Healthy Digital", CoLab "Find your Co-founder", Meetup "KI-AI Agenda - Ruling Knowledge").
• Marketing Metrics: +2.9 million social media impressions. +81K page views of upstreamfestival.com. +17K page views of the ticket page. 54% of attendees active on an event platform. Visitor demographics: Startups (40.3%), Attendees (32.7%), Students (14%), Investors (13%).
• Media & PR: +102 publications across national and international media, including Emerce, De Ondernemer, Techvisor, Baaz, Focus on IT, Risk en Business, Fonk Magazine, Duurzaam Financieel, Aboutmedia, Innovation Origins NL, Breaking Perspective, Startups Magazine, Z News Service, Silicon Canals, Rotterdam Style, Dutch IT Channel, Dutch IT Leaders, Industrievandaag, Industriekalender, Biplatform, Release, Port of Rotterdam, De Speld, Ondernemen010, Nieuws.Marketing, Zo Gouds, Change Inc, Scalebooster, STT, Kipost, Hapsmagazine, Finance.Yahoo, Businesswire, Dutchnews, Hpility, Indiaempire, Newsr, Pressreleasehub, Thepopblog, Thetechtribune, Eu-startups, DPA Agenda, Finanznachrichten, Pressportal.ch, Pressportal.de, Cityvists, Aktiencheck, Der-business-tipp, 123bildung, Saarbruecker-zeitung, Sb-finanz, Nachrichten-heute, General anzeiger, Volksfreund, Wallstreet-online, Adhocnews, Firmenpresse, Az-online, Wa, Top-news, Ots, Fnp, Hanauer, 24rhein, Presse-nachricht, Braunschweiger zeitung, Stmk, Brandaktuell, Giessener-allgemeine, Hallo-muenchen, Hersfelder-zeitung, Fehmarn24, Giessener-anzeiger, Kreis-anzeiger, Come-on, Bw24, Costanachrichten, Dasgelbeblatt, 24hamburg, Extratipp, Usinger-anzeiger, Tz, Soester-anzeiger, Werra-rundschau, Kreisbote, Wlz-online, Sauerlandkurier, Wetterauer-zeitung, Op-online, Kurierverlag, Kreiszeitung, Leinetal24, Meine-anzeigenzeitung, Wiesonur, Business24, Borse-express, Presseportal (socials), Borse social network, 88news (socials), Aktuell24, Presseportal wirtschaft & finanzen (socials).
• Speakers: Daan Witteveen, Hayat Chedid, Jellie Banga, Kiki Lauwers, Esther Bisschop, Marta Sjögren, Wouter de Bruijne, Elise de Reus, Deniz Wiedhaup, Michiel Vos, Sara Okhuijsen, Daniela Sordi, Stacey Santoso, Ida Tin, Fonger Ypma, Bertrand van Leersum, Ferdinand Grapperhaus, Clare Jones, Toh Yong Man, Rob van Straten, Dagmar van Ravenswaay Claasen, Chris Hordijk, Derek Mitchell, Melissa Ablett-Jordaan, Aditya Putta, Raman Ramalingam, Eric Dragt, Arosha Brouwer (Quan), Chris Zadeh (Ohpen), Constantijn van Oranje (Techleap.nl), Diederik Gommers (Erasmus MC), Ed Brinksma (Erasmus University), Hannah Prins (Climate Activist), Jimmy Nelson (Jimmy Nelson Studio), Kamael Ann Sugrim (Whangai), Lindy Hensen (Tekkoo & PeelPioneers), Matthijs Rijlaarsdam (Quantware), Micky Chen (Minite.Works), Nienke Roef (Graduate Entrepreneur), Veronique Swinkels (Arches Capital), Maria Correa (a16z), Richard Straver (De Ondernemer), Kwint Jansen (NL Times), Nityen Lal (ICOS Capital), Pepe Villatoro (Fuckup Nights), Cameron Shearer (Superconnector), Hille van Gaaster (Rubens Brave), Freya Praty (Gifted), Reindert Krik (VE People), Niels Meijssen (Moonback), Emilie Verunt (Dutch Basecamp), Kamael Ann Sugrim.
• Partners: Main: City of Rotterdam, Rabobank, Gemeente Delft, Provincie Zuid-Holland. Program & Media: ICOS Capital, Handpicked, Seedblink, Techleap.nl, Zoetermeer, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, MT/Sprout. Special shoutout: EconSulate, Helloprint. Full network: 010 Coding Collective, 42Workspace, AI4All, Arches Capital, B'Wise, BlueCity, Buccaneer, Builders Studio, Dutch Societal Innovation Hub, DynamicWhale, ECE, Erasmus University, Everoots, Finstack, Gemeente Rotterdam, Golden Egg Check, Graduate Entrepreneur, Greyt, Growthspace, InnovationQuarter, iTanks, Keadyn, Mamamoon, Microlab, Mobility Company Creators, Niron.ai, Noorderwind, O2Factoring, Platform Zero, Port of Rotterdam, PortXL, Progress Bar, Proposition Hero, Quantum Delft, Quantum Leiden, Rabobank, Re The Agency, RSLNC Inc, RSM, Social Impact Fund Rotterdam, Startdock Coworking, Startup Grind Rotterdam, SuperConnectors, The Hague Tech, The Social Hub Rotterdam, TNO Fast Track, TU Delft Campus, Tunga, UKNOWN Campus Watertower, Unieko, Unify.Energy, Up!Rotterdam, VNTR, Voor Goed Agency, Women in AI Benelux, Yes!Delft, Young Creators, Delft Creating History, Gemeente Schiedam, Gemeente Zoetermeer, KPN, Payhawk, Superscript, Startups Magazine, Change Inc.

"Big shoutout to Lars Crama & team for pulling off a fantastic Upstream Festival again this year. Personally joined during Capital Day with 4impact and had many inspiring conversations with passionate founders during the day and in the evening at the Co-Financing Our Future | CoFoF investor dinner in BlueCity (010). Keep up the great work!" – Victor Straatman, Entrepreneur & EIR at 4impact Capital