With the new year kicking off a few weeks ago, there is a new event season too. Almost two years filled with the pandemic have driven digitalization — not only in terms of meetings but also full-on remote events. Still, we’re probably all very looking forward to having some more normality back in our lives, and so with spring approaching there’s finally a glimmer of hope for greater gatherings in person.
In this article, we’ll introduce you to the biggest startup events 2022, held onsite (some of them in a mixed or hybrid form). That being said, let’s all keep our fingers crossed for the renaissance of offline events. It’s time to look forward to exciting happenings in the scene and upcoming events in Europe this year!
START summit
Europe’s biggest student-run conference for entrepreneurship and technology
Connecting more than 5000 startups, investors, corporates and young talents, START summit’s aim is to contribute to boosting innovation and closing the gap between business and technology. Listen to successful founders about lessons they learned along their journeys — at intimate fireside chats or inspirational keynote speeches.
There will also be lots of opportunities for you to get directly in touch with founders and investors: take part in the event’s speed dating, where you’ll be able to meet many people in a short amount of time, or make use of the matchmaking tool to schedule meetings with the most striking fellow participants. There’s also going to be a start fair for participants to showcase their newest prototypes and to network with others. What’s more, the finals of START summit’s pitching competition will be held live, where 30 early-stage startups present their ideas in front of industry leaders, successful founders, and Europe’s greatest VCs.
When: 24-25 March 2022
Where: St. Gallen, Switzerland
So, are you all hooked? Then quickly grab your ticket here!
The EU startups summit
Deep dive into the European startup ecosystem
More than 1.500 entrepreneurs, startup enthusiasts, VCs, angel investors, and media from all over Europe are expected to attend the EU startups summit 2022, making it one of Europe’s biggest startup events. Besides the coolest European startups being present, you will also have plenty of possibilities to reach out to entrepreneurs, investors, and other members of the community.
In case you’re not (yet) eager to throw yourself into the whole networking sphere, you can also just listen to a bunch of inspiring fireside chats and keynotes held by successful founders. To round off the exciting two-day event, a final pitch competition with 15 selected startup teams will be held at the summit.
When: 12-13 May 2022
Where: Barcelona, Spain
Where: St. Gallen, Switzerland + remote @home
Don’t wait too long and buy your tickets here.
ViennaUP’22
Connecting startups, investors, tech enthusiasts, creatives and visionaries in the heart of Europe
Join this weeklong community-driven festival where it’s all about entrepreneurship and innovation in Vienna at the end of May. Representing one of the most important international startup events in Vienna, ViennaUP’22’s concept is decentralized: its events are spread all over the city. This does not only allow you to meet people from different fields of expertise but also enjoy and explore the beauty of Vienna. All events are organized and held by different contributing partners from the Viennese startup ecosystem; some of them will take place online, some onsite.
When: 27 May to 3 June 2022
Where: Vienna, Austria
For more information about the events check out the program directly here, or sign up for their newsletter here.
Hinterland of things
Germany’s most renowned invite-only tech-conference
Meet CEOs of traditional companies, founders of unicorns and soonicorns as well as leading investors and innovation drivers at this one-day event held in Bielefeld, Germany. At Hinterland of things, you will have the opportunity to listen to inspirational speakers and first-hand founder stories, and get in touch with series A/B startups.
What makes this event so outstanding is definitely its exclusive touch: Anyone who wants to participate has to go through a screening, only after which you’ll receive a code to purchase your ticket. Do not hesitate, though, and check it out if you’re all into startups, digitalization, and technology!
When: 1 June 2022
Where: Bielefeld, Germany
If you’re interested, pre-register here for your ticket.
Hub Berlin
Right at the intersection of science, politics and tech
Hub Berlin is a festival joining experts from all over the globe: experts from tech, science, and politics come together with the world’s leading entrepreneurs for two days to exchange and share experiences, visions, and ideas. At the conference, lots of inspirational content is brought to you via workshops, keynotes, and panel discussions from more than 300 speakers talking about the latest tech topics.
What’s more, Hub Berlin offers you a wide range of activities to join and make the most out of your experience at the event: there will be escape games, pub crawls, club nights, exclusive dinner settings, one-on-one sessions with speakers, tech playgrounds and networking lounges. Getting in touch with people from the startup ecosystem may hardly ever be as casual and easygoing!
When: 22-23 June 2022
Where: Berlin, Germany
Since the event will be held in June, as of now there’s still the possibility to grab super early bird tickets for one of the most exciting startup events in Berlin – so better be fast!
Bits&Pretzels
Networking in the jovial, Bavarian way
Get a chance to meet Europe’s leading startup experts at Bits&Pretzels in trendy but cozy Munich, Germany! The event offers a range of possibilities to get in touch with other participants and benefit from their knowledge and insights. Via matchmaking, a team of skilled and trained networkers helps you connect with relevant people from the scene.
Join meetups at moderated round table discussions, engage in speed dating to introduce yourself to lots of interesting people in a short amount of time, and use Bits&Pretzels’ Matchmaking App to chat with other attendees and arrange in-person meetings at the venue. Bits&Pretzels also offers table captain networking where you have the chance to connect with investors, founders, CEOs, and other decision-makers and get their feedback for your ideas, learn from their experience and gain insights into the secrets of successful unicorn builders.
When: 25-27 September 2022
Where: Munich, Germany
Currently, tickets are sold out, but the organizers are busy expanding the venue to make additional tickets available, so make sure to sign up here to receive yours once they’ve stocked up.
Slush
Celebrating entrepreneurship in Northern Europe’s startup hotspot Helsinki
Initiated by students, Slush has become a global community of next-generation entrepreneurs by connecting founders with what they need and by building a more inclusive and purposeful culture of entrepreneurship. The conference offers a range of stage talks from investors, successful founders and other leading experts from the tech and innovation scene.
Become a member of the global community-driven movement empowering teams across the world to initiate events for their local ecosystems while always being founder-centric by joining Slush! At the Slush startup event you will have the chance to network with inspiring people from the ecosystem coming from all over the world, so don’t let yourself be discouraged by cold and dark Finnish late autumn days – inside Slush it’s going to be all hot and exciting, never mind November!
When: 17-18 November 2022
Where: Helsinki, Finland
So don’t miss out on this one and pre-register here for updates about speakers and the release of early bird tickets.
Wrap up
2022’s event calendar is going to be jam-packed!
This year presents itself promising with lots of networking events for startups all over our continent. May it be networking in the ecosystem, looking for a job opportunity in a startup, or seeking advice from experienced founders and investors, be sure to look at some of these innovation events introduced to you in the article.
In the meantime, you can test your startup knowledge by checking out our startup wiki about all topics and phrases related to the startup world. If you’re not sure yet whether a startup is the right way to go for you as a job seeker, this article might be helpful for you. To find the latest job postings on a European scale, have a look at our job platform or check out which European city is best for you and your next job assignment!
