Up!Rotterdam and over 50 partners are hosting the fifth edition of Upstream Festival on May 28th and 29th, 2024, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The event will host startup and scale-up founders, investors, corporates, innovative SMEs, and policymakers from key startup hubs around Europe. Upstream is focused on innovations that contribute to a digital, sustainable, circular, and inclusive economy.
Led by Up!Rotterdam, Upstream is a community-driven initiative with over 50 public and private partners from the Netherlands. Main partners of Upstream 2024 are the province of South-Holland, the city of Rotterdam, the city of Delft and Rabobank.
As main partners of Upstream, they contribute to connecting founders, investors and innovators from all over the Netherlands and abroad, to convene in the Greater Rotterdam area. Together with the other public and private partners, they are dedicated to supporting strong entrepreneurial ecosystems that accelerate innovation and create impact.
Providing startups and scale-ups with everything they need for growth
The event offers startups and scale-ups a platform to connect and thrive, fostering companies that make a positive impact on the world.
Since its launch in 2020, Upstream has brought together over 9000 startups, scale-ups, investors, corporate buyers, and changemakers to collaborate on meaningful innovations for sustainable growth and Upstream was the facilitator of over 1000 successful matches between founders and talent, investors and buyers.
Rinke Zonneveld, CEO of Invest-NL, says, “InvestNL has attended Upstream as a partner since the start of the event and I look forward to the festival every year to meet many old friends and new interesting companies.”
Lars Crama of Upstream Festival, says, “The anniversary edition of Upstream highlights our ongoing commitment to supporting startups and scale-ups to thrive. Sustainable value creation has been at the heart of the festival since day one, five years ago, and it feels more important than ever now. I’m excited to see how the entrepreneurial community around Upstream keeps getting stronger every year.”
Why you should attend the Upstream 2024 event?
Access valuable programme formats
The extensive two-day programme at Upstream allows attendees to get inspired and engage in sessions tailored for valuable connections and matches between startups, scale-ups, investors and corporates. The event features intimate event formats designed to facilitate meaningful interactions and the exchange of valuable knowledge. From expert roundtables and founder interviews to CEO dinners, investor tables and fireside chats.
During the event week, attendees can explore over 30 engaging side events hosted by Upstream’s partners in Rotterdam, Delft, The Hague, and Zoetermeer.
Whether attending Meet your Co-founder or engaging in Startup Roulette, these events offer networking opportunities, insights into innovative trends, and connections with investors and corporates, helping startups elevate their business.
One of the known side events, the Superconnectors networking event, pairs selected founders with connected networkers and facilitates essential connections for business growth. This format was introduced during Upstream’s second edition in 2021.
This environment fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing essential for business growth.
Learn from successful founders
Upstream will have an interesting lineup of speakers.
Some of the key speakers include Geertje Zegers, the Country Director for Belgium at Too Good To Go; Hamed Sadeghian, founder and CEO of Nearfield Instruments; Sam Feldt, a music producer and founder; Andrew Smith, Brand Director at Vinted; Krijn de Nood, CEO and co-founder of Meatable; and, Liza Rubenstein-Malamud, co-founder and Chief Impact Officer at Carbon Equity.
Each of these speakers brings a wealth of unique expertise and insights to the table, ensuring that Upstream will be a diverse and informative event.
Connect with like-minded individuals and immerse in a supportive entrepreneurial community
Upstream brings together a dynamic mix of startup founders, investors, corporates, and policymakers from across Europe’s key startup hubs. This event offers an opportunity to network with like-minded individuals who are driving innovation towards a digital, sustainable, and inclusive future.
Upstream is a community committed to supporting startups and scale-ups that prioritise sustainable growth. Whether discussing mutual challenges or celebrating successes, the festival offers an environment where entrepreneurs can learn from each other and gain inspiration.
Being part of this community expands one’s professional network and provides invaluable encouragement and insights.
Meaningful investor-startup matchmaking
Upstream helps facilitate impactful matches between investors and startups that drive real-world progress. During the 2023 edition of Upstream, attending investors accounted for more than €12 billion in assets under management. Founders like Tim Houter from Hardt Hyperloop have leveraged the festival to forge relationships with influential figures like Peter Goedvolk, leading to strategic collaborations that accelerate business growth.
Tim Houter, co-founder of Hardt Hyperloop, says, “During Upstream, I got to know Peter Goedvolk, a renowned entrepreneur from Rotterdam and founder of investment firm First Dutch. We kept in contact ever since, and in our investment round last year, we partnered up with Peter and his investment firm to accelerate the hyperloop developments together.”
Attendees have direct access to a diverse range of innovators and potential collaborators, fostering new connections that drive businesses forward.
Get your tickets now to Upstream 2024! The event will be hosted at Annabel Poppodium. For more information visit the website here.
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