Discover Startup & VC Events
Curated networking opportunities for startup founders and investors worldwide.
Fundraising: what investors won’t tell you
Everyone has fundraising advice. Much of it is outdated, oversimplified - or just plain wrong. In this candid session, Anthony Rose and Stephane Nasser pull back the curtain on what really happens when founders raise investment. From pitch decks, valuations and storytelling to warm introductions, FOMO and investor psychology, they'll explore the questions founders actually ask - but rarely get honest answers to. You'll hear both sides of the table: what founders need to know to raise successfully, what investors are really thinking when they pass, and the fundraising myths that could be costing you time, money and your next round. If you're raising now or planning to in the future, this is a no-nonsense session packed with insights you won't hear anywhere else.
How to build a top 1% pitch deck
We’ll break down what makes a top 1% pitch deck. This session is packed with real-life, slide-by-slide examples from decks that actually raised.
How to get warm intros to VCs
Forget vague advice like “just network more.” We’ll walk you through proven, actionable tactics founders use to get warm intros to VCs.
How to raise with cold emails
Let's skip the generic tips and break down real cold emails that worked - including a free template you can copy.
InvestTN Summit 2026
Founder–VC networking focus: portfolio founders connect with angels/VCs; panels and programs explore Tennessee startup ecosystem; showcase funded companies.
Gitex Nigeria 2026: Elevate Stage
Pitch stage to global investors; focus AI, Fintech, Healthtech, Edtech, Agritech, Creative Economy; startup-investor networking.
82nd Venture Club Breakfast
VCs & startups focus: discussions on investments, startups seeking funding, and investor-startup networking at a breakfast (max 24).
TechBBQ Startup Program 2026
Startup program focuses on founder–investor interaction: connect with investors, pitch, and demo days; startup showcasing with VCs.
Apex Venture & Tech Connect Days 2026
Venturing-style startup–investor day with founder–VC networking, investor talks, private meetings, and Blackboard Pitch Area; pitch boards enable direct deal flow.
STEP USA Pitch Night 2026
Startup-investor networking with VC investors; Pitch Night with VCs; 1-on-1 meetings; seminars and networking for US market entry.
Money20/20 Middle East 2026
Fintech Startup Hub: connect with VCs, pitch to investors; startup hub & pitch competition; focus on founder–VC networking and fintech topics.
FDDAY 2026
Founder-VC networking with 4500+ founders/investors; top speaker: Johannes Virkkunen (EIF).
European Blockchain Convention 2026
Startup-VC focus with 1:1 meetings, Startup Battle & investor lounge; top speaker ERALD GHOOS, CEO, Europe (OKX); topics: blockchain, crypto, fintech.
Dreamforce 2026
Focus on startup–VC pitches, investor office hours, and startup-demo networking; top speaker: Sundar Pichai.
WSBW Startup Challenge 2026
Space-tech startup pitch competition with live-pitching before investors; networking and partnerships. Top speaker: Mark Boggett, CEO, Seraphim Capital.
Seattle 2026 Venture Capital World Summit
VC ecosystem event for investors and investees; includes investor presentations and startup-investor networking to access funding and mentorship via a trusted network.
Startup Fair 2026
Brings founders and investors (VCs/angels/funds) together; core focus on startup-investor networking, matchmaking, and content shaping to attract investments.
Startup Week Las Vegas 2026
4 days focused on startup-VC interaction: pitch room with 7-min pitches and investor feedback; startup-investor networking.
Colorado Startup Week 2026
Bryan Leach — CEO, Ibotta; pitch day with VCs; founder fundraising panels; topics: AI, robotics, fintech; 10k+ attendees; founders and funders connect.
Start Cup Lazio: Finale 11th Edition
Pitch session for deep-tech start-ups; VC panel and startup–investor networking; top speaker: Francesco Scafarto, Moderator, Tor Vergata Univ.
HRX Pitch Competition 2026
Entrepreneurs pitch to top VCs, academic and health-system leaders in cardiovascular digital health; live Q&A and startup-investor interaction.
Fundraising 101: How To Win Your First Round
This no-bullshit, 60-minute webinar gives you a clear, founder-friendly roadmap to raise your first round the right way. Whether you’re pre-seed or seed-stage, we’ll walk you through what really matters to investors and how to build a process that gets results. Packed with real-life examples from successful founders — no fluff, no theory dumps.
How to raise with cold emails
Let's skip the generic tips and break down real cold emails that worked - including a free template you can copy.
How to get warm intros to VCs
Forget vague advice like “just network more.” We’ll walk you through proven, actionable tactics founders use to get warm intros to VCs.
How to build a top 1% pitch deck
We’ll break down what makes a top 1% pitch deck. This session is packed with real-life, slide-by-slide examples from decks that actually raised.
Fundraising 101: How To Win Your First Round
This no-bullshit, 60-minute webinar gives you a clear, founder-friendly roadmap to raise your first round the right way. Whether you’re pre-seed or seed-stage, we’ll walk you through what really matters to investors and how to build a process that gets results. Packed with real-life examples from successful founders — no fluff, no theory dumps.
Fundraising Q&A + Deck review with Shaun Gold
Got questions or a deck to review? Join Shaun Gold in this intimate session for Premium OpenVC members and get personalized, actionable feedback.
Valuation & legal for startups
We focus on how investors think about valuation, how legal structures affect your leverage, and where founders most often shoot themselves in the foot.
How to raise with cold emails
Let's skip the generic tips and break down real cold emails that worked - including a free template you can copy.
How to build a top 1% pitch deck
We’ll break down what makes a top 1% pitch deck. This session is packed with real-life, slide-by-slide examples from decks that actually raised.
Fundraising Q&A + Deck review with Shaun Gold
Got questions or a deck to review? Join Shaun Gold in this intimate session for Premium OpenVC members and get personalized, actionable feedback.
Fundraising Q&A + Deck review with Shaun Gold
Got questions or a deck to review? Join Shaun Gold in this intimate session for Premium OpenVC members and get personalized, actionable feedback.
Valuation & legal for startups
Let's skip the generic tips and break down real cold emails that worked - including a free template you can copy.
How to raise with cold emails
Let's skip the generic tips and break down real cold emails that worked - including a free template you can copy.
Fundraising Q&A + Deck review with Shaun Gold
Got questions or a deck to review? Join Shaun Gold in this intimate session for Premium OpenVC members and get personalized, actionable feedback.
How to get warm intros to VCs
Forget vague advice like “just network more.” We’ll walk you through proven, actionable tactics founders use to get warm intros to VCs.
How to build a top 1% pitch deck
We’ll break down what makes a top 1% pitch deck. This session is packed with real-life, slide-by-slide examples from decks that actually raised.
Fundraising 101: How To Win Your First Round
This no-bullshit, 60-minute webinar gives you a clear, founder-friendly roadmap to raise your first round the right way. Whether you’re pre-seed or seed-stage, we’ll walk you through what really matters to investors and how to build a process that gets results. Packed with real-life examples from successful founders — no fluff, no theory dumps.
Fundraising Q&A + Deck review with Shaun Gold
Got questions or a deck to review? Join Shaun Gold in this intimate session for Premium OpenVC members and get personalized, actionable feedback.
Valuation & legal for startups
Let's skip the generic tips and break down real cold emails that worked - including a free template you can copy.
How to reach investors and VCs
Learn how startup funding works, how VCs evaluate pitches, the types of founders VCs are looking for, and more. Bring your questions for Steph and Naimul!
How to raise Series A in Italy & Spain
Fabio Mondini de Focatiis, Founding Partner at Growth Capital, breaks down how Series A fundraising actually works in Spain and Italy today.
How to raise with cold emails
Let's skip the generic tips and break down real cold emails that worked - including a free template you can copy.
Fundraising Q&A + Deck review with Shaun Gold
Got questions or a deck to review? Join Shaun Gold in this intimate session for Premium OpenVC members and get personalized, actionable feedback.
How to get warm intros to VCs
Forget vague advice like “just network more.” We’ll walk you through proven, actionable tactics founders use to get warm intros to VCs.
How to build a top 1% pitch deck
We’ll break down what makes a top 1% pitch deck. This session is packed with real-life, slide-by-slide examples from decks that actually raised.
Fundraising 101: How To Win Your First Round
This no-bullshit, 60-minute webinar gives you a clear, founder-friendly roadmap to raise your first round the right way. Whether you’re pre-seed or seed-stage, we’ll walk you through what really matters to investors and how to build a process that gets results. Packed with real-life examples from successful founders — no fluff, no theory dumps.
Fundraising Q&A + Deck review with Shaun Gold
Got questions or a deck to review? Join Shaun Gold in this intimate session for Premium OpenVC members and get personalized, actionable feedback.
How to build a top 1% pitch deck
We’ll break down what makes a top 1% pitch deck. This session is packed with real-life, slide-by-slide examples from decks that actually raised.
How to get warm intros to VCs
Forget vague advice like “just network more.” We’ll walk you through proven, actionable tactics founders use to get warm intros to VCs.
Fundraising 101: How To Win Your First Round
This no-bullshit, 60-minute webinar gives you a clear, founder-friendly roadmap to raise your first round the right way. Whether you’re pre-seed or seed-stage, we’ll walk you through what really matters to investors and how to build a process that gets results. Packed with real-life examples from successful founders — no fluff, no theory dumps.
Fundraising Q&A + Deck review with Shaun Gold
Got questions or a deck to review? Join Shaun Gold in this intimate session for Premium OpenVC members and get personalized, actionable feedback.
The legal basics of startup fundraising: SAFE vs equity, dirty clauses, 506b/506c/RegCF
Fundraising is where most startups get tripped up legally. One wrong move on SAFEs, priced rounds, or exemptions can haunt you for years. This session is built to give you the straight answers you actually need to raise money without shooting yourself in the foot.
How to incorporate, split equity, and set up your cap table
Legal decisions can make or break your startup, yet most founders push them off until it is too late. In this no-nonsense session, we will cut through the jargon and give you the essentials every founder needs to know on Day 1.
Common Fundraising Mistakes That Will Kill Your Startup
With Francis Santora, serial angel and top investor on OpenVC. In this open session, we’ll break down the most critical fundraising mistakes early-stage founders make. In partnership with Hubspot.
How to raise with cold emails
Let's skip the generic tips and break down real cold emails that worked - including a free template you can copy.
Max Pog's Angel & Accel Conf
500+ investors will attend. 3.5h conferences + 1.5h networking. Speakers include leaders from Techstars, Plug and Play Ventures, Samsung Ventures America, and many others.
How to get warm intros to VCs
Forget vague advice like “just network more.” We’ll walk you through proven, actionable tactics founders use to get warm intros to VCs.
How to build a top 1% pitch deck
We’ll break down what makes a top 1% pitch deck. This session is packed with real-life, slide-by-slide examples from decks that actually raised.
Fundraising 101: How To Win Your First Round
This no-bullshit, 60-minute webinar gives you a clear, founder-friendly roadmap to raise your first round the right way. Whether you’re pre-seed or seed-stage, we’ll walk you through what really matters to investors and how to build a process that gets results. Packed with real-life examples from successful founders — no fluff, no theory dumps.
Pitch to OpenVC, Loyal VC and FI, Online
Do you have a startup, or a strong idea for a startup? Pitch it to a panel of Silicon Valley startup investors and experts for ratings and feedback, and no formal pitch deck is needed. Bring your best 1 minute pitch, receive feedback. Even if you don't want to pitch, you are invited to hear startup ideas and watch how the experts analyze business ideas.
How VCs Evaluate Startups in Minutes
Signals are subtle cues that investors use to make quick decisions about your startup, often without needing to meet you or hear your full vision. In just a few minutes with your pitch deck, your fate is decided: rejection or a meeting. This is why founders must understand VC signaling. By recognizing and optimizing these signals, you not only increase your chances of getting funded but also uncover and address potential issues within your business.
Startup and VC Events FAQs
Finding startup events near you usually starts with general event platforms like Eventbrite and Meetup, where many local meetups, panels, and networking events are listed. It also helps to check startup websites and curated event directories like OpenVC, which focus specifically on startup and VC events rather than general networking events.
Following local accelerators, coworking spaces, and venture capital firms is another practical way to discover smaller, high-quality gatherings that may not appear on large platforms. Most founders get better results by consistently tracking a few reliable sources instead of searching from scratch each time, which makes it easier to spot relevant upcoming events and conferences as they are announced.
The top startup events for founders to attend in 2026 include TechCrunch Disrupt (Oct 13–15, San Francisco), SaaStr Annual (May 12–14, SF Bay Area), and the Startup Grind Conference (Apr 27–29, Silicon Valley), all known for strong investor attendance and high founder density. Major cross-industry events include SXSW (Mar 12–18, Austin) and London Tech Week (Jun 8-12, London), which combine startups, investors, and enterprise partners in one place. International entrepreneurs looking to connect with emerging markets and global capital should explore LEAP 2026 (Apr 13–16, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) for its scale, investor participation, and focus on innovation.
Startup founders typically connect with VCs at events through small group conversations, introductions from other founders or operators, and follow-up after panels or networking sessions. The goal is not to pitch immediately but to start a relevant conversation around what you’re building and why it fits the investor’s focus. Strong connections usually happen after the event through a short follow-up message that references the conversation and shares context like a deck or update.
Founders usually benefit from attending VC events once they have a clear narrative on the problem, market, and the company's early direction, even if fundraising has not started yet. Early attendance helps build familiarity with investors, understand how VCs evaluate opportunities, and start relationships before capital is needed. The most productive conversations happen when founders are gathering feedback and learning how their story resonates, rather than actively pitching for a check.
Yes. Many startup and VC events now run in virtual or hybrid formats, including demo days, investor panels, pitch sessions, workshops, and networking events. Virtual VC events make it easier for founders to connect with investors outside their local ecosystem and attend events without travel constraints.
The quality varies, so it helps to prioritize special events with curated attendees or clear investor participation rather than open networking sessions. OpenVC’s startup and VC events directory includes both in-person and virtual events, making it easier to find relevant opportunities based on format, stage, and focus.
Before attending an upcoming VC event, founders should research the investors who will be there and understand where real alignment exists based on stage, thesis, and check size. A concise 30-second elevator pitch is essential, focused on the problem, solution, and why the timing makes sense now.
Founders should also be fully confident in their numbers, including key metrics, growth trends, and basic financials, since conversations often move quickly into traction and execution. The goal is not to pitch everyone, but to have informed conversations with investors where there is a clear fit.