Startups at tech events
24 write-ups · 22 events · 2025–2026
Here I collect talks and conversations about startups and founders, including AI Salon, AI on the Amstel, AWS Summit and Amsterdam meetups. Recurring themes are how young companies build on AI, how they find customers, and the practical side of running a small business. These notes are written for founders and the engineers working with them.
2026
11 Sept 2026 · IBC 2026 · Amsterdam
IBC 2026: Creator Economy Becomes Studio EconomyHow creators have become studios and studios have adopted creator logic at IBC 2026.
11 Sept 2026 · IBC 2026 · Amsterdam
IBC 2026: Future Tech and the Startup RevolutionAI dubbing engines, semantic search, quantum-secure media, and the startups driving Future Tech at IBC 2026.
18 Aug 2026 · AI Builders Amsterdam · Amsterdam
AI Builders Amsterdam: A Hands-On AI Meetup RecapAI Builders Amsterdam recap: talks on validating side projects, docs for agents, and running local LLM agents at StartDock.
30 Jun 2026 · EU-Nough Tech Rules? · Amsterdam
EU-Nough Tech Rules? The Realities of Scaling in Europe — Amsterdam 202652% of EU founders avoided another EU market over compliance. Notes from DutchBasecamp's EU-Nough Tech Rules event in Amsterdam, June 30, 2026.
25 Jun 2026 · RoachFest London 2026 · London
Spencer Kimball: From 'We're Not Google' to CockroachDB's Agentic FutureSpencer Kimball on CockroachDB's agentic future, the old 'we're not Google' objection, and distributed SQL as a mainstream need.
8 Jun 2026 · RISC-V Summit Europe 2026 · Bologna
Why 9 in 10 High-Tech Startups StallAt RISC-V Summit Europe 2026 I met Frederik on the business side of deep tech — go-to-market, market strategy, and a playbook to grow from unknown to player.
27 May 2026 · AWS Summit Amsterdam 2026 · Amsterdam
Anthropic Fireside Chat at AWS Summit Amsterdam 2026Inside the AWS Startup Theatre at AWS Summit Amsterdam 2026 — Veronica Östring and Alex King on scaling startups with AWS and Anthropic Claude.
27 May 2026 · AWS Summit Amsterdam 2026 · Amsterdam
AWS Summit Amsterdam 2026: AI for Real-World ImpactAttending AWS Summit Amsterdam 2026 — from Martin Elwin's keynote on choosing the right tools to Ecolafaek's AI-powered waste management in Timor-Leste.
8 May 2026 · DevWorld Conference 2026 · Amsterdam
DevWorld 2026 Day 2: Building Got Easier, Growth HarderNotes from DevWorld 2026 day two in Amsterdam: a GitBook CEO fireside and a startup talk on why AI is not enough to create a company, with real numbers.
23 Apr 2026 · A Real Founder Story: Manage your Ego, before it Manages your Company · Amsterdam
Zeal Partners Founder Story: Manage Your EgoNotes from a founder-story evening in Amsterdam with Anthony Meijer zu Schlochtern of ZEAL Partners: the Brains, Power and Social model of founder ego.
15 Apr 2026 · Huawei Benelux & Ireland Partner Summit 2026 · Lake Como
Reijer van Wegen at Huawei Summit 2026: ICTA conversation with Reijer van Wegen, CEO of Veldwerk, at Huawei Summit 2026 on digital transformation, AI adoption, and ICT for hospitality and transport.
1 Apr 2026 · European Playbook: Scaling European Tech Leaders (VivaTech Tour Amsterdam) · Amsterdam
European Playbook: Scaling Tech Leaders at AIInsights from the European Playbook event at AI House Amsterdam. Miro's Andrey Khusid, Prosus strategy, Qonto growth, and Upway expansion — why Europe.
April 2026 · OpenClaw Hackathon at AI House Amsterdam · Amsterdam
OpenClaw Hackathon at AI House AmsterdamRecap of the OpenClaw Hackathon at AI House Amsterdam. Company pitches from Picnic, Kilo Code, Azin, Orq.ai, and Google. Full-day hacking, demo prep.
13 Mar 2026 · Superteam NL Launch Event · Amsterdam
Superteam NL Launch on the Solana BoatJoining the Superteam NL launch event on the Solana boat in Amsterdam. Builders, operators, and crypto-native talent coming together.
11 Mar 2026 · The Future of Product #3 · Amsterdam
The Future of Product #3: AI Product Meetup AmsterdamThe Future of Product #3 in Amsterdam: Miro on everyone as a builder, miyagami's AI product lifecycle and Orq.ai's single vs multi-agent eval results.
4 Feb 2026 · AI in Robotics Meetup (AI on the Amstel) · Amsterdam
AI in Robotics Meetup AmsterdamAttending the largest AI on the Amstel meetup on AI in robotics. Panelists from Monumental, Picnic, and TU Delft on moving from demos to scalable systems.
19 Jan 2026 · Forecasting the 2026 AI Agent Economy · Amsterdam
Forecasting the 2026 AI Agent Economy at Zoku AmsterdamFour Amsterdam AI founders on agents in 2026: an executive pattern library, PMs owning the LLM lifecycle, the death of the prompt box and agent fleets.
13 Jan 2026 · Amsterdam tech meetups, January 2026 (roundup) · Amsterdam
Amsterdam Tech Meetups, January 2026: A RoundupFive January 2026 evenings: a YC founder panel at Miro, Polarsteps product principles, BitBash Jurassic Edition, a Xebia book launch and a pitch night.
2025
9 Dec 2025 · The Future of Development Tools: Demo Day · Amsterdam
JetBrains Demo Day 2025: The Future of Dev ToolsJetBrains and Dutch Basecamp's Demo Day in Amsterdam, December 2025: a keynote on human connection, then startup pitches from SAAScade, CodeBoarding and onky.
3 Nov 2025 · No-Code and AI Builders Evening (Create With community) · Amsterdam
No-Code and AI Builders Evening in Amsterdam: NotesNotes from a no-code and AI builders evening at StartDock Amsterdam on 3 November 2025: the Excel-users argument and a marketing automation founder's playbook.
23 Jul 2025 · AI on the Amstel (July 2025, hosted by Prosus) · Amsterdam
AI on the Amstel July 2025: Prosus PanelAI on the Amstel, 23 July 2025, hosted by Prosus: a panel on DeepSeek and on what AI will look like in July 2028, as shown on the slides.
19 Jun 2025 · TNW Conference 2025 · Amsterdam
TNW Conference Amsterdam 2025: AI, Startups, and Deep TechTNW Conference 2025 Amsterdam recap. Highlights from two days of AI demos, startup pitches, and deep tech talks at the NDSM wharf. Photos and key takeaways.
5 Jun 2025 · AI Salon Amsterdam (8th edition) · Amsterdam
AI Salon Amsterdam June 2025: AI Factories and PitchesAI Salon Amsterdam, 5 June 2025 at The Flow: Nebius on the US-EU AI funding gap, supercomputers versus AI factories, and a round of one-minute demo pitches.
30 Jan 2025 · AI Salon Amsterdam (6th edition) · Amsterdam
AI Salon Amsterdam 2025: Schiphol Ramp AI and an AI VCAI Salon Amsterdam at The Flow, January 2025: computer vision on Schiphol's ramp to predict delays, and how the AI VC curiosity invests in AI startups.