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Web Summit Vancouver · May 25 - 28, 2027

Startup University

What happens when your early believers never leave your side? That&#8217;s what we learned from Alexander Gallego, Founder and CEO of Redpanda Data, a unicorn company that secured the same lead VC firms from seed through Series D.

A Unicorn's rare VC love story

GrubMarket CEO and founder, Mike Xu, revealed how his company didn’t just stop at unicorn status but skyrocketed to a $3.5 bi valuation while surpassing $2 bi in revenue in 2024.

How our revenue went from 0 to 100, to $2 billion

The success or failure of many startups often hinges on the quality of the team, the dynamics of the relationships, and the alignment of the group with the company&#8217;s vision and values.

Founders club: Success by association

The session covers essential strategies for crafting a persuasive pitch, understanding what investors look for, and navigating the complexities of negotiation and relationship-building.

Winning the VC game: a founder’s guide

Highlights from our events

Don’t miss your chance to connect with the next generation of startups at Web Summit Vancouver 2026.

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Meet the entrepreneurs and investors who've attended

In a tighter funding environment, today&#8217;s founders are navigating new paths to scale—leveraging bootstrapping, crowdfunding, and strategic early partnerships. Explore the current state of the ecosystem: from securing capital in a cooling market to unlocking efficiency through AI, automation, and lean teams. Learn key tactics for finding early product-market fit, building investor-ready businesses, attracting the best talent, and scaling operations with precision.

The transition from startup to scale-up is a critical phase in the lifecycle of a company. Success in this journey hinges on the ability to adapt, innovate, and execute effectively in a rapidly evolving market landscape.

From launchpad to rocketship

Have you got the best co-founder, hired the best team, and chosen the best investor? Who you surround yourself with as a founder is one of the most important decisions you can make.
Learn from founders who have succeeded and failed in getting the right people for their companies.

The company you keep

With venture capital investment focusing on fewer, high-quality deals, startups need to re-evaluate how they secure capital and start looking beyond the traditional VC route. Do startups need to develop a bootstrapped mentality? Is crowdfunding the way to go?

Finding funding

What are the disruptive technologies that are going to make a difference in the next five years? Meet the startups innovating across AI, biotech, agritech, healthtech, robotics, energy, and more, as they deliver the next wave of change.