Amsterdam — Week of 29 Jun 2026

DutchBasecamp, Ogni and CCIA Europe bring founders, operators and policymakers together at Hotel Arena to confront the reality of scaling a tech company in Europe. The evening unveils new independent research drawn from 150+ European founders — covering compliance overload, fragmented regulation, lost deals and market blockers — followed by a frank discussion between the people building Europe's tech ecosystem and the people writing its rules. A high-signal room for founders, scale-up operators and anyone navigating EU digital regulation.

An intimate dinner-table session for founders and innovators who want to understand and unlock EU funding. Hosted by Ela Daci - who brings 10+ years connecting research institutions, tech partners and policymakers across Europe and has secured and managed multi-million-euro innovation and research projects - the evening demystifies which EU grants and instruments are available and how to actually access them. The small-table format is built for real conversation and peer connection over dinner (drinks separate), making it a practical pick for early-stage founders and researchers weighing non-dilutive funding routes.

Cybersecurity, AI, cloud, digital autonomy - every business owner is talking about it, but where do you actually start? Word Digitaal Weerbaar is a practical afternoon that gives entrepreneurs and SME leaders a clear picture of the digital risks they face, the solutions available, and the right partners to work with. Across hands-on cases, expert sessions and direct conversations with providers, you'll leave with the building blocks of a concrete action plan so a single incident can't bring your business to a standstill. Held at CRCL Park on Amsterdam's Marineterrein, it's aimed at anyone responsible for keeping a growing organisation secure and digitally capable. (Conducted in Dutch.)

An industry session on the technology layer powering domestic payroll providers — covering localisation, compliance and the infrastructure behind modern payroll and HR-tech. Aimed at fintech and HR-tech builders, product leaders and operators working on payments and workforce systems.

The next SustainaLab Talks turns to one of the Netherlands' quietly mounting environmental problems: keeping its waters safe to swim in as harmful cyanobacterial (blue-green algae) blooms and pathogenic bacteria become more frequent. Across a series of short talks from academia and industry, followed by a panel and networking drinks, the session digs into what drives these blooms, the risks they pose to water quality, the prevention and control strategies in play today, and the innovations and cross-sector collaborations needed to protect lakes and recreational waters. Hosted at Matrix ONE on Amsterdam Science Park, in the heart of the city's deep-tech and climate-tech cluster, it is a grounded afternoon for researchers, cleantech founders and anyone working at the intersection of science and environmental innovation.

Startup Valley's Amsterdam tech networking and pitch night at I Dock on the Marineterrein. Founders pitch to peers and investors, with structured networking either side. Part of Startup Valley's global series (900+ pitch nights across 25 cities), it's a dependable spot to meet founders, operators and early backers.

An intimate, small-group AI meetup for curious minds, presented by Netventis at Nook in Amsterdam. Limited to a handful of spots, 'Let's talk AI' trades conference-hall scale for real conversation: a focused evening to swap ideas on where AI is heading, compare notes on practical applications, and meet others working at the edge of the field. Small spots, big discussion.