They say it takes a village to raise a child, and in many ways, that rings true for startups – especially when it comes to finding your foothold in the market.
We’ve created a list of the 10 best startup conferences to attend in 2025. But first, let’s take a look at what these conferences can mean for startups.
Why Attend Startup Conferences?
For starters, it’s important to acknowledge that as a startup, there are times when you don’t even know what you don’t know. Startup conferences allow business owners to leverage a trove of insights and information that is particularly crafted to help them wherever they are in their startup journey – whether that be at the very beginning or not. Startup summits also address the specific pain points that startups face, taking into account a possible lack of resources, expertise, or tools to streamline crucial processes. More so, it also speaks to your specific business goals as a startup, which could include scaling your business, expanding into new markets, or securing venture capital funding, and the role that compliance plays in it all. As an added bonus, these events are also a prime opportunity to network with sought-after industry leaders and like-minded entrepreneurs.
However, that doesn’t mean that businesses should simply throw a dart at a map and travel to any startup conference. There are a few things that need to be taken into consideration.
Things to Consider When Attending a Startup Conference
When considering which event to attend as a team this year, it’s important to evaluate the following factors to ensure that you’re getting the most out of the opportunity (without draining critical resources). A few key factors include:
The purpose of the event: Be sure to confirm what you’re hoping to get out of the event. Perhaps it’s to learn about new innovations and technologies, find new business opportunities, or network with industry experts. Perhaps it’s solely for educational purposes to upskill your team. Or perhaps it’s a combination of all these goals.
Consider the cost: Startup events don’t come cheap. This means you’ll want to consider the event as an investment opportunity, whether that be for growth and networking opportunities or security awareness training for your team. Ultimately, it’s important to weigh the costs and logistics as well as the travel and lodging costs and whether it will eat into operational hours.
Consider the attendees: Finally, it’s important to evaluate the speakers and attendees who will be present at the startups conferences. Be sure to gauge whether the topics and types of businesses attending are relevant to your interests.
For those ready to mark their calendars, here’s a list of compliance conferences that are worth checking out.
List of Top Conferences for Startups in 2025
4YFN
The GSMA’s startup platform, 4YFN (Four Years from Now), takes center stage at MWC Barcelona to crown the best 20 digital startups at its prestigious 4YFN Awards and support networking for others. As one of the top tech startup events, this conference is a prime networking hotspot, attracting over 100,000 attendees, 1,000+ investors, and €50 billion in expected funding. This year’s lineup features 300+ speakers from tech unicorns like Perplexity AI and Papaya Global, who will dive into the latest AI innovations. Meanwhile, 930 international startups will showcase their innovative products, and the 4YFN Discovery Area Pitching Stage will give companies the chance to secure funding from top VCs, CVCs, and global investment leaders.
Details:
Date: 3-6 March 2025
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Website: https://www.4yfn.com/
Hello Tomorrow Global Summit 2025
Hello Tomorrow is renowned as the largest and widest Deep Tech network while helping Deep Tech startups and corporations build new solutions. Their global summit promises inspiring breakthroughs and honest, radical discussions regarding everything from energy transition & clean mobility, healthcare for all, and climate resilience & biodiversity to the new frontiers of advanced computing. This is the perfect conference for startups interested in how tech and compliance can address greater global challenges, while also exploring how to scale and finance innovative solutions, and debating the ethical and societal consequences of emerging technologies.
Details:
Date: 13-14 March 2025
Location: Paris, France
Website: https://hello-tomorrow.org/global-summit/
Tech.eu Summit 2025
The Tech.eu Summit is the ultimate gathering of over 1,200 of Europe’s brightest tech minds and industry leaders, bringing together the continent’s thriving tech and startup ecosystem. It’s a goldmine of insights, with insightful presentations from founders, investors, policymakers, and COOs who’ve been in your shoes. From the latest in crypto innovation to practical advice on scaling, hiring, and navigating the European VC landscape — this is where startups go to learn, connect, and get inspired.
Details:
Date: 25-26 March 2025
Location: London, UK
Website: https://tech.eu/event/2025/summit-london
Gartner Cybersecurity and Risk Management Summit 2025
The Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit is a premier event designed to help security and risk management leaders strengthen their cybersecurity and risk strategies – responsibilities that often rest with startup founders during the early stages of business growth. Drawing on insights from over 200,000 annual conversations between Gartner experts and industry executives, this summit offers actionable guidance to tackle today’s most pressing security challenges. Key topics include the impact of AI in cybersecurity, best practices for cloud security, strategies for adaptive risk and compliance management, emerging technologies to support mission-critical objectives, and more.
Details:
Date: 7-8 April 2025
Location: Dubai, UAE
Website: https://www.gartner.com/en/conferences/emea/security-risk-management-uae
Infoshare 2025
As the biggest tech and startup event in CEE, the Infoshare conference brings together software developers, business leaders, startups, investors, marketers, and tech enthusiasts in Gdańsk to learn more about the digital world and everything that comes along with it. Further, you can create meaningful bonds and form part of a truly innovative technological society. Seed and early-stage startups can take part in the Startup Contest and compete to win €20,000.
Details:
Date: 27-28 May 2025
Location: Gdańsk, Poland + online stream
Website: https://infoshare.pl/conference/
Infosecurity Europe
Infosecurity Europe is the perfect entry-level conference for those looking to either build a foundational knowledge of compliance and infosec, or keep up with the latest changes and updates. Branded as ‘Everyone and Everything You Need to Know in Information Security’, the Infosecurity Europe Conference helps business owners and startups stay connected with key players in the field – from the brightest minds in engineering to industry innovators – while keeping you up to date on the latest developments in cyber and information security and what they might mean for your business.
Details:
Date: 3-5 June 2025
Location: London, UK
Website: https://www.infosecurityeurope.com/
Compliance Conferences to Keep on Your Radar for the Year Ahead
If you’re on the lookout for something more specific to your security landscape, we’ve done some additional research on the top conferences that speak directly to some of the key compliance frameworks and regulatory requirements that may be keeping you up at night.
Cloud & Cyber Security Expo 2025
Pin this one! Cloud and cybersecurity are among the most significant factors in ensuring a robust security environment. But, as with most aspects of compliance, it’s easier said than done – especially in a complex and ever-changing digital environment. This Cloud & Cyber Security Expo is an absolute must, offering businesses the opportunity to collaborate with cybersecurity innovators, technologists, and business leaders. If you’re wanting to learn how to better protect your networks and assets without compromising your resources or compliance status, then this conference is for you!
Details:
Date: 12-13 March 2025
Location: London, UK
Website: https://www.cloudsecurityexpo.com/
Digital Healthcare Innovation Summit (DHIS)
DHIS is back for its 13th annual event, diving into everything you need to know about technology and healthcare compliance – an essential opportunity for those who may be subject to mandatory HIPAA compliance. This year’s agenda includes exciting topics such as AI disruption in healthcare, Medicaid innovation, cost efficiency, invaluable insights from successful founders, and long-term investor forecasting.
Details:
Date: 19-20 May 2025
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Website: https://dhis.net/east
2025 PCI North America Community Meeting
Don’t miss the chance to hear directly from regulatory bodies about the latest developments and requirements for PCI DSS compliance at the PCI SSC 2025 North America Community Meeting. This is a must-attend event for anyone in the payments community who wants to stay informed with critical Council updates, gain valuable regional insights, provide and receive feedback, and connect with industry peers through unparalleled networking opportunities.
Details:
Date: 16-18 September 2025
Location: Fort Worth, TX, USA
Website: https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/event/2024-pci-ssc-north-america-community-meeting/
Fintech Week London
Last on our list is Fintech Week London – a culmination of London’s fintech ecosystems, including over 1,000 senior decision-makers from leading fintech companies, banks, investment firms, VCs, regulatory bodies, media organizations, and technology and service providers. This five-day event is one of the best UK startup conferences you could attend and offers a fantastic opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the global themes of fintech.
Details:
Date: 6-10 October 2025
Location: London, UK
Website: https://www.fintechweek.london/event/ee96db61-42b0-4092-9f31-405728a82965/summary
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Security Compliance for Startups
If you’re still on the fence about whether security compliance should even be on your radar as a startup, we’d recommend checking out everything there is to know about compliance for startups here. Additionally, if you have any room left in your calendar, be sure to check out other top SaaS conferences to attend in 2025 here.
