Startup University

Be part of the conversation. Join us in Lisbon in November.

Fundraising, efficiency, burnout. With capital harder to secure in a cooling market, entrepreneurs are turning to bootstrapping and crowdfunding. AI and automation are key for efficiency while finding early product-market fit is crucial for a competitive edge. Mental health and burnout are growing concerns as startup pressures increase. There’s a rising interest in fostering inclusive cultures to attract diverse talent and build resilience.

Book tickets for 2025

Tara Chklovski
Founder & CEO
Technovation

A photograph of a Web Summit attendee pointing in the air. Another attendee stands in front. The person pointing is wearing a lanyard.

From launchpad to rocketship

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.

A photograph of three people sitting at a roundtable. One person appears to be talking and the other two are listening, with their backs faced to the camera. There is an Apple MacBook sitting on the table between the three people.

The company you keep

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.

A photograph of an investor at Web Summit. The investor appears to be speaking to another person.

Finding funding

VC investment has dropped to its lowest level in four years. 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 that way to go?

Next-gen technologies

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 and more, as they deliver the next wave of change.

Meet our 2024 startup university speakers

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Companies that attend

Tracks at Web Summit

Your ticket gives you access to all Startup University sessions, as well as to roundtables, masterclasses and 15 tracks covering more than 30 topics at Web Summit.

A photograph of three speakers (from left, Maya Noël, managing director of France Digitale, Igor Senra, CEO of Cora, and Alisa Cohn, contributor at Forbes) on stage at Web Summit.

A photograph of a startup group posing for a photo. They are wearing matching t-shirts. There is a person holding a phone taking a photo of the group. There are five people from the startup getting the photo taken.

“Every company is faking it till they make it. There’s no making it. The story doesn’t end.”

Jager McConnell, CEO, Crunchbase

Four speakers sitting on the Startup University stage at Web Summit.

“I could not have imagined a more impactful onstage experience.”

Griffin Hale, Founder, Full Body Sound

A photograph of Weavr co-founder and CTO Adrian Mizzi speaking on stage at Web Summit. Adrian is gesturing and is wearing an on-ear microphone.

“You have to change and adapt to the demands of the business.”

Adrian Mizzi, Co-founder & CTO, Weavr