At this year's HHL SpinLab Investor Days, Bjorn Tremmerie, Head of Venture Capital and Impact Investing at the European Investment Fund (EIF), took the stage to deliver the opening keynote. He discussed the future of Funds of Funds and why Europe has become THE center for entrepreneurship. In this article, we explore the key takeaways from Tremmerie's speech and its implications for European ventures.

The first half of this year brought us many inspiring, educational and interactive events with great opportunities for startups. The second half of 2023 is just as full of input and networking opportunities to help your startup grow, whether it be connecting with potential investors, partners or expanding your network with talented people in your industry. Here are the top 5 events that you should keep your eye out for in the coming months.

It is important to know that attending events requires more preparation than just booking your transportation and hotel. In order to get the most out of your time at a large startup event, you need a game plan. With the following tips, you can assure that you will leave the event feeling productive and connected to the people you met. 

The benefits of attending startup events for founders and their growing teams are countless: from meeting investors, leaders in your industry, listening to inspiring talks and of course connecting and learning from other motivated entrepreneurs. However, it is no secret that attending events takes a lot of time and energy, so making sure that the events you attend are worth your time is essential. To help you to navigate the vast amount of startup events, we have compiled the top 5 hottest startup events in the first half of 2023 that you don’t want to miss!

Never before has so much venture capital flowed into startups as in the past year. 2021 was a record year with mega deals and new unicorns. For the first time ever, European startups raised over $100 billion. This represented a 115% increase in the funding amount from 2020. Currently, VC funding receives the most attention in the media. For young startups, it seems to be the best way of funding. However, there are more alternatives to the classic VC money. As part of the 13th edition of the HHL SpinLab Investors Day, Damian Polok (Silicon Valley Bank), Isabella Hermann-Schön (Round2 Capital), Paul Becker (re:cap) and Patrick Walsh (uncapped) came together in Leipzig to discuss venture capital alternatives. This panel dives into the questions whether the alternatives are in conflict with the VC world, what factors to be aware of when it comes to financing and how the diffrent options work. 

Do you want getting inspired by other founders, learn new skills, and meet potential new partners or investors? Startup events are a very important venue for entrepreneurs to meet new people and boost their own business. We put together the perfect list for you, presenting the top events of 2022 you shouldn't miss!