Assignment

At Upstream Festival 2026, more than 2,000 founders and investors from 26 countries came together in Rotterdam. The community is focused on creating valuable connections and accelerating the innovations of tomorrow, with a strong focus on the port & maritime, health & wellbeing, and climate & energy sectors.
Following several successful editions, the ambition was clear: to continue building a festival that brings together startups, scale-ups, investors and partners to strengthen the innovation ecosystem both locally and internationally. Upstream Festival 2026 aimed to feel bigger, more international and even more relevant to the needs of founders and investors. With the Van Nelle Factory as its new home, there was an opportunity to take the festival to the next level. More focus, greater international appeal and, above all, more meaningful connections.

Result

On 21 May, the iconic Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam welcomed more than 1,000 founders and investors from 26 countries. The programme was carefully redesigned, with fewer stages, more workshops, improved matchmaking opportunities and more space for one-to-one conversations. Everything was tailored to help founders and investors connect more effectively.
The approach proved successful. The impact of Upstream Festival 2026 was not only reflected in attendance numbers, but also in the quality of the connections made.Startups and scale-ups met directly with investors, potential customers and strategic partners, leading to new opportunities and collaborations. With this edition, Upstream Festival took a clear step forward: bigger, more international and more ambitious, while staying true to its core purpose: bringing together people who can achieve more by working together.