Year after year, we can see an increase in the number of various initiatives, events and conferences devoted to startup culture and entrepreneurship. Most of these events follow a common format that is tailored for buzzing startup ecosystems such as Silicon Valley, with renowned speakers and multiple networking sessions. Europe has its own specifics, though – each region has unique characteristics that require special attention. Regional diversity and local policy are vital for startups at an early development stage, and grants or tax breaks are often the key factor that influences the decision on where to launch a company.

Startup Europe Week is an initiative of the European Commission, organized together with Startup Europe. During the week from 6^th to 10^th February, thousands of meetings will take place in over 200 cities in 40 European countries. The main objective of this initiative is to create a platform for communication of startups, investors, representatives of local governments, business institutions and everyone else who is interested in supporting and promoting entrepreneurship in his region.

The events are structured in a way that puts special emphasis on the local community of each of 200 participating cities. The workshops and speeches, while appreciating Europe as a unique interconnected ecosystem, will focus on local actions and events that directly translate to the success of local startups. This way, every participant will be able to find specific information regarding local actions currently being developed (such as funding opportunities), regional authorities’ policy, and listen to success stories from experienced entrepreneurs and investors operating on the region.

The meetings are free, but the number of places is limited. Make sure to check out the website, choose the event closest to you and register!