If you’re a startup founder and haven’t been to TECHARENA in Stockholm yet — you’re missing one of the most important events on the European tech scene. Not another conference with dull panels and pointless networking over stale sandwiches. A living, pulsating week where deals actually happen, investors get found, and real partnerships are born.
We broke down what TECHARENA is, why you should go, and how to get the most out of it.
What Is TECHARENA?
TECHARENA is Scandinavia’s largest tech and business event, held annually in Stockholm across an entire week. The scale is genuinely impressive: over 300 speakers across 4 stages, more than 250 side events and roundtables, a dedicated Startup & Scaleup District, an Investor Balcony for conversations with investors, Networking Labs, Country Pavilions, and a whole range of interactive zones.
Thousands of founders, investors, corporate leaders, and tech entrepreneurs converge here from across the globe — from Mexico to Singapore. But the most important thing: this isn’t a box-ticking event. This is an environment where business actually gets done.
Why Stockholm?
Sweden isn’t just beautiful landscapes and IKEA. Stockholm is one of the densest startup hubs on the planet. Spotify, Klarna, King, Mojang (Minecraft), and dozens of other billion-dollar companies were built here. Per capita, Sweden trails only Silicon Valley in unicorn output.
The Nordic market means access to high-purchasing-power audiences, long-term business thinking, a strong ESG culture, and investors who think in decades rather than quarters. TECHARENA is your entry point into this ecosystem.
Formats You Need to Know
Main Stage and Speakers
Four stages, hundreds of sessions. The conversations here go beyond technology — into the future of business, the geopolitics of innovation, climate, and capital. This year’s speakers included Boris Johnson, former UK Prime Minister, who spoke about technological optimism and global education with an energy that had the room buzzing long after he left the stage.
But the main stage is just the tip of the iceberg.
Startup & Scaleup District
This is the heart of the conference for startups. Show your product, talk to potential clients and partners, meet teams solving similar problems, and get a real sense of where you stand relative to the market. If you have something to show — this is your stage.
Investor Balcony
A dedicated space where venture funds, angel investors, and investment offices gather. Meetings here aren’t accidental — the matchmaking system (more on that below) lets you prepare and walk into a specific conversation with a specific person. This isn’t a pitch in an elevator. It’s structured access to capital.
Networking Labs
A format built for deeper engagement: small groups, concrete topics, less noise. Perfect for founders who want to find real allies, not just swap business cards.
International Delegation Day
The conference opens with a dedicated day for international delegations — panels featuring embassy representatives from Norway, Denmark, and Finland alongside Business Sweden and Business Iceland. If you’re planning to enter the Nordic market, this day gives you the best possible context and immediately puts you in the room with the right people.
Side Events — A Universe of Their Own
Running parallel to the main program, over 250 niche events take place: networking evenings, closed business meetings, themed discussions, founder dinners. The full calendar lives at luma.com/techarena2026 and is updated regularly. One piece of advice: browse it early and register immediately — the best events fill up within hours.
The Matchmaking App: Networking Without the Chaos
At a conference with thousands of attendees, finding the right person without a tool is nearly impossible. The official TECHARENA app — available on mobile and desktop — solves this elegantly.
The Matchmaking feature lets you browse attendee profiles, filter by interest and industry, send meeting requests, and build your schedule directly in the app. Meetings happen through this tool that would simply never occur organically. For a startup where a single conversation can change your trajectory — this is a critical feature, not a nice-to-have.
What to Actually Do at TECHARENA: A Startup Checklist
To avoid getting lost and make the most of the week, here’s a practical game plan:
Before the conference: fill out your app profile in detail, research speakers and investors in advance, register for side events early, and prepare a tight pitch — both a 2-minute version and a 20-second version.
During the conference: start with International Delegation Day if you can, don’t skip the Startup District, book meetings through Matchmaking first thing each morning, attend at least 2–3 side events in your niche, and don’t hesitate to approach speakers after sessions — the culture here is genuinely open.
After the conference: send follow-ups within 48 hours while you’re still fresh in people’s minds. Nordic business culture prizes punctuality and consistency — that first follow-up carries real weight.
Is It Worth Going?
If your startup is ready for international growth — yes, without question. TECHARENA isn’t a budget expense, it’s an investment in traction, in relationships, and in understanding one of the most mature tech markets in the world.
The Nordic market doesn’t open overnight. Quality, trust, and long-term relationships are what matter here. But TECHARENA is exactly where those relationships begin. And it’s better to be in the room than to read about it later in someone else’s article.
See you in Stockholm.
