That’s a wrap! The Next Web (TNW) Conference 2024 once more brought together 10,000+ attendees including 3,500+ startups, 1,750+ corporates, 600+ investors, 2,000+ representatives from the tech ecosystem, and over 100 media. Like every year, TNW Conference was a melting pot of ideas and innovations, set against the backdrop of today's most pressing themes in technology.
As far as themes go, TNW Conference couldn’t ignore artificial intelligence, and indeed, we saw many a keynote and panel on AI’s business opportunities, the ethical use of AI, the future of human creativity, and the impact of AI on democracy, privacy and equity. Key speakers on this topic included Helle Thorning-Schmidt from Meta’s Oversight Board, leading scientists and developers such as Dr. Vivienne Ming and Ben Goertz, and business leaders including Aptiv’s Sophia Velastegui.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) also garnered significant attention, underlining the tech sector’s continued commitment to progressive and responsible business practices. The DEI Coalition area hosted discussions and workshops to accelerate diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry; meanwhile, the main stage included a panel on DEI as a business enabler with leaders from companies including Booking.com, Remote and Diverse Leaders in Tech.
Sustainability remained a central focus in recent years. Attendees got insights in sustainability in fashion from Thomas Plantenga from Vinted; how tech could help decarbonize the earth in a panel discussion with representatives from the Greentech Alliance and other forward-thinking companies; and reducing food waste from Mette Lykke from Too Good To Go.
Of course, there is no TNW Conference without serious business – and serious fun. Between the padel courts, karaoke boat and live music acts, Pitch Battles showcased up-and-coming start/scale-ups in front of a VC jury, while plenty one-on-one meetings helped founders find funding.
In 2025, TNW Conference will return to its roots. After three editions in Zaandam, TNW Conference will be hosted at the NDSM Werf in Amsterdam on June 19 and 20. The move is part of the ToekomstTiendaagse, ten days of celebrating innovation for Amsterdam’s 750th ‘Birthday’.
For more highlights and to register for 2025, check out the
TNW Conference website.
About The Next Web
The world is changing with the speed of tech. And The Next Web has its fingers firmly on its pulse. The Next Web, a Financial Times company, is a global digital brand that informs, inspires and connects people who love tech through media, events and services. Its annual event, TNW Conference, has been a mainstay in the agendas of startups, scale-ups, investors, corporates and governments alike for more than fifteen years, drawing 10,000+ attendees from all over the world to the tech hub of Amsterdam each June. There, serious business mixes with serious fun. The Next Web is now.