AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS — September 29, 2026: TiE Amsterdam successfully hosted TiECON Amsterdam 2026, the first-ever TiECON to be hosted in Europe. The event featured a powerful gathering of entrepreneurs, investors, corporate leaders, technology innovators and ecosystem builders across the global TiE network. Held under the theme “Innovation and Beyond,” the inaugural European edition went beyond a traditional business conference, creating a platform for innovation, investment, technology, strategic partnerships and market opportunities, shaping the next generation of global businesses.
TiECON Amsterdam brought together the complementary strengths of three major entrepreneurial ecosystems — India, Europe and the United States — positioning Amsterdam as a strategic epicentre for global business growth and innovation. As envisioned by TiE Amsterdam President Dr. (CA) Vikas Chaturvedi, this vision has been about building a powerful bridge between ecosystems — enabling companies to build in India, access technology and industry partners in Europe and connect with international capital and networks of the United States; to create global pathways for businesses to move beyond individual markets and build truly global and sustainable growth journeys.
The scale of the inaugural European edition was reflected in the breadth of participation and engagement it generated. TiECON Amsterdam 2026 brought together 400+ registered participants, more than 300 entrepreneurs and 60+ global leaders from 15+ countries, alongside representatives across diverse sectors like DeepTech, Artificial Intelligence, Logistics, Food & Agri-tech and HealthTech. With 15+ insight-led sessions, 35+ partners and sponsors, and more than 15 product launches and strategic partnership announcements, the conference created a concentrated platform for business leaders, founders, investors and institutions to exchange ideas and identify opportunities across markets. The event also marked a significant moment for the TiE Amsterdam chapter itself, with 100+ new associate and charter members joining in a single day, taking the chapter’s membership beyond 150.
The conference brought together an exceptional cross-section of global leadership, with keynote addresses by H.E. Kumar Tuhin, Ambassador of India to the Netherlands, and Hilde van der Meer, Commissioner, Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA). Their presence underscored the strategic importance of stronger India–Netherlands and India–Europe connections at a time when businesses are increasingly looking beyond domestic markets for growth, investment, technology and partnerships. The Keynote addresses were followed by a Rapid-Fire Session with Yash Shah, Chairman TiE Global Board of Trustees.
The speaker ecosystem further reflected TiECON’s global reach and impact, with leaders and key decision-makers from India, the Netherlands, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, UAE, Singapore, Mauritius and the Nordics, participating in the conversations. Key Speakers across various sessions included: Edwin Kennedy (MD & CRO, SalesPulse), Jaan Baan (Founder & Chairman, Rappit), Eric van der Kleij (Co-Founder & General Partner, EdenBase Quantum Fund), Pieter Elbers (Former CEO, IndiGo Airlines & KLM Royal Dutch Airlines), Vijay Shekhar Sharma (Founder, Paytm & One97), Sundi Natarajan (Co-Founder, Sparksoft Corporation), Robert Dingemanse (Founder, PAL-V International), Venu Rajamony (Former Ambassador of India to The Netherlands).
Under the theme “Innovation and Beyond,” the programme went beyond the conventional innovation narrative to examine what happens after an idea is created — how it becomes a commercially viable business, a scalable operating model, a strategic partnership and ultimately long-term enterprise value. That question shaped the breadth of the agenda. “From Payments to Platforms” session examined the evolution of payments into broader commerce infrastructure and cross-border economic connectivity, while the session “Building for Billions”, delivered global go-to-market strategies behind breakthrough companies, focusing distribution models, partnerships and operational capabilities required to move beyond product-market fit and build at scale.
Technology and business economics formed another major highlight of the conference. “AI as a Propeller of EBITDA: Beyond the Buzz” brought conversations about artificial intelligence into a distinctly business and boardroom context, focusing on productivity, profitability, operating efficiency and measurable enterprise value rather than technology adoption alone. “The Next Horizon in Global Supply Chains: Cross-Border Trade 4.0” explored how IoT, data analytics, AI and digital connectivity are reshaping global supply chains and enabling greater resilience in an increasingly complex trading environment. Together, these conversations reflected the conference’s central focus on translating technological capability into commercial outcomes.
A significant part of TiECON Amsterdam was dedicated to helping companies cross borders and access new growth markets. The “Continental Leap” session featured the launch of “Elev8 European Accelerator” focused on creating pathways for Indian companies to enter and scale in Europe through market access, strategic networks and local relationships. “Scaling in EU Markets” examined opportunities across Nordics, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, while the session “Scaling in US Markets” addressed the realities of entering and expanding across American markets. The CEO’s Talk on Leveraging the India–EU FTA Through the €27 Trillion European Market further connected entrepreneurship with the broader India–Europe opportunity, bringing trade, investment, market access and business growth into the same conversation.
The agenda also reflected the sectors that are redefining the next decade of global business. “Beyond Earth” examined Defence & SpaceTech as an emerging frontier for innovation, economic growth and competitiveness. “Beyond the Ledger: AI and the Future of Finance” explored how artificial intelligence is changing accounting, finance and corporate decision-making. “Beyond Harvest” brought technology into the conversation around agriculture, food security and climate pressures, while “Healthcare Economics” examined the relationship between innovation, pricing, market access and the economics of next-generation healthcare. The programme also addressed “Unlocking Diversity in Capital Access,” bringing attention to women founders, institutional investors and the broader evolution of the funding ecosystem.
Importantly, TiECON Amsterdam was designed around participation and connection, not only plenary discussions. “Where the Big Money is Betting” brought investors into discussions on emerging sectors and opportunities, while “Learning from the Wizards” connected founders with experienced entrepreneurs and leaders on fundraising, customer growth, profitability, governance and international expansion. Investor Connect, roundtables, workshops and networking created further opportunities for founders, investors, corporates and ecosystem leaders to engage directly — making the conference a platform for relationships and potential business opportunities.
The event also demonstrated how TiECON can translate conversations into pathways for cross-border growth. The conference spotlighted breakthrough innovations and European market-entry opportunities, while the Startup Pitch Session gave ten ventures a global stage to present their businesses before leading panel of investors. Strategic MoUs involving the Indo-Netherlands Business Association, IBPC Canada, IB Gateway Munich and India Business House further strengthened business and institutional connectivity across markets. Alongside platforms such as the Bharat Transformation Fund and Elev8 European Accelerator, these initiatives reinforced TiECON Amsterdam’s core proposition: bringing together the people, capital, technology and pathways needed to help ambitious businesses move from innovation to international scale.
The breadth of TiECON Amsterdam was matched by the scale of the network behind it. TiE Global, founded in 1992, now spans 66 locations across five continents, connecting entrepreneurs, investors, mentors and business leaders across markets. Bringing this global network into Europe for the first time reflected TiE Amsterdam’s ambition to strengthen the India–Europe–United States corridor and create stronger channels for entrepreneurs and businesses to access international markets, institutional relationships, capital, knowledge and strategic partnerships. The India-US-Europe Corridor today has stretched beyond $440 Billion in value and is set to transcend to a staggering targeted of $1 Trillion in the years to come. TiECON Amsterdam 2026 therefore provided a timely platform for shaping the future of global commerce and capturing the larger purpose of fostering partnerships, investments, market access, new ventures and sustained cross-border collaboration.
