Side Events: Startup Schmooze-Fests or Deal Flow Fantasies?
Behold the almighty Side Event, the startup world's secret sauce often mistaken for a networking gold mine. Hosts, eager to latch onto investor deal flow, talent connections, and a whiff of brand exposure, throw these confabs like they're handing out straight-up money. No company names, no dates, just the faint hope that rubbing elbows will turn into venture magic. Because nothing screams 'business opportunity' like crowded rooms filled with people handing out business cards nobody remembers. It's the economic equivalent of speed dating but with startups, investors, and brands pretending they’ve unlocked the Holy Grail of innovation.
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(1 of 3)Side Events: where startups gather to chase investors like gym rats chasing a Prius—lots of effort, little horsepower, all hoping brand exposure finally shows up for once.
Side Events sell brand exposure and deal flow dreams but deliver more circulated resumes than actual deals. It’s like LinkedIn on steroids with free snacks.
Investors attend side events for 'deal flow' but mostly leave clutching coffee and secondhand business cards, convinced talent connection means LinkedIn stalking.
Source: Techcrunch | Published: 9/9/2025 | Author: TechCrunch Events
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