Whether you’re a startup founder hoping to secure investment from a big-name VC or an investor on the lookout for the next big thing, networking is an indispensable — if sometimes tedious — necessity.
As a journalist, I’m as partial to networking drinks as the next person, but it’s nice to meet people via other activities every now and then.
So I asked around: what are the best alternative networking hangs for tech heads in Europe right now? And I got plenty of answers.
Here’s a roundup of the best:
VC motorbike club, London
London-based investor Leo Davies started his group for motorbike fans in the summer. The first meetup was in July, with the group assembling in London and riding to a biker cafe called Ryas, near Box Hill in Surrey.
“It was an immediate bond and there was very little VC chat,” says Davies. “It's a very active WhatsApp group too, pinging all the time.”
The group of 10 or so enthusiasts plans to ride the scenic “North Coast 500” in Scotland sometime this year and eventually make a trip to France and Germany to meet fellow VC bikers on the continent.
Cold plunges, Paris
The hottest place to network is an ice bath, according to Carla Abiraad, founder of Dopamin, a new venture that regularly brings tech people together in Paris for chilly hangs.
Abiraad has done her research, testing every sauna/wellness spot she could find in New York and London. “We don’t have that same wellness culture here yet but I’m changing that,” she says.
Abiraad is now mulling whether to open a full time wellness spot of her own or continue hosting irregular “mobile” sessions around the city.
Knitting, Riga
Stitch 'n Bitch is a crafting community in Riga started by Justine Elferte, COO at biotech startup Longenesis.
“The concept is self-explanatory,” says Julia Gifford, a member (her day job: cofounder of PR firm TrueSix). “We come together, stitch — be it knitting, crochet, embroidery — and bitch. It's nice to have a support system of people who understand you, support you, or just provide space to vent,” she adds.
Gifford’s currently working on a sweater. “That’s a bit of a rage project,” she says, “which started after a well-known person started a public crusade against me on LinkedIn.”
Pitch and run, Dublin/London
“Very much what the name suggests,” says Niall Dennehy, founder of wealthtech company NestiFi and organiser of the Dublin chapter. Tech folk come together to jog and talk business and there have actually been a few raises following on from these sessions, according to Dennehy.
Mobile saunas, Dublin
Ten-person saunas on wheels overlooking the sea (and some rivers) in Ireland have been a surprising growth industry these past two years, with many now dotted around the island. A hot ticket for tech heads too, according to comms specialist Mark O’Toole.
Sailing, Tallinn
The sauna is a well established meeting spot for tech heads in Tallinn. Also popular: sailing. “It’s democratic — you can work side by side pulling rope with the biggest tech titans in the country — and also exclusive, as most don't have the connections to get onto those boats,” says Lisett Luik, cofounder of Estonian climate tech company Arbonics. The most exclusive team, she says, is Nola, which counts Taavet Hinrikus of Wise/Plural among the crew.
Padel, absolutely everywhere
There’s probably a game of padel (the racket game that's easier than tennis) breaking out right now within two blocks of where you sit. The insanely popular sport is also a big draw for the tech heads. Cephas Ndubueze, editor of Berlin tech newsletter FOMO247, is organising a padel tournament, while the folk at VC firm Love Ventures are the ones to contact for a game in London.
Kitesurfing, multiple locations
Zurich investor Pascal Mathis, cofounder of the Founderful VC firm, organises kite surfing and recently took a team of 20 founders/investors on a sporting trip to Egypt.
Blind wine tasting, Zurich
Okay so there are some networking drinks on here. Mathis's cofounder Alex Stöckl says a good time can be had during an evening of blind wine tasting in Zurich. "I'm well aware this is stereotypical VC behaviour," he says.
Trail runs, south of France
Clément Carrier, CEO of Paris fintech Aria, gathers tech heads for trail runs in the mountains of southern France. Last year, he organised a 48km run (1km for every month his company had been alive up to that point).
Burpees, London/Munich
“This is the only alternative networking community worth knowing about in London,” says my former colleague Chris Sisserian (now head of platform at London VC firm Manta Ray Ventures).
He’s talking about Rally, the group that says it “prefers sweat over small talk”. Organiser Oliver Fitz-Gibbon, head of platform at VC firm InMotion Ventures, gathers tech folk in London and Munich for high-intensity cardiovascular bursts.
Religious chats, London
Christians In London Tech, a group started by former TechCrunch journalist Mike Butcher, is unlikely to call itself a networking meetup (though it qualifies as one). Sessions are irregular and those welcome to attend include Christians and the “curious”, according to the event page.
Gaming, online
Somewhere that Finnish tech founder/investor Mari Luukkainen likes to hang with tech people is on Call of Duty Warzone, the first-person Playstation game. During one of these sessions, she listened to a one hour business pitch from Jesse Ketonen, CEO of [creator content site] Shook Digital. “I ended up investing €700K,” Luukkainen tells me.
Luukkainen would like to make these Call of Duty hangs a regular thing. “Video games are a great way to pitch, as you need to really know your case to be able to tell the story while you fight with the enemies,” she says (and for fans of unusual pitches, I suggest reading this).
