Joining a tech community can be a stepping stone to finding a mentor, making founder friends and raising money. But they can also be a total waste of time.
“I don’t think everyone knows where the good communities are and a bad community is way worse than not having one,” says Georgie Smallwood, a seasoned product operator and angel investor.
So which are the best tech communities to join in Europe? We asked some well-networked startup folk to share their top picks.
Let us know which tech communities you love by dropping us a line here. We run a community partner programme for not-for-profit organisations we see as key builders of startup communities.
Georgie Smallwood, chief product officer, Moonpig.com (UK)
Smallwood is chief product officer at ecommerce giant Moonpig.com — she previously headed up product at German unicorns Tier and N26. She is also an active angel investor.
The Evangelistas
Founded: 2019
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 250+ female angel investors
Community lead: Julia Dous is chief — she is also founder of talent advisory Grow Diverse.
About: The Evangelistas is a network of women angel investors across Europe. The community shares dealflow with the goal of “accelerating the success of female founders and funders for a more prosperous and equitable future”, says Smallwood.
Where to find them: https://www.theevangelistas.com/
Product Land
Founded: 2022
HQ: London, UK
Size: 60+ product leaders
Community lead: James Routledge is the founder — he is also VP of product at proptech startup Converge.
About: Product Land is a tight-knit group of senior product operators. Membership is selective, there is a monthly fee and expectation that you actively participate, virtually and in-person. “This keeps the barrier quite high for entry and the community benefits as a result,” says Smallwood.
Where to find them: https://www.ourproductland.com/
Karoli Hindriks, CEO and founder, Jobbatical (Estonia)
Hindriks is CEO and founder of Jobbatical, an employee relocation platform, which has raised $20.6m to date.
Estonian Founders Society
Founded: 2009
HQ: Tallinn, Estonia
Size: 150+ founders and investors
Community lead: Kaidi Ruusalepp currently serves as president — she is also CEO and founder of fintech startup Funderbeam.
About: Estonian Founders Society is a group of Estonian founders. “The group started from a simple Skype chat between a few founders and is a tight-knit community for a country which has both the highest number of funded startups per capita in Europe and the most unicorns per capita,” says Hindriks.
Where to find them: https://asutajad.ee/
Founders Pledge
Founded: 2015
HQ: London, UK
Size: 2,000 entrepreneurs
Community lead: David Goldberg is the founder — he is also Founding Partner of VC fund Pledge Ventures.
About: Founders pledge is a community of founders, who all pledge a percentage of their returns to charities following a successful exit. The network was launched out of Founders Forum, the invite-only Cotswolds founders retreat — they meet up for dinners, forums and talks.
Where to find them: https://www.founderspledge.com/
Alina Bassi, CEO and cofounder, Kleiderly (Germany)
Bassi is the CEO and cofounder of Kleiderly, a waste-recycling startup, and also investment manager at Ananda Impact Ventures, an impact investment fund.
She cofounded Founderland, Europe’s fastest-growing community of women of colour founders.
Voyagers
Founded: 2019
HQ: London, UK
Size: 2,000+ founders
Community lead: David Rowan is the founder — he was formerly editor at tech magazine WIRED.
About: Voyagers is a community of climate tech and healthtech founders. They organise dinners across Europe, mentoring and running “adventure weekends”, which have included ski trips, hiking holidays and SAS-led survival weekends.
Where to find them: https://voyagers.io/
2hearts
Founded: 2021
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 3,000+ members, from 150 nationalities
Community lead: Gülsah Wilke is the Managing Director— she was previously COO at healthtech scaleup Ada Health.
About: 2hearts is Europe’s largest community of people with migration backgrounds in tech. They support young professionals and students by providing mentorship, access and expertise.
Where to find them: https://www.2heartscommunity.com/
Greentech Alliance
Founded: 2020
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 3,000+ members
Community lead: Lubomila Jordanova is the cofounder — she is also CEO and founder of carbon accounting startup Plan A.
About: Greentech Alliance is a community of climate tech founders across Europe. They connect members to VCs, media, experts and clients.
Where to find them: https://www.greentech.earth/
Nikita Thakrar, CEO and cofounder, Included VC (UK)
Nikita is CEO and cofounder of Included VC — an organisation aiming to change the face of venture capital.
It offers a fellowship and provides access, opportunity and knowledge for individuals from diverse communities, who are often overlooked or excluded from VC circles.
The BAE HQ
Founded: 2022
HQ: London, UK
Size: 2,000+ members
Community leads: Amardeep Parmar and Gurvir Riyat are cofounders.
About: The BAE HQ is a community built to inspire, connect and guide the next generation of British Asian entrepreneurs. “It’s a vibrant hub for British Asian entrepreneurs, providing a supportive space where individuals can draw inspiration, connect with like-minded peers and collectively scale their ventures,” says Thakrar.
Where to find them: https://www.thebaehq.com/
Muslamic Makers
Founded: 2016
HQ: London, UK
Size: 2,500+ active slack community
Community lead: Arfah Farooq is CEO and cofounder — she is also a scout for Ada Ventures and community manager at Big Society Capital.
About: Muslamic Makers provides a safe space for Muslims in tech to share ideas, network and collaborate. “In the last year, they’ve been more integral to the tech ecosystem than ever and celebrate solidarity,” says Thakrar.
Where to find them: https://muslamicmakers.com/
Alma Angels
Founded: 2019
HQ: London, UK
Size: 300+ angel investors — they have invested £5m into over 150 women-led startups over the past three years.
Community leads: Startup advisor David Fogel and former trader Roxane Sanguinetti.
About: Alma is a community of angel investors who invest in and support women founders building scalable companies. “Advice is great, but founders need cash to build and scale their startups, not just guidance... that’s where Alma comes in,” notes Thakrar.
Where to find them: https://www.alma-angels.com/
London Africa Network
Founded: 2021
HQ: London, UK
Size: 500+ members
Community lead: Anthony William Catt is cofounder — he is also founder and director at investment advisory firm Ventures 54.
About: London Africa is a community for founders, investors, operators, civil servants, media, innovators and creatives who operate in the UK-Africa corridor.
Where to find them: www.londonafrica.org
Ana Alvarez, CEO and founder, Migrapreneur (Germany)
Alvarez runs Migrapreneur, a platform which helps migrants access entrepreneurship courses, language improvement skills and mentorship.
She is a recurring expert on migration, human rights and politics for German publication Deutsche Welle — and made Sifted’s list of 21 people in European tech that mattered in 2023.
Impact Shakers
Founded: 2018
HQ: Brussels, Belgium
Size: 15k
Community lead: Yonca Braeckman is the CEO and cofounder.
About: Impact Shakers is a global impact ecosystem tackling societal and environmental challenges through inclusive entrepreneurship. They connect and support founders and investors across the capital spectrum.
Where to find them: https://www.impactshakers.com/
Unicorns in Tech
Founded: 2014
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 4,000 members
Community lead: Stuart Bruce Cameron is the founder — he is also CEO of diversity consultancy UHLALA Group.
About: Unicorns in tech is a network of queer people in tech. They run monthly hangouts in cafes and bars across Berlin, as well as a bigger annual event.
Where to find them: https://www.unicornsintech.com/
House of Beautiful Business
Founded: 2017
HQ: Berlin, Germany
Size: 50k+ members
Community leads: Till Grusche and Tim Leberecht are the cofounders — two “SiIlicon Valley veterans”.
About: House of Beautiful Business is a think tank, connecting startup folk to artists, scientists and activists through events and festivals. “It's my personal favourite community,” says Alvarez.
Where to find them: https://houseofbeautifulbusiness.com/
Lucia Cerchlan, cofounder, LUMUS Investment Collective (UK)
Lucia Cerchlan is cofounder of LUMUS Investment Collective, a female angel investor club focused on the CEE region.
She was previously head of research for fintech startup Keebo and insurtech Cuvva — and is currently building a startup in stealth.
Newton Venture Program
Founded: 2021
HQ: London, UK
Size: 439 fellows
Community lead: Eleanor Kaye is Executive Director.
About: Newton Venture Program is a training scheme for aspiring venture capitalists. “I’ve been a Newton Fellow for over a year… every conversation I've had there has been inspiring and meaningful,” says Cerchlan.
Where to find them: https://newtonprogram.vc/
WVC:E
Founded: 2022
HQ: Paris, UK
Size: 750+ members
Community leads: Sophie Winwood and Ruth Foxe Blader are cofounders; they are also partners at VC fund Foxe Capital.
About: Women in VC is a network of diverse investors and founders — they run an annual event in Paris. “They have strong momentum, probably the highest concentration of women in VC in Europe and a very active WhatsApp,” says Cerchlan.
Where to find them: https://www.wvce.tech/
Natalia Brzezinski, global head of business development, Klarna (Sweden)
Brzezinski joined fintech unicorn Klarna in October 2020 as the US head of strategy and currently heads up business development.
She was previously the CEO of Brilliant Minds festival and foundation, an initiative showcasing Swedish startups, music and culture.
DLD
Founded: 2005
HQ: Munich, Germany
Size: 1,300+
Community lead: Steffi Czerny is managing director and cofounder.
About: DLD (Digital — Life — Design) is an annual event. “The platform brings together founders, activists and long-term German family owners to create cross-generational, cross-sector connections spanning Europe,” says Brzezinski.
Where to find them: https://www.dld-conference.com/
Endeavor
Founded: 1997
HQ: New York, US
Size: 2,000+ founders
Community lead: Linda Rottenberg is CEO.
About: Endeavor is a global community of impact entrepreneurs. Starting out as “venture capital without the capital”, they added on a venture capital arm in 2011.
Where to find them: https://endeavor.org/
