One of the biggest benefits for aspiring entrepreneurs in Chicago is the vast number of startup and tech events in the area. At these many events, experienced CEOs, founders, and investors in Chicago share their experiences and knowledge with the next generation of startups.
In the blog post below, we’ve listed plenty of startup events and groups in the Chicago area for every stage of your startup, whether you’re testing your idea, looking to learn new skills, meet potential co-founders, find investors, or just meet new and interesting people.
Inspirational Startup Events
The are many inspirational startup events and Meetups in Chicago, where you hear interesting stories from experienced entrepreneurs and begin to meet others in the Chicago startup community. The great thing about these events is that they are open to the public and very welcoming to newcomers.
- Founder Institute events:
Midwest Events:
- Founder Night Out: In-Person Startup Networking in Chicago: 6:00pm, Apr 15, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/393782
Global or Regional Events:
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- From Idea to Startup Team: Meet Your Future Co-Founder: 7:00pm, Apr 06, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/392210
- Stuck Without a Startup Idea? Build One That Fits You: 7:30pm, Apr 07, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/390135
- How Multiple Pivots positioned Checkbox as the ‘Legal Front Door’ for Corporations: 7:00pm, Apr 13, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/389468
- Real Startup Lessons From FI Alumni Across the World: 11:00am, Apr 14, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/390718
- How to Go From Raw Idea to Polished Pitch using AI: 11:30am, Apr 20, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/395787
- [Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Pitch Live and Get Feedback from Investors & Advisors: 11:00am, Apr 21, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/395620
- Turn Your Expertise Into an Audience on LinkedIn: 11:00am, Apr 27, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/392442
- How to Overcome the Fear of Starting Your Own Company: 11:00am, Apr 28, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/394057
- How to Get Your First 10 Customers Without a Marketing Team or Budget: 11:30am, May 04, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/394557
- How to Choose the Right Startup Idea Before You Build: 7:00pm, May 18, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/390331
- [Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Get Unfiltered Feedback from Global Investors & Advisors: 11:00am, May 26, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/395476
- Inside the Founder Institute: Real Stories From Alumni: 11:00am, Jun 02, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/390450
- Startup Advisors 101: How to Find Advisors and Maximize their Impact: 7:30pm, Jun 08, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/388434
- Turn Startup Hesitation Into Action: A Founder Mindset Framework: 7:00pm, Jun 15, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/393228
- Stop Guessing, Start Raising: An Investor Q&A : 7:00pm, Jul 06, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/392829
- Stop Overthinking and Build a Great Startup Idea: 11:00am, Jul 20, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/390588
- From Idea to Action: The Startup Mindset : 7:30am, Aug 10, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/393351
- Meet FI Alumni Founders: High-Growth Startups Panel : 11:00am, Aug 10, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/391140
- Build a Startup Idea Investors Won’t Ignore: 7:00pm, Aug 18, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/391263
- What Makes Investors Say Yes: Startup Funding AMA: 11:00am, Sep 01, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/392968
- Break the Idea Loop and Decide What to Build: 7:00pm, Sep 21, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/391542
- From Idea to Traction: Lessons From Global FI Alumni: 7:30pm, Oct 05, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/390864
- From Dreamer to Doer: Build the Founder Mindset: 11:00am, Oct 13, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/393481
- From Founder to Funded: Interactive Q&A with Top Startup Investor: 11:00am, Nov 03, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/393105
- From “Maybe” to Momentum: Building a Great Startup Idea: 7:00pm, Nov 17, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/391413
- From First Idea to First Funding: Global Alumni Stories: 11:00am, Dec 01, 2026 (America/Chicago): https://FI.co/e/391027
- Chicago Entrepreneur Evolution Group
- Chicago Financial Industry Entrepreneurs and Startups
- Chicago Lean Startup Challenge
- Chicago Legal Innovation and Technology Meetup
- Chicago Startup Community
- Chicago Tech Happy Hour
- Funding Feeding Frenzy
- Queer Tech Club
- Startup Saturdays
- Startup Weekend Chicago
- Talking About Tech Chicago
- Technori
- TechWeek
- Trailblazers, Entrepreneurs & Innovators
- Young Entrepreneur Women of Chicago
- Ms.Tech
Best Practices Startup Events
Chicago is home to a plethora of beginner knowledge-sharing events. These events are each focused on specific topics related to building a business, and feature expert speakers that share their best practices, tips for success, and pitfalls to avoid. Most of these events are free, but some may charge a small ticket fee that is definitely worth the investment.
- 1 Million Cups
- FounderSensei Chicago
- Startup Founder 101 Chicago
- Startup Grind Chicago
- Startup Leadership
- Women Tech Founders Startup Lessons
Events to Network and Form a Team in Chicago
When you're ready to start building a team, it's time to attend events, talk about your startup project, and meet people that share your interests in Chicago. While attending any of the events listed in this post can help you meet potential team members, the events below are especially useful
- Chicago Founder Night Out
- CoFoundersLab Chicago
- Founder2be
- FounderDating Chicago
- Founders Network
- Women 2.0 City Meetup Chicago
Builder-Focused Events and Hackathons in Chicago
If you have a technical skillset, or are looking to network and learn from people that have a technical skillset, then it is worth looking into the maker-focused events in Chicago. These include hackathons, technical Meetups, and other communities that foster people building products.
- AEC Hackathon
- Chi Hack Night
- ChicagosNext Hackathon 2015
- Civic Hack Day
- FIshackathon Chicago
- INTX Hackathon
- Internet of Things World Forum Hackathon
- LexHacks
- MonkeyBars
- ProtoHack
- Urban Sustainability Apps Competition
Investor Networking Events in Chicago
If you already have a team and/or product, then you might be ready to start networking with investors in Chicago. There are many events in Chicago that gather angel investors (affluent people that invest their personal capital in early-stage startups or entrepreneurs, and generally provide only a small one-time investment to help the business grow), angel investor groups (networks, or syndicates, of angel investors who pool their resources together to invest more money than would typically be issued with a private angel investment), and venture capital firms (large institutional funds that provide large amounts of funding for later stage companies with impressive and proven growth), like the ones listed below.
- Breakfast With Strangers
- Buyouts Chicago
- CAIA
- Chicago Creative Investors Association
- Chicago Entrepreneurs From Abroad
- Chicago Innovation Awards
- Chicago Private Equity Network
- Chicago Wealth Club
- Ellevate Chicago
- FIBI Chicago
- Illinois Innovation Network
- Invest for Kids Chicago
- ITA CityLights
- Momentum Awards
- Moxie Awards
- Venture Connects
- Women Investment Professionals
- Young Professionals of Chicago
Are you looking for expert guidance and feedback to build a startup in Chicago?
The Founder Institute is an idea-stage accelerator that works with solo-entrepreneurs, and teams, during the earliest stages of building a business. Through an intensive 3.5 month program, FI participants build their business through a proven structured process, and receive feedback and assistance from over 30+ successful entrepreneurs and investors in Chicago. Upon completing the program, Graduates join a global network of entrepreneurs and receive ongoing help to get funding and build their business. FI Graduates have raised over 2BN in funding, and are building some of the world's fastest growing companies.
Learn more about the Founder Institute at FI.co, join a free startup event in Chicago, or apply to build a startup in Chicago today.
