Techstars x Belfast

​In January, Founders Night becomes a full takeover as we officially launch Techstars Belfast – hosted by Ormeau Labs and Queens University - bringing together founders, investors, students, researchers and operators to kick off a new chapter for Belfast’s startup ecosystem in 2026.

​We’re marking the start of something big: a long-term, founder-first, globally connected platform built from Belfast, for ambitious founders and teams who want to build from here and ship to everywhere.

​What we'll cover

​This isn’t a ribbon-cutting. We’ll be laying out what the Techstars Belfast × Ormeau Labs × Queen’s University Belfast partnership actually does for founders.

​On the night, we’ll walk through:

• ​The programmes
  How Techstars, Founder Labs, and QUB fit together – from student and researcher programmes, to Founder Labs accelerator, to Techstars founder education and global community products.

• ​The network
  What it means to plug Belfast into Techstars’ global network of 1000+ founders, mentors, investors and corporate partners – and how local teams can access that from day zero.

• ​The opportunity
  Why 2026 is a generational moment for AI-native, software-first companies – and how this partnership aims to back more ambitious founders from Belfast to everywhere.

​You’ll then hear from co-founder of the Ormeau Labs, Jon Bradford, in conversation about what he’s learned investing in over 100 companies, about launching Techstars in London and advising people from Estonia to Montreal. Candid. Direct. And Northern Irish.

​A sold-out room, world-class talent and the launch of Techstars Belfast. See you there.