Leading tech conference, TechTides, will come to Belfast for the first time in less than one month. Building on the success of its inaugural 2025 event in the North West, which attracted 450 attendees, the conference will take place at ICC Belfast on 11th June. The move marks the first step in developing a series of regional TechTides events across the island of Ireland.
The conference will bring together 600 attendees for a full-day programme of keynote addresses, panel discussions, a startup pitch competition and showcase, alongside dedicated networking for students, founders, investors and senior industry leaders. With artificial intelligence running as a core theme throughout the programme, discussions will focus on its real-world impact across sectors including fintech, education and emerging technologies, alongside the practical realities of building and scaling startups. Speakers include Hermione Way, former Head of Communications at Tinder; Perdie Alder, VC and Startup Partnerships Lead at Zendesk for Startups; and Gabriela Matic, co-founder of global innovation agency Metta.
TechTides is rooted in its founder, Alastair Cameron’s personal journey from co-founder of Startacus to cancer survivor and what emerged from that period of his life. A long-standing figure in Northern Ireland’s startup ecosystem, Cameron has spent over a decade supporting early-stage businesses and building platforms that connect founders, investors and industry.
Alastair explains:
“Following my cancer diagnosis, I spent a significant period of my recovery contemplating the future and specifically the evolution of technology. Once I returned to health, I began actively engaging with the tech and startup ecosystem, attending events and conferences and my biggest observation was the disconnect between the regions. The tech ecosystem is stronger when its regions are connected - when startups, investors, and innovators are talking to each other across boundaries rather than operating in parallel, and so TechTides was born. The first conference drew a strong crowd and the feedback showed there was real appetite for this - and not just in Derry. This response shaped what TechTides is becoming, a programme of regional conferences across the island of Ireland, each one rooted in its local ecosystem, each one part of the same connected network, and we are delighted to begin that journey with Belfast.”
He continues,
“TechTides is designed to be useful for everyone in the room, whether you are a founder at the earliest stage of building, a software engineer thinking about what AI means for your work, a director navigating the strategic implications of emerging technology, or a student stepping into the sector for the first time. The day brings together keynote addresses from internationally recognised speakers, live Q&A, startup showcases, and real networking time with the people shaping Northern Ireland's tech ecosystem and beyond.”
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