December 8th, 2023, marks a successful HighTechXL Day, unfolded as a symphony of innovation, insightful presentations, and promising connections. The day was packed with a diverse array of activities, each offering a glimpse into the dynamic world of deep-tech venture building.
Kick-Off and Insightful Tech Briefing
The day commenced with a riveting kick-off presentation of our Recruiter Ximena Cortes, introducing the mission and vision of HighTechXL followed by an insightful Tech Briefing, guided by our Tech Scouter Joris Jansen. The session engaged a pool of 21 co-founders, both online and in person, focusing on four groundbreaking deep-tech technologies:
- Paper Based Electrodes
- Radar Technology
- Hyper Spectral Imaging
- Quantum Secure Authentication
The diverse technologies captured attendees’ attention, generating enthusiasm for potential ventures. Joris and Ximena are looking forward to next week’s Q&A session to gather participants feedback and evaluate the next steps.
Partner & Investors Lunch: Unveiling HighTechXL Successes and Future Plans
HighTechXL CEO John Bell took center stage during the Partner & Investors Lunch, sharing comprehensive insights into 2023 accomplishments and outlining ambitious plans for 2024. It’s always gratifying to spotlight the growth of our ecosystem annually, where founding and technology partners play pivotal roles in our community-driven company. From Alumni stories to 2023 exiting highlights, John Bell is excited to close this year with a pool of collection of memorable experiences.
Looking ahead to the forthcoming year, an exciting announcement includes a Pre-Seed Fund fund led by our new Colleague Coenraad de Vos with the assistance of the management team. This Fund aims at supporting ventures in their early stages, amplifying the program’s impact and potential.
Thanks to a thriving ecosystem and an empowered team driven by passion for innovation and commitment HighTechXL has as main goal in 2024 to build 10+ successful Deep-Tech Startups.
In a gesture of appreciation towards our partners, we took a step by planting 50 trees via the association Trees for All. This act not only symbolized our gratitude but also underscored our dedication to environmental responsibility.
Pitching time
The afternoon was filled with pitching sessions to investors, our deep tech ventures took the stage to present their ideas, technology, and vision.
Over nineteen startups took the stage, each presenting transformative solutions, here a few examples:
inPhocal is revolutionizing printing with proprietary laser technology, eyeing a significant market shift from stickers to direct laser printing. “We can write data on the skin of an avocado,” said CEO Robert van Tankeren, laser print on fruits and vegetables represents a significant market as stickers are on their way to get banned because of the use of non-compostable glue that pollutes the recyclable chain.
On the edge to revolutionize the data industry Astrape Networks is tackling data center overload with optical switches crucial for handling increased computational demands. “AI has broken the data centers,” said CTO Willem Jan Withagen. “There’s way too much compute demand” for data centers to handle.” The transition to faster, less energy-hungry optical switches is a $23 billion market.
In a globalized world where people need to travel, electric vehicles are becoming more relevant to reduce CO2 emissions. INNER’s mission is to maximize the life of the battery by scanning for troubled cells as batteries in EVs should last 20 years. Developing technology that will allow technicians to “look inside and predict the thermal runway, and x-ray is the best way,” Co-founder Efrat Steinberg pitched.
Career Expo: Nurturing Connections and Opportunities
The day culminated in a bustling Career Expo, where a diverse crowd of 150+ participants joined us to enter the world of deep-tech ventures. More than 20 startups took the stage, seizing the microphone to introduce themselves and make the networking process smoother.
We were lucky to engage an enthusiastic pool of people driven by an interest in deep tech and how the startup reality works. With a packed house hosting over 300 participants, an ideal setting was created for fostering valuable interactions, cultivating new team connections beneficial for our deep-tech ventures.
Learn more about HighTechXL
If you’re interested in getting involved in the deep-tech venture-building world as a co-founder, mentor or business advisor, check out our Get Involved page.
Are you interested in becoming a co-founder? You may join one of our Tech briefings. The first step is filling out our entrepreneur questionnaire, followed by an interview. Learn more details here.
To see career opportunities within HighTechXL or other venture teams, check out our Careers page.
