Articles written by
Anna Heim

If “composites” sounds foreign to you, think again: From carbon fiber for space missions, to metal foam for data centers, new materials can build the future, and make it more sustainable. If you wonder which startups can make this happen, JEC Composites Startup Booster is your go-to. Now in its eighth edition, it will designate three winners next March, along with one winner for the sustainable dimension of its project. However, as with many competitions of this caliber, where only a handful of companies were selected among a hundred entrepreneurs, startups, and university spin-offs, each finalist is also worth knowing. This is especially true as over the years, the competition has become a true springboard for participants, thanks in big part to the support of industrial sponsors; the 2025 edition is supported by Airbus, ProxximaTM (An ExxonMobil Product) and Owens Corning as its main innovation partners, and Mercedes-Benz and Swancor as innovation partners. Meet the 20 finalists Without further ado, here’s the full list of finalists: 🇺🇸 Applied BioplasticsMaking Sustainable Commodity Plastic Affordable at Scale 🇫🇷 CAEROSTRISInnovative Composite Building System 🇨🇦 CarboMat Inc.Low-Cost Sustainable Carbon Fibers for Advanced Lightweight Composite Applications 🇬🇪 Elven TechnologiesFireproofed Lithium Batteries for EVs, Transport and Storage 🇩🇰 FiberJointsRethinking Bolted Joints for Unmatched Strength, Efficiency, and Durability 🇩🇪 Flux PolymersThe Effortless Art of Surface Functionalization 🇨🇭INCAPTEKNovel and Efficient Fire Protection Solutions for Li-Ion Batteries 🇫🇷 MCVE TechnologieSmart Reinforcing Fabrics Embedded into Composite Materials 🇪🇸 Strong by FormHigh-Performance Timber-Based Structural Composites for a Sustainable Future 🇳🇱 Tree CompositesComposite Joints for Offshore Structures 🇫🇷 ADN GroupTechnology Combining Eco-Design and the Dismantling Process of Composite Materials 🇩🇪 fibclickAutomating Tool Design: A Game-Changer for Engineering 🇫🇷 FOX CompositesEvolving Ceramic Composite Production 🇸🇬 Nandina REMThe World’s First Aviation-Grade Circular Carbon Fibre 🇨🇭NGNTSpecialized in the Development of Surface Protective Coatings 🇺🇸 Perseus Materials3D Printing Meets Pultrusion: Freeform Continuous Molding 🇬🇧 Phoenix CarbonSustainable Woven Carbon Fibre, at Half the Price of Virgin, with Identical Material Properties 🇮🇱 TemperChipTemperature Sensing at The Machined Area Prevents Overheating Damages 🇩🇰 ThiaXNon-Destructive 3D Mapping of Strain and Crystallinity in Parts 🇱🇺 Uplift360Chemical Recycling Technology for Advanced Materials If you want to hear them live, make sure to attend JEC World 2025 from March 4 to 6 and not to miss the following sessions on the Agora stage: Of course, we will also report back on the winners, so stay tuned for more updates.

About 75% of CES attendees say their business is primarily B2B, or both B2B and B2C.

In an interview on the Selected podcast, La Belle Vie CEO and Frichti co-CEO Paul Lê shared the journey of his company from its inception ten years ago to becoming a €100 million business leveraging AI and robotics for more efficient deliveries.

With more than 200 talks on four stages, not to mention the side events, Slush 2024 had so much content to offer that you probably missed some even if you were there. And if you missed it altogether, here are four trends that caught our attention: Second-hand is going mainstream Two high-profile figures of second-hand marketplaces were speakers at Slush 2024: former Depop CEO Maria Ragu, and Vinted co-founder Milda Mitkute. The two companies are incredible success stories in terms of adoption, and also as businesses. Vinted is now valued at €5 billion valuation, and Etsy acquired Depop for some $1.625 billion. “Depop returned 25 times our money,” Creandum general partner Fredrik Cassel said on stage during his fireside chat with Maria. While both entrepreneurs have moved on (Maria, to VC, and Milda, to edtech), second-hand itself is here to stay, and not just in the background.  It’s already blatant in Helsinki, where pre-owned items are a shopping highlight. Premium second-hand clothing can even be found right inside Stockmann, the city’s largest and fanciest department store, and at the airport, where Finnish family business Relove has its own shops, complete with cafés.  But the trend goes well beyond Scandinavia, or clothing; for instance, pre-owned is no longer a taboo for Christmas gifts, and it will be interesting to see if French unicorn Back Market has any numbers to share in January on how many refurbished electronics made their way under the tree during this holiday season. Medtech: The time is now The startup that won this year’s Slush 100 competition was OASYS NOW, a solution to connect patients with clinical trials. It is a sign that there is still a lot to be done in healthtech, but also that startups can help. “Unfortunately healthcare has been quite a drought when it comes to adoption of innovation and technology. We are here to make a difference,” its CEO Nima Salami told Sesamers.  OASYS NOW wasn’t the only healthtech company on stage, including during the finals: Top 3 finalist Mohana Health is a platform to navigate perimenopause. According to its founder and CEO, Dora Jambor it relieves symptoms thanks to three key ingredients: “precision, personalized care and behavioral psychology.” With smart ring maker Oura Health now valued at $5 billion and establishing itself as one of Finland’s top success stories, it is only natural that Slush would be one place where investors are on the lookout for medtech innovation. AstraZeneca’s A.Catalyst Network (A.CN), for instance, was created in 2021 and has been attending the conference every year since then. Don’t sleep on Roblox Roblox is “a sleeping giant to us adults who weren’t playing,” Gamefam chief business officer Ricardo Briceno said. And while we were sleeping, a lot happened: Time spent on the platform skyrocketed, and esthetics changed, too.  There’s also more to come, Gamefam CEO Joe Ferencz argued in a keynote. Roblox, he said, “is likely to disrupt gaming, and maybe media itself.” The key here is user-generated content, which is “changing everything.” These conversations took place at a Slush side event dedicated to the future of gaming, but Roblox was also represented at the conference itself. Its Vice President of Civility & Partnerships, Tami Bhaumik, took part in a panel discussing gaming safety.  EU regulation for the win? European entrepreneurs have mixed feelings about regulation in the region, to say the least. But Slush also brought examples of how legislation is creating tailwinds for startups in some sectors.  One is Slush 100 Top 3 finalist DevAlly, which is helping companies comply with the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which will come into effect on June 28, 2025. “What GDPR did for data protection this act will do for accessibility,” its CEO, Cormac Chisholm, said during his finals pitch. Another example is the textile sector. In a panel featuring Infinited Fiber Company, maker of circular fiber Infinna, and Syre, the recycled polyester venture founded by H&M Group and Vargas Holding, the conversation touched on the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, and how it serves as an incentive for fiber recycling. The startup and investment community in Europe is also taking proactive steps to ensure that regulation plays in its favor.  The most emblematic initiative in that sense is EU Inc, a petition to create a pan-European legal status for startups, and which was also a topic of discussion at Slush. It will definitely be worth tracking: If it works out, it could serve as a platform to introduce other changes that would better serve the startup ecosystem in the EU and beyond.

Stockholm is home to Techarena’s flagship event, whose next edition, taking place on February 20-21, 2025, will also be much larger than the previous one, with 12,000 expected attendees, compared to 7,500 last year.

“Taito.ai’s whose name translates to “skill” in Finnish, positions itself as a scalable, AI-powered solution that enables continuous feedback and coaching on employee performance.

Dutch healthtech startup OASYS NOW won the Slush 100 startup competition, and is on a mission to connect patients to better treatments.

Knittable, a startup that unlocks the creativity of knitters, won the regional final of the New Nordics Pitch Competition in Reykjavik during Iceland Innovation Week and will represent its country in the grand final taking place during Slush 2024.

Sports nutrition has expanded beyond the athletic niche, conquering new customers looking for a wide range of benefits with one key goal in mind: Healthier living.

BiteMe, a Croatian startup, is reshaping the snack industry with its healthy, delicious vegan snacks. Rejecting unhealthy industry practices, their products offer a fun, nutritious alternative for health-conscious snackers, gaining traction with consumers and B2B buyers across Europe.

VG Fryer, a Croatian company, produces nutritious, additive-free dried vegetables with a unique low-temperature drying method. These long-lasting products, along with their ready-made rice and vegetable mixes, cater to health-conscious consumers seeking convenience and a taste of Croatia’s culinary heritage.

Anchor Bar Europe is bringing American-style Buffalo wings and sauces to Europe. With exclusive EU production rights, they aim to distribute their products across the continent, targeting food enthusiasts and prioritizing passion over size.