Sesame Summit 2026 – application open

FoodTech & AgriTech Insights

Get the latest FoodTech and AgriTech insights from Sesamers. From trends and expert interviews to event highlights and recaps, explore the stories shaping the future of food and farming.

blank
DeepTech 1 year ago

The Hello Tomorrow Global Summit 2024 just wrapped up, and oh boy, was it a spectacle of deep tech wonders! In an exciting twist this year, the opening session set the tone differently. The Mc of welcoming session, Gemma Milne, put it perfectly, saying, “In the past, we’ve talked about deep tech in a way to introduce and persuade people that it’s coming. But this year, we’re here to show that deep tech isn’t just coming, it’s here, and it’s real.” This statement shifts the focus from mere anticipation to real-world application and impact. It highlights that deep tech is no longer a distant future but a present reality. The Hello Tomorrow Global Summit 2024 wasn’t just any gathering; it marked a significant moment showcasing the real-world impact of deep tech in our daily lives. The event buzzed with excitement, bringing together diverse technologies and industries. Whether it was AI, biotech, or space tech, there was something captivating for everyone in attendance. Highlights Exploring the Future: Over 80 Deep Tech Startups and Industry Leaders Unveil Cutting-Edge Technologies The Hello Tomorrow Global Summit 2024 was vibrant with innovation, featuring an impressive lineup of over 80 deep tech startups, as well as major industrial and research entities. Throughout the “Exploring the Future” segment, attendees gained direct exposure to the latest advancements in AI, robotics, biotech, and sustainability. This showcase didn’t just display technology; it emphasized how deep tech is reshaping industries and addressing global issues. Visionary Voices: Exploring Diverse Perspectives on Deep Tech at Hello Tomorrow Global Summit This Summit brought together a diverse group of pioneering speakers from various industries, all converging to discuss and pitch on a range of pivotal topics. These discussions covered a wide spectrum of themes, including “Advanced Computing: New Frontier,” “Aerospace,” “Climate Resilience and Biodiversity,” “Deep Tech Ecosystem,” “Decarbonized Manufacturing and Buildings,” “Energy Transition and Clean Mobility,” “Healthcare for All,” “Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” “Investor Insights,” “Scaling for Global Impact,” and “Sustainable Food Systems.” Industry leaders and innovators tackled each topic, offering valuable insights and suggesting solutions to today’s most pressing global challenges. Their varied backgrounds and expertise added richness to the discussions, showcasing the many facets of deep tech and its ability to make a substantial impact across different fields. These experts’ participation emphasized the summit’s dedication to encouraging dialogue and cooperation in advancing global progress and sustainability efforts. Networking and Collaborations Networking was a key highlight of the summit, uniting a diverse mix of participants such as scientists, tech developers, entrepreneurs, and investors. The event’s user-friendly app made it simple for attendees to connect by providing easy access to each other’s profiles, including their roles and motivations for attending. Moreover, the app facilitated the scheduling of fast meetings in specific rooms, enhancing opportunities for collaborations across different industries and driving innovative advancements in deep tech. This tech integration enhanced networking and highlighted the summit’s dedication to fostering connections among participants. The Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge The Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge is a prestigious event aimed at harnessing deep tech innovations to address pressing global issues. In its 9th edition, the challenge has recognized the startup tozero with a €100,000 prize for their innovative recycling process of lithium-ion batteries, enabling the reintroduction of vital raw materials into the supply chain. Alongside tozero, nine other startups received awards across various categories. Each winner represents the forefront of technological advancements, bringing solutions to some of the world’s most complex challenges. Below, you’ll find a list of all the forward-thinking winners from each category in this year’s challenge. Second prize, the moonshot factory: Robeauté Third prize: Jurata Thin Film Special Boston Consulting Group (BCG) prize: Cambrium Winner of the “Advanced Computing & Electronics” category: FononTech (Netherlands) Winner of the “Aerospace” category: ION-X (France) Winner of the “Digital Health & Medical Devices” category : Robeauté (France) Winner of the “Energy” category : Tozero (Germany) Winner of the “Environment & Biodiversity” category : Carbon Atlantis (Germany) Winner of the “Food & Agriculture” category: Perfat Technologies (Finland) Winner of the “Industrial Biotech & New Materials” category : TopoLogic (Japan) Winner of the “Industry & Machines” category: InSpek (France) Winner of the “Medical Biotech & Pharmaceuticals” category : Jurata Thin Film (United States) Winner of the “Sustainable Construction & Infrastructure” category: Photio (Chile) Trends in DeepTech Women in Tech In the realm of deep tech, women’s representation remains a critical issue. Despite a consistent showcase of women-led startups at the Global Summit, with over half of the recent finalists being women-led, only 6% of deep tech scaleups in Europe have female founders. To address this disparity, Hello Tomorrow is set to amplify the visibility of women-led startups by inviting 29 women co-founders to pitch at their Global Summit. These founders will also gain exclusive access to key networking events like the VIP Cocktail and the Invest in Women Event, showcasing Hello Tomorrow’s commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs in the deep tech industry. Deep Tech Investment Trends In 2023, deep tech investments showed significant trends with 24% ($79 billion) of funding focusing primarily on sustainability and digital technology. Europe, growing three times faster than North America in this domain, accounted for 20% of these investments. Notably, France and Sweden together concentrated 51% of VC funding in Europe, making them key players investing the most relative to their GDP in deep tech. This reflects the strategic prioritization and evolving landscape of deep tech funding in these regions. The deep tech landscape is thriving, with advanced materials and nanotechnologies leading at an 18% growth rate, followed by quantum computing and synthetic biology from 2017-2023. Notably, healthcare, manufacturing, and food & agriculture are the top sectors, each showing significant application presence in 2023. Notably, the push for decarbonization in cement production emphasizes sustainability, with the industry poised to significantly reduce CO2 emissions by 2050. These figures underscore the pivotal role of emerging technologies and sustainability in shaping the future of industry and environmental efforts. Want more from Sesamers? Stay tuned for all the tech talk! Follow […]

blank
Podcast 1 year ago

Daniel Dumig’s Corporate to Innovation Journey Daniel Dumig’s transition from the corporate world to the realm of innovation is a fascinating journey. He recounts his early days leading marketing for major sports lifestyle brands and how that led to the creation of the TenKan-Ten Startup Accelerator under Asics. This venture further evolved into two separate entities – The MotherTrees and U-Skale, leading to his latest project, the Venue Barcelona. “We spun off into our own companies,” Daniel shares, emphasizing the seamless move from corporate to innovative entrepreneurship. The Birth of Innovative Event Planning: Venue Barcelona The Venue Barcelona, an upcoming innovation zone located in the city’s Olympia Stadium, is poised to become a central hub for music, sports, and a variety of events. Highlighting the project’s origins, Daniel explains, “Our landlord is the City of Barcelona via B:SM (Barcelona Serveis Municipals)… They had the innovative concept to transform a section of the Olympia Stadium into a dedicated innovation zone.” This ambitious initiative, actively supported by the Barcelona municipality, aims to cultivate an ecosystem that further enriches Barcelona’s already vibrant culture in music and sports. Driving Innovation in Music and Sports Daniel and his team are driven by a clear mission for the Venue Barcelona – to actively stimulate and support innovation in the realms of music, sports, and events. Utilizing Barcelona as their dynamic playground, the project ambitiously aims to provide a creative sandbox for testing innovative solutions, particularly in areas like fan engagement, media, and sustainability. Importantly, Daniel underscores the significance of addressing key challenges such as water consumption and overall sustainability in large-scale events, noting, “When you think about big events, there’s inherently a sustainability challenge around it.” Creative Event Solutions: Beyond Traditional Event Formats The Venue Barcelona approaches corporate-startup collaboration uniquely, steering clear of what Daniel terms ‘innovation theater.’ Instead, they focus on practical, value-driven partnerships. “It’s actually corporate-driven,” he states, emphasizing the importance of real-world application and impact. The project aims to create tangible solutions, moving beyond mere ideation to implementation and scaling. The Future of Event Organization: Vision of Venue Barcelona Looking ahead, Daniel envisions the Venue Barcelona playing a significant role in transforming business events. Drawing from his experience with networking dinners, he aims to challenge traditional event formats and create more engaging, value-driven experiences. “We always look at the stuff and ask ourselves why people do what they do and what the result is out of it,” he explains, highlighting his commitment to innovation not just in products but also in event experiences. Find Daniel on: Find Ben on:

blank
Podcast 1 year ago

Discover Pere Duran's journey through tech event management, from a sales coordinator to the director of the influential 4YFN.

blank
Events 1 year ago

The world's largest composite and advanced materials event brought innovation, collaboration, and a glimpse into the exciting future of the advanced materials industry.

blank
Events 1 year ago

At MWC Barcelona and the 10th Anniversary of 4YFN, the focus was on AI domination, the future of quantum computing, and one of the biggest alliances in the tech world.

blank
AI 1 year ago

Docent, the AI-powered application, announced its €5 million funding as it becomes a leading startup in the art-tech field.

bridge during night time

In the dynamic landscape of venture capital, France has emerged as a leading hub, fostering a number of successful VC firms. This article delves into the top 5 French VC companies making significant strides in the industry.

blank
Podcast 1 year ago

This week's podcast highlights Scott Cohen, the innovative force behind The Orchard and Jukebox. Scott shares his fascinating journey from envisioning digital music distribution in its infancy to transforming music royalties with Jukebox. His unique insights and unwavering optimism in entrepreneurship paint a picture of a trailblazer reshaping the music industry landscape.

blank

Belgium's top five venture capital firms are pivotal in elevating the nation's startups, merging capital with deep industry knowledge to spur innovation and growth.

blank

Meet the top five Finnish venture capital firms that are revolutionizing the startup scene. Their strategic support goes beyond funding, empowering Finland’s brightest innovators to achieve global impact.

blank
Events 1 year ago

We spoke with the Podim team to gain insight into what makes Podim a leading event in the European tech ecosystem- from the intimate nature of the event to the pitching competition!

blank
Podcast 1 year ago

Explore the journey of Ben Bowler, a musician turned tech innovator, who founded Aux to bridge the gap between music and technology. From launching ChewTV, a pioneering DJ live streaming platform, to creating Aux's Direct.app for artist revenue growth, Ben has consistently pushed the boundaries. Discover his latest venture, LoopGen, a groundbreaking AI-powered tool set to transform music production.

Subscribe to
our Newsletter!

Stay at the forefront with our curated guide to the best upcoming Tech events.