European sovereignty and building cross-border connections will be a key focus of the Startup Stage at this year's Digital Tech Summit. The focus is on helping more research-based startups scale and enter international markets. The summit takes place on 4–5 November at Øksnehallen in Copenhagen.
The programme will feature panel discussions and meetings between startups, investors, universities and innovation communities. As usual, there will also be plenty of opportunities to meet the startups themselves, with 96 companies pitching their business ideas within AI, deep tech, health, cybersecurity and defence. The vast majority have emerged from Danish universities.
The startup Stage is funded by the Otto Mønsteds Fond, and this year, the organisers led by DTU Compute have strengthened the international perspective.
"Rather than focusing solely on the eight Danish universities, we have tried to connect with the Nordic and European startup network. The aim is to connect startups with some of the larger European players that can help them develop and scale their businesses," says Susanne Rydahl, Business Developer at DTU Compute.
European players on stage
The international focus is particularly strong within deep tech and research-based startups.
In a panel discussion with Deep Tech Alliance, representatives from IMEC in Belgium, HighTechXL in the Netherlands, Kongsberg Innovation in Norway and Zubi Labs Impact in Spain will discuss how startups can use international collaboration and networks to accelerate their development and enter new markets more quickly.
"The European participants will also talk more specifically about what they are looking for in startups, the types of technologies and companies they are interested in, and how startups can establish collaborations with them. In this way, the Startup Stage at Digital Tech Summit can help create connections across both the Danish and the European ecosystem," says Susanne Rydahl.
Direct feedback for research-based startups
The international participants are not only coming to take part in the panel discussion. A number of them will also provide direct feedback on ideas, research and commercial potential to six selected deep tech and research-based startups from DTU, the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University, which will pitch their business ideas.
Personal connections are also an important part of ambition. There will therefore be opportunities for more informal meetings between the European participants, startups and people from the universities' innovation communities.
"The idea is for these relationships to extend beyond Digital Tech Summit. When Danish innovation communities establish contacts with relevant organisations in Europe, it becomes easier afterwards to connect a startup with the right partner," says Susanne Rydahl.
From startup to international company
The European perspective also features in another key discussion on the Startup Stage moderated by Mikkel Sørensen, CEO at DTU SkyFactory: Europe's so-called scale-up gap.
"Europe is getting better at turning world-class research into startups. But that is only half the job. We must also scale our most promising deep tech companies into global leaders—it is not an option but a requirement if we want a competitive, resilient, and technological sovereign Europe in the future," explains Mikkel Sørensen.
A central question will be how universities, investors and other players can help more promising startups take the next step and develop into larger international companies.
Alongside the European perspective and the question of scaling, AI will also be high on the agenda. In Creating Companies in a World with AI, Thomas Riisgaard, CEO of DIREC, will take a closer look at what it means to create companies in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
Awards from Otto Mønsteds Fond
There will also be time for celebration.
Once again, the Startup Stage will host an awards ceremony as the Otto Mønsted Foundation honours talented entrepreneurs from Denmark's universities and university colleges with Den Lyse Idé for the eighth consecutive year.
On 4 November, winners will be announced in the early-stage and late-stage categories, each receiving DKK 250,000. This year also sees the introduction of a new fast-track award of DKK 100,000. The other finalists will each receive DKK 20,000.
Participation in Digital Tech Summit is free. Check out the programme and register !
