The TD Shepherd team recently had the opportunity to attend the highly esteemed Deep Tech Connect event, organized by the Extreme Tech Challenge and HighTechXL.
Deep Tech Connect is a premier gathering of visionaries, innovators, and investors who are shaping the future of technology. This event brings together cutting-edge startups, industry leaders, and venture capitalists to foster collaboration and explore groundbreaking advancements in deep tech.
Impressed by the quality of the pitches and surprised by several solid startups, scale-ups and alumni:
• Finnadvance: Prateek Singh
• Maaind: Dzera Kaytati
• HealthPlus.ai: Bart Geerts
• Vertoro: Michael Boot
• Gazelle Wind Power: Jon Salazar
• Virtuleap: Amir Bozorgzadeh
• Incooling: Helena Samodurova
• Alphabeats: CEO Han Dirkx
• Spectrik: Rick Jongen
• Luper Technologies: Maarten Kieft
• Senergetics: CEO Frank Jacobs
The introduction keynote from Peter Wennink, ASML was a good summary reflecting on the importance of perseverance and an ecosystem where innovation is not organized within a company but comes from the ecosystem among companies, including startups.
The keynote from Nicolas Autret, Walden, summarized their new report “The European Deep Tech Report” how DeepTech in Europe has grown strongly, the emerging areas in DeepTech and Deep Tech startup characteristics and risk-profile differences.
Jean-Francois Bobier, BCG, expressed Climate change being an opportunity for Deeptech startups.
The breakout session with NXP Semiconductors confirmed and expressed the growing importance of supporting the startup ecosystem to drive innovation. There was some concern from the audience on the corporates walking away with innovative ideas from the startups.
Overall The “Eindhoven region” was seen as a role model for a cooperative high-tech ecosystem among all companies.
Besides further on stage forums and discussions, it was great to reconnect with many people.
The TD Shepherd team is happy to congratulate the Qualinx B.V. team on successfully raising €20 million from Dutch investors. TD Shepherd has provided strategic support to Qualinx over the years (starting in 2018), witnessing each step of their journey; their growth and success, makes us truly proud of their outstanding achievements.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about surviving the Valley of Death in deep tech, it’s this: don’t go it alone. This stage is all about leveraging relationships, and corporate partnerships can be your most valuable lifeline. The key is to think beyond customers.
The so-called “Valley of Death” in deep tech isn’t just about running out of cash—it’s about navigating a period where expectations clash with reality. Investors want to see traction, but your tech isn’t market-ready. Customers are intrigued, but they’re not ready to commit. And your R&D costs? They’re still burning through cash like it’s a bonfire.