Promising deeptech startups, industry, and investors gathered at KTH
Promising deeptech projects from KTH, Chalmers University of Technology, Uppsala University, and Lund University met with investors and industry representatives at KTH Innovation last week. The event, Deeptech Summit, was the first of its kind at KTH.
“We saw exciting pitches, interesting technologies, and a good breadth of teams,” says Jenny Engerfelt, Partner at Voima Ventures. “These are companies that can truly make a difference.”
Deeptech in focus
The event, which was funded by Vinnova, aimed to give deeptech startups early feedback from the ecosystem. Four of Sweden’s leading universities selected their most promising research-based commercialization projects. In total, 23 teams participated, with technologies in areas such as quantum technology, photonics, new materials, and biotechnology.
Valuable connections
The goal was for the teams to gain valuable contacts within industry and the investment community.
“We received very positive feedback from the participants,” says Marcus Dahllöf, who leads KTH Innovation’s startup–industry initiative. “In the long term, we hope to attract more companies and participants as more people become aware of the quality of what we offer.”
Industry and investors
Representatives from companies like Scania, Fortum, Epiroc, and ABB were also there, together with investors from, among others, Industrifonden, Node VC, and Kvanted. Maria Wasastjerna, Managing Partner at Kvanted, traveled from Helsinki to attend. She says:
“The event gave investors, industry, and startups a deeper understanding of each other’s perspectives and created a simple and accessible meeting place. For the companies, it also provided a natural way to build relationships even before everything is fully packaged.”
Starting a dialogue
One of the participating teams was Rizer Biotech, founded by Ilaria Testa, Andreas Boden, and Andrea Volpato, based on research in advanced optical bioimaging at KTH and SciLifeLab.
“As researchers, we often want the product to be completely finished before we present it. Events like this help initiate a dialogue with industry and investors, so that we can understand which solutions are actually in demand.”
“Stockholm needs a unified deeptech event.”
Jenny Engerfelt concludes:
“Stockholm needs a unified deeptech event. To attract international investors, a critical mass is required—but bigger is not always better. More intimate events like this are valuable, where people can genuinely connect.”