The second DeepTech Ventures Summit brought more than 400 participants to Luxembourg, nearly doubling the attendance of its inaugural 2024 edition.
Through technology showcases, expert discussions and more than 200 matchmaking sessions, the Technoport-powered event focused on turning scientific innovation into commercial opportunities. Luxembourg’s deeptech ecosystem extends far beyond startups. It brings together researchers, investors, public institutions, corporate partners and entrepreneurs working to transform complex technologies into viable businesses. Creating meaningful connections between these groups was at the heart of the second DeepTech Ventures Summit, held at GRIDX in Wickrange.
“We were really glad to bring together the whole community, not only startups, but all the key players in the deeptech ecosystem,” said Margaux Lefevre, Business Advisor at Technoport and Project Owner of DeepTech Ventures Summit.
The summit welcomed more than 400 participants, compared with over 250 during its first edition in 2024. Around 30% of this year’s audience came from outside Luxembourg, signalling growing international interest in the country’s deeptech landscape. “For us, this is a strong sign of recognition in the market,” said Margaux Lefevre.
Research To Market
Deeptech companies are generally built around scientific discoveries, advanced engineering or intellectual property that can take years to develop. Unlike many digital businesses, they often require specialised laboratories, technical validation, significant investment and close cooperation with industrial partners before reaching the market.
The summit was designed to bring these different elements of the value chain into one place.
More than 30 exhibitors participated, including technology startups, a Tomorrow Street scaleup, spin-off projects from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology and the University of Luxembourg, as well as international ventures.
This diversity gave participants an opportunity to see technologies at different stages of development, from research projects exploring commercial applications to companies preparing to scale.
For Luxembourg, connecting these stages is particularly important. The country has research institutions, public-support mechanisms, corporate partners and an established investment sector, but these resources must work together if scientific ideas are to become competitive businesses.
By gathering the ecosystem around a shared programme, the summit helped make those pathways more visible to researchers and entrepreneurs while giving investors and corporates direct access to emerging technologies.
Building International Recognition
The event was supported by 15 sponsors, including several that had also participated in the first edition. Their return represented a sign of confidence in both the summit and its objectives.The involvement of international sponsors, including Belgium-based VIVES Partners and EIT Urban Mobility, also reflected the event’s expanding reach beyond Luxembourg.
This international dimension can benefit the country in several ways. It exposes Luxembourg ventures to new investors and commercial partners, encourages collaboration with neighbouring innovation ecosystems and strengthens the country’s position as a meeting point for European deeptech.
For international participants, meanwhile, the summit offers direct access to Luxembourg’s research centres, public institutions, startups and corporate decision-makers.
The programme included two keynotes, focusing on cybersecurity and energy, alongside six panels addressing subjects such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, lab-to-market development, financing and industrial scaleup.
These discussions reflected a central challenge facing deeptech businesses: scientific quality alone is not sufficient. Ventures also need suitable financing, market validation, infrastructure and customers prepared to adopt new technologies.
300+ Business Meetings
One of the clearest indicators of engagement was the organisation of more than 300 matchmaking sessions. Rather than leaving networking to chance, participants could identify the people they wanted to meet and schedule discussions in advance. Technoport also provided tailored introductions for attendees seeking a particular investor, corporate partner or ecosystem contact.
“The feedback we received was that the informal setting made it easier for people to reach the individuals they wanted to meet. At Technoport, we were also there to encourage connections and help participants find the right profiles,” said Margaux Lefevre.
This hands-on approach is especially relevant in deeptech, where companies may require several different partners to move forward. A venture might need a research institution to validate its technology, an investor prepared to finance a longer development cycle, and a corporate partner capable of testing it under real operating conditions.
Bringing these actors together does not immediately guarantee investment or commercial contracts. It can, however, shorten the distance between an innovation and the people capable of helping it progress.
“Our main message with the summit is that we need to help people make the right connections and create opportunities and synergies during the event,” said Margaux Lefevre. With attendance rising beyond its original target, returning sponsors and hundreds of organised meetings, the second edition showed increasing demand for a dedicated deeptech platform in Luxembourg.
Its longer-term value will be measured by what follows: new partnerships, investment discussions, pilot projects and research-based companies moving closer to the market. For Luxembourg, the summit offers an opportunity not only to showcase innovation, but to build the relationships required to turn it into sustainable economic activity.
All pictures © Technoport.
