XTC events at TNW

The State of European Deep Tech Panel

• Session Time: June 19, 15:10-15:40
• Session Title: The State of European Deep Tech
• Stage Manager: Andrea Hak
• Session Location: Second Stage (Green)
• Session Summary: This VC panel will discuss the scope, funding, and investor landscape, highlighting Europe’s unique position in AI, new energy, and robotics. The conversation will explore market improvements and the future prospects of deep tech across Europe, Asia, and the U.S., emphasizing the dynamic shifts in global technology trends. They will also offer crucial advice for founders, focusing on funding criteria used to evaluate startups and the expectations VCs have throughout the entrepreneurial journey. This expert dialogue will furnish attendees with crucial insights into the intricate landscape of deep tech investment and innovation.
• Session Speakers: (Moderator) Victoria Slivkoff, Executive Managing Director, Extreme Tech Challenge; Head of Ecosystem, Walden Catalyst Ventures; Nicolas Autret, General Partner, Walden Catalyst; Cyril Vančura, Partner, imec.xpand

Startup Pitch Session:
Energy Innovation for AI Startup Showcase

• Session Time: June 19, 15:50-16:50
• Session Title: Energy Innovations for AI Startup Pitch Showcase by Extreme Tech Challenge
• Stage Manager: Elle Monaghan
• Session Location: Third Stage (Blue)
• Session Summary: This session spotlights early-stage startups developing reliable energy solutions and infrastructure to meet AI’s significant electricity demands while advancing sustainability. The session opens with an opening remark and a fireside chat on these challenges, followed by pitches from EH Group, Ionate, Revterra, Sizable Energy, and Virtus Solis Space Solar Power. Atlant3D and Phanofi, winners of last year’s Semiconductors & AI Innovation Startup Cup, will also present. We’ll wrap up by launching the new AI Infrastructure and Data Center Innovation Startup Challenge and announcing the AI Energy Innovation Summit 2025.
• Session Speakers: Simone Biondi – Head of Business, Sizable Energy; Christopher Brandon – Co-Founder, EH Group; Seth Elliott – Chief Operating Officer, Virtus Solis Space Solar Power; Ben Jawdat – Founder/CEO, Revterra; Hitesh Kumar Sahoo – CEO & Co-Founder, Phanofi; Andy Lurling – Founding Partner, LUMO Labs; Ann Mettler – Formerly VP Breakthrough Energy and Former Director-General, European Commission; Luca Mezossy-Dona – Co-founder & CGO, IONATE; Maksym Plakhotnyuk – Founder & CEO, ATLANT 3D; Karin Schmid – Energy Advisor of Extreme Tech Challenge and Co-chair of AI Energy Innovation Summit 2025; Victoria Slivkoff – Executive Managing Director, Extreme Tech Challenge; Head of Ecosystem, Walden Catalyst Ventures; Young Sohn – Founding Managing Partner, Walden Catalyst Ventures; Chairman, Samsung Semiconductor Advisory Board

Gods of Industry: The Battle for Deep Tech Dominance
Mainstage Fireside Chat w/ Young Sohn

• Session Time: June 20, 10:30-11:00
• Session Title: Gods of Industry: The Battle for Deep Tech Dominance
• Stage Manager: Oliviana Bailey
• Session Location: Main Stage (Purple)
• Session Summary: Behind the buzzwords and billion-dollar valuations, another revolution is underway. Deep tech is where science meets strategy, where physics meets politics and where our future is being forged. In this rare conversation, two of the most visionary minds in technology unpack the tectonic shifts shaping the next decade of deep tech. From geopolitics to silicon shortages, from Moore’s Law fatigue to the dawn of AI-native hardware, this session will dig into the real decisions, bets, and breakthroughs that will define who leads the next era of innovation. Join us to discover why tomorrow’s tech won’t be built in the cloud, but deep in the labs.
• Session Speakers: (Moderator) Cristina Criddle, Technology Reporter, Financial Times; Young Sohn, CEO & Founder, Extreme Tech Challenge; Peter Wennink, Former President & CEO, ASML