(Editor’s note: You can skip straight to the very detailed FasTrackathon website here for details, and to register.)
The show must go on. But with the coronavirus, we’re doing things a bit differently for the next FasTrackathon.
The third FasTrackathon at HighTechXL is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on 25 March in Building 27 at High Tech Campus Eindhoven. FasTrackathon isn’t just another tech/startup event, over and forgotten in a few hours. It’s about starting a process that, if done correctly, will endure for years and evolve into a giant company. So we can pace ourselves.
As with the previous FasTrackathons, this is a reverse-hackathon. HighTechXL provides the technology from research labs such as CERN and from commercial R&D labs. You provide the talent.
A number of Eindhoven-based tech companies have requested employees steer clear of gatherings of 50 or more people, and we’re expecting about 100 people. So the event will begin with participants going directly to challenge rooms to view new technologies.
Since September 2018, FasTrackathons have produced deep-tech venture after deep-tech venture built around CERN research, including Aircision, Incooling and Carbyon, companies already getting traction … joint ventures with global companies and, above all, serious investment and funding.
(Read the details here on Incooling’s rise from a FasTrackathon concept to Eindhoven’s most talked about startup.)
A lot has changed since that first event. HighTechXL has added new partnerships including its latest with the European Space Agency, as well as with TNO and Philips.
At the upcoming FasTrackaton, HighTechXL will include technology from:
InnoFlex (proprietary technology from Kevin Lagarde)
This technology is a superior mass production system for high quality, flexible thin film nano materials, including flexible solar panels, (OLED) displays and other flexible electronics. The patented technology relies on a unique folding of the flexible substrate which allows high quality printing of semiconductor structures. InnoFlex technology can be applied to the production of all kinds of flexible thin film electronics, with the photovoltaics sector offering the best entry point due to the demand, environmental impact and maturity of the technology.
Kevin Lagarde, the inventor, will be present for the event.
GIMOD (Technical University of Delft and SCALE Nanotech)
Graphene Interferometric MOdulator Display, or GIMOD for short. GIMOD is a reflective-type display, like e-paper. There is great contrast in bright environments, which means it uses less energy than standard smart phones or VR visors. Envision an ultra-thin, flexible electronic screen with a resolution of 12K, 50-percent greater than the highest resolution screen on the market. This makes that VR experience even more “real.” GIMOD technology can also be combined with many other smart devices such as phones, watches, glasses, contact lenses and helmets.
inPhocal (CERN and Martijn Boerkamp)
InPhocal’s technology features a unique laser beam with a small central spot surrounded by rings. Because of its structure, it can travel without the central spot changing in size. Standard laser beams lose their focus quickly – sometimes within 1 mm – but this structured laser beam can maintain a focused spot at a distance 400 times longer than conventional systems.
Photonic Gyroscope (European Space Agency and Politecnico di Bari)
When you envision a gyroscope, you think of a spinning wheel inside a metal frame. Fast-forward to the 21st century, and you get a light-based gyroscope that can be implemented on a photonic chip. The photonic gyroscope can be used in high-precision control of aircraft, ships, and robots as well as medical aids and equipment such as biomechanical suits and MRIs.
Aqua Pacer (Philips)
Insufficient hydration can lead to headaches, lack of concentration, performance drops and the development of diseases. Athletic performance is also heavily dependent on perfect hydration. Aqua Pacer uses CMUT technology for direct bladder content measurement. The precise content of the bladder can act as a signal for a person to hydrate. The CMUT can be worn as a patch on the abdomen and is connected to a smart device. This device tells the person how much hydration is needed and when.
Here’s how it works: In break-out sessions, HighTechXL staffers explain the technology, then attendees generate ideas on application areas and business propositions. After FasTrackathon, there are pre-program sessions where the teams continue to work together on business case. They can decide if they want to continue as a team and apply for Selection Day to be admitted to the program, which starts in April.
The event is free, but we ask that you register on the FasTrackathon homepage here.
You’ll find all the technology one-pagers and tech videos on the FasTrackathon page as well.
THE BACK STORY
The mandate for HighTechXL and the Eindhoven Startup Alliance is to create, then nurture, 45 deep-tech companies in five years to ensure another generation of innovation. And we need your help whether you’re a physicist, engineer, manager or the soft-skills type.
Why so ambitious?
Back in 1987, Eindhoven lost the headquarters operations of Philips, its foundational company, to Amsterdam and a whole bunch of jobs. Business leaders still know what that feels like. So, one of the most important strands in Eindhoven’s innovation DNA is creating new companies that will become the ASMLs and Philips of the future … big innovators employing the next generation of tech talents.
About HighTechXL/Eindhoven Startup Alliance:
HightechXL is the Netherlands’ premier deep-tech venture-builder and accelerator. HighTechXL is an initiative of the Eindhoven Startup Alliance with ASML, Philips, NTS Group, High Tech Campus Eindhoven, ABN AMRO Bank, Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM) and EY/HVG as its founding members.
Read more about HighTechXL here.
