With four weeks to go until NORDEEP 2026 brings the European deep tech ecosystem together in Espoo, Finland, ArcticStartup has unveiled a new group of speakers, investors, scale-ups and ecosystem partners set to participate in the two-day summit.
Taking place at Dipoli on September 16–17, the Nordic Deep Tech Business Summit is expected to gather around 1,500 international leaders from deep tech, research, industry, investment and entrepreneurship. The 2026 programme is designed to connect scientific and technological breakthroughs with capital, industrial partnerships and commercialization opportunities.
Among the newly highlighted speakers are Jarno Limnell, Member of the Finnish Parliament and cybersecurity expert; Prof. Adil Rasheed of NTNU and SINTEF Digital; and Dr. Anna Stikāne, Head of Innovation Hub at the National Institute of Research and Innovation (NIRI).
The investor lineup spans both Nordic and international deep tech specialists, including Sentris Capital, XAnge, Cloudberry Ventures, Ada Ventures, Greencode Ventures, Kvanted VC, Iron Wolf Capital, DTCP, Apex Ventures, Heartcore Capital, Vsquared Ventures, Matterwave Ventures and Vickers Venture Partners.
The summit will also feature pioneering technology companies and scale-ups working across areas including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, propulsion and hard tech. Companies highlighted in the programme include Anthropic, IQM Quantum Computers, Axelera AI, Redpine AI, Aurora Propulsion Technologies, QMill, Hyperion Robotics and Lun.
Deep tech commercialization requires more than great science. It requires the right investors, industrial partners and decision-makers in the same room at the right time. NORDEEP is built around creating those connections and turning technical breakthroughs into real-world opportunities.
From stage discussions to dealmaking
NORDEEP 2026 will organize its programme around eight strategic innovation tracks, with each track moving from high-level industry challenges to startup demonstrations and potential commercial opportunities.
The sessions will open with a keynote, panel or fireside conversation addressing major technology and industry bottlenecks. Five pre-selected startups will then take the stage as part of the Global Deep Tech Awards Showcase.
The showcase uses a structured “3+2” format: founders have three minutes for a live product or hardware demonstration, followed by two minutes of technical questions from a jury. Each presentation concludes with a clear ask from the startup, ranging from investment and partnerships to technical or industrial collaboration.
We’re also connecting these stage discussions directly to the summit’s matchmaking and dealmaking infrastructure.
Investment theses and corporate technology challenges emerging during the sessions will feed into the Live Opportunity Wall and SiRA matchmaking app, enabling founders and investors to continue discussions beyond the stage and into the Dipoli Deal Room.
The summit will offer several routes for companies and investors to connect, including the What We Fund sessions for startups seeking specialized capital, the Corporate Innovation Arena for companies presenting technology challenges, and the Discovery Zone for teams demonstrating physical systems and emerging technologies.
For us, the objective is to make NORDEEP more than a conference programme by creating a setting where research, capital and industrial demand can meet around concrete opportunities.
More speakers, track chairs and ecosystem partners are expected to be announced in the weeks leading up to the summit.
NORDEEP 2026 will take place on September 16–17 at Dipoli in Espoo, Finland.
Explore the NORDEEP 2026 participants and secure your pass.
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Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/whos-heading-to-nordeep-2026/
