Europe is being forced into a new reality.

Volatility, fragmentation, and the realisation that technological sovereignty is no longer optional are the new normal, replacing cheap energy, predictable supply chains, and access to critical materials from abroad.

Enter deep tech.

Once seen as too slow, too risky, too capital-intensive, is now moving to the centre of Europe’s economic and political agenda.

From advanced materials to biology as a manufacturing platform, the next generation of industry is being built on foundations Europe quietly spent decades developing.

But here’s the catch.

Europe has never struggled to produce world-class science. The challenge is turning that science into companies, into infrastructure, into deployed systems at scale.

It requires the right people, the right capital and the right moments of coordination when founders, investors, and operators align around building what comes next.

That’s exactly the role HackSummit will play in Lausanne, and why hundreds of Founders, Investors and Operators will come together this April 22-23.

It’s not too late to join them.

👉 Read why and how HackSummit can overcome this bottleneck on Sifted.

In today’s edition:

💸 18 Investors on HackSummit Stage
💶 Europe’s 180 VCs to know in Climate
🎉 12 Side Events Happening at HackSummit
🚀 30+ Founders to Meet at the Startup Fair

The HackSummit stages are where stories and secrets are shared to give you a head start on building, funding and scaling.

What’s no secret is that we’ve invited some of the industry’s most ambitious and bullish investors to give their uncensored opinions on scaling Climate HardTech.

Expect unfiltered insights on what they’re really looking for right now, how the funding landscape is shifting, and where the biggest opportunities lie over the next 12–24 months.

Hear first hand from the investors deciding where capital flows next: NordicNinja VC, FORWARDone, Contrarian Ventures, FLORA Ventures, Planet A Ventures, Nucleus Capital, Visionaries Tomorrow, Synthesis Capital, Ordway Selections, Eurazeo, World Fund, SlateVC, Astanor, Unruly Capital, Kost Capital, Omni Ventures, FoodLabs, 2100 Ventures

European VCs are increasingly shaping the trajectory of Climate HardTech, deploying capital at the frontier of industrial innovation.

From early-stage breakthroughs to capital-intensive scale-ups, the ecosystem is maturing fast. Knowing who is actively investing, and where can make all the difference in your fundraising process.

Head this way for a list of 180 VC Partners you’ll want to know if you’re looking for your first/next fundraise.

Better still join many of the VCs above at the HackSummit for 1-1 conversations over drinks, meetings and side events (scroll down to see what’s planned).

Beyond the stage sessions, 1-1 meetings, pitch sessions and Startup Fair at the HackSummit, you’re invited to make the most of your trip by joining in the Side Events taking place across the city.

18 hours to build something real. This hackathon brings together the brightest minds from leading technical and business universities for an all-vs-all vibe-coding showdown, with one ultimate goal: to build the future of European Manufacturing.

Connect with SMEs facing real operational challenges, and explore where your solution could be relevant, with companies matched to your use cases in advance. The Hack Pilot Dat opens new opportunities for startups working on industrial efficiency, built environment performance and food resilience.

Friends from across the HackCommunity invite you to join them at the Biodiversity Allocation Game, investor breakfast, startup pitch sessions, breathwork and breakfast, taste testing, AfterParty, HackRun and field visits to Enerdrape, Voltiris, Verretex, CompPair and WindWorks.

The Startup Fair puts Founders at the heart of the Summit with the chance to showcase and demo their promising technologies.

Meet the teams behind the solutions and find out how you could be a part of their next collaboration, fundraise and scale up pathway.

Find new talents in: nature-first metal remediation, biomaterials for construction, coffee alternatives, soil-reviving biostimulants, hydrogen-powered boats, DNA monitoring, upcycling CO2, green chemicals and fermentation-based protein.

Lausanne is calling. This month, 22-23 April the climate deep tech community meets in Switzerland. Hundreds of founders, investors and operators where deals will be made and new friendships formed.

It’s time to lock in one of the last remaining tickets. Are you coming?

We hope to see you there.

Laura at Hack

Tell us, what did you think of today’s email?

Love it 😍 Meh 🫤 Hate it ☹️