DigitalMara attended the TechBBQ 2023 event that took place September 13-15 in Copenhagen, Denmark — one of the biggest Scandinavian events for innovators, business leaders, startups, entrepreneurs, journalists, politicians, national delegations and industry leaders like Google, Maersk, and Microsoft. Here’s a look at some of the main themes and our impressions and take-aways.
The big topic this year was hyper-connectivity, referring to the way elements overlap, and relationships are forged in various ecosystems, through to the devices people use and the complexity of geopolitical affairs. Joint efforts can help open new areas of opportunity: technological, socio-political, environmental, and in business.
TechBBQ promotes entrepreneurship, growth, and innovation. The two days were full of panel sessions, interviews, workshops, presentations and networking. There were 9 dynamic stages, located both indoors and outdoors. And the following topics were discussed:
- Diversity and inclusion – Experts talked about strategies to navigate complexity, leverage diverse expertise, and drive innovation collectively while cultivating a more inclusive and diverse startup ecosystem. LGBTQ+ founders shared about their experiences in the startup ecosystem. Entities such as Google, G-P and the London Stock Exchange talked about creating ecosystems that foster inclusive company-building and investment.
- AI & ML – Experts discussed Generative AI and the challenge of ensuring non-biased data inputs; the possibility of elevating marketing and business decisions using a combination of neuroscience and AI; AI’s impact on customer service and ability to resolve customer questions while instantly reducing the support team’s workload; and ethical considerations about AI that must be addressed to ensure responsible development and deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
- Emerging tech & Web3 – These sessions explored the impact of quantum technologies, the funding landscape for quantum startups, and the strategic initiatives that governments and businesses support; there was a unique perspective on the dynamic domain of electric vehicles and how battery passports are creating a more transparent and responsible EV transition; and discussion of how to launch a successful cybersecure startup.
- Climate & Energy – These sessions were devoted to technologies that could be a crucial tool in the battle to decarbonize, producing and recycling precious resources in a sustainable way, and powering an electrified future of transport. Experts also outlined the top three actionable steps required to accelerate the journey to sustainable electrification in urban mobility.
- Sustainability – The green transition and the transformative potential of digital tools, data analytics, and sustainable practices for a greener built environment; leveraging cutting-edge technology to create a more transparent, sustainable, and efficient energy market for ordinary people; social investing and the circular economy; women’s health and wellness.
Experts offered their perspectives on the venture landscape and made predictions for 2024 as to what awaits the European ecosystem, the significance of ongoing learning during rapid technological shifts, as well as strategies individuals and organizations can employ to ensure competitiveness in the face of these transformative changes.
TechBBQ offered a wide a range of activities for startups:
- Tech Talent (matching with relevant talents and online workshop for startups).
- Life Science Pitch Competition powered by Novo Nordisk for 10 000 €.
- Startup Showcase for Nordic and Baltic early-stage startups
- North Star Pitch (10 European startups present to win 5 300 €)
- Playground for Hardware Startups from across the Nordics, Baltics, Benelux, UK & Ireland to win a prize of 10 000 €.
Using the Brella events app, available in AppStore and Google Play, participants had the opportunity to get all the needed information about events and a customized schedule, could watch live-streamed content and join the Q&A sessions via Slido, as well as filter and search the complete attendee list and book relevant meetings with the help of a custom AI intent-based matchmaking feature. The TechBBQ platform facilitated over 13 000 meeting requests, and attendees exchanged more than 24 000 chat messages — which in itself proves the power of making connections, networking, and creating valuable relationships at such events.
DigitalMara
Our business development team, Maria Zhurba and Tatyana Vasilkova, attended TechBBQ and shared their impressions and key take-aways.
- Tanya and I had 80+ meetings combined. We had a chance to talk to Healthcare, FinTech, AI, and environment-related companies. Moreover, Digitalmara had meetings with innovation managers from such popular enterprises as Pandora, Voldo, Brain+, Zendesk.
- From the organizational point of view, plenty of meeting tables (around 170) located at one meeting zone was super convenient. It was easy to find the person you are meeting since each meeting got a table assigned (in comparison with South Summit in Spain for example where they had 3 or 5 meetings zones located far from each other).
- It was a rewarding experience to visit Google, Microsoft, Snapchat and Pandora booths and have a conversation with their representatives. Most of them were marketing managers.
- It was a pleasure to hear that in the Nordic World Estonia is known for being the first at all digital and innovative initiatives.
- Most participants were from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.
