Welcome to the fourth D2XCEL newsletter!

Dear Community, 

This autumn-winter season has been a dynamic period at D2XCEL, filled with in-depth mentoring for Cohort 1, impactful roadshow events, and inspiring stories from our ventures. Meanwhile, our second Open Call is underway, aiming to select 50 outstanding deep-tech startups to benefit from D2XCEL’s premier scaling services. 

Before we wish you a merry holiday season, let’s lift the curtain on what’s been happening! 

Venture Spotlight Series 

We’re proud to spotlight the incredible achievements of our Cohort 1 ventures, operating across five market opportunities. 

Read their stories as they told them to us:

Skanio, Spark e-Fuels, Gelectric, Ecorbio, CyBe Construction, Naco Technologies, Zeal Robotics, SizeWise, HSL Technologies, Elonroad, ParaStruct, and eyeGgauge.

Stay tuned for more insights on how these ventures are shaping their industries. Explore more in our news section. 

Mentoring in Full Swing 

Our mentoring program for Cohort 1 has brought immense value through expert-led webinars, group workshops, and one-on-one sessions. Highlights include: 

Expert-Led Cohort Webinars 

• Recruitment & Founding Teams: Insights from Wenham Carter Group and consortium experts Willem Bulthuis (Corporate Ventures Advisory) and Martijn De Zoete (Any Change). 

• Internationalization & GTM strategy: With Hugo Niezen (DutchBasecamp), Alex Hooft van Huysduynen (ACE), and Etien Yovchev (The Recursive). 

• IP Portfolio Strategy: A masterclass featuring Ilja Rudyk (European Patent Office), Philippe Knüsel (Hepp Wenger Ryffel AG), and Lex Hoefsloot (Lightyear founder). 

• Pitching & Fundraising: Led by Salvatore Cavallaro (BRYCK) and Willem Bulthuis (Corporate Ventures Advisory). 

Interactive Group Workshops 

Market-specific internationalization sessions guided by industry leaders. 

One-on-One Mentoring 

Tailored advice to refine strategies, secure investor connections, and address unique challenges. 

Special thanks to our supporting partners (below), industry experts and all mentors involved in the groups!

Roadshow events 

Save the date for our first partnering event - D2XCEL Startup City Day at the embedded world Exhibition&Conference (11–13 March 2025, Nuremberg)!

We have prepared an exclusive programme for you - from meeting new startups and the entire D2XCEL network to enjoying a high-quality exchange of knowledge in the field of embedded systems and meeting new players. 

The event is in collaboration with NürnbergMesse, a D2XCEL consortium partner and one of the 15 largest exhibition companies worldwide! 

Visit our event page and claim your free ticket!

More upcoming events: 

• Smart Freight Week (18–20 March 2025, Amsterdam). Join thought leaders collaborating on decarbonizing logistics. 
• TT Green City (March 2025, TBC). 
• TOC Europe (17–19 June 2025, Rotterdam). 

Previously, D2XCEL cohort companies showcased their innovations at prominent industry gatherings: 

• Sustainable Construction (16–17 Oct, Lausanne): Ecorbio won an award for its groundbreaking solutions. Read news here.
• Energy & Decarbonization (26–27 Nov, Essen): Elonroad and PowerUp impressed with their winning presentations. Read more here.
• European Hydrogen Transport Dialogue (4–5 Dec, Nuremberg): Discussions on hydrogen transport opportunities moderated by Willem Bulthuis, Corporate Ventures Advisory.

Special thanks to the organizer Tech Tour and hosting partners: VAUD+, BRYCK and NürnbergMesse.

A powerful network worth joining 

One of the strongest advantages of D2XCEL is the vibrant network of stakeholders i.e. investors, lead customers, mentors, supporting partners, and our cohort ventures.  

To date, we have reached 150+ stakeholders from 26+ countries. 

If you want to be part of D2XCEL’s exclusive community and get early access to top-performing ventures and other stakeholders, express your interest on our website. 

Market Opportunities Videos and Roadmap Reports  

We created five videos explaining the challenges and opportunities that Cohort 1 companies are facing in their verticals. 

Logitics 

Sustainable Freight Transportation 

Large-scale Stationary Energy Storage 

Sustainable & Circular Construction 

AI-powered Digital Services for Smart Cities 

Our Roadmap Reports dive deeper and identify growth opportunities in the same verticals. They provide actionable insights to help startups and stakeholders drive efficiency, innovation, and sustainability.  

Open Call 2

Applications for Open Call 2 are open until 20 December 2024, 17 CET. Don't miss your chance to apply!

Explore the five market opportunities we are looking at in our articles:  

Supply Chain Management & Trade Finance 

Sustainable Mobility 

Renewable Energy Production 

Circular Models for Cities/Regions 

AI-Powered Utility Management for Sustainable & Smart Cities  

Featured Group Managers’ Interviews: 

Salvatore Cavallaro, BRYCK 

Maria Koycheva, Tech Tour 

Nikita Akmakin, Aalto Startup Center 

Click on the visuals to view the interviews.

News From the Industry  

We’re delighted to share Roland Berger's latest study released by our mentor, Estelle Linget, alongside contributions from D2XCEL consortium partner Pascal Ollivier (maritime street) as well as Marianna Levtov🎗️ and Andre Simha, D2XCEL cohort mentors.  View full study here. 

D2XCEL Open Call 2 was featured in the Project BIO-Boost (hosted by onGranada Tech City), where Katarzyna Kowalska (UNIMOS Alliance) presented D2XCEL’s scaling approach, fostering growth and collaboration across Europe.   

Special thanks to our sister projects and network partners who actively promoted our second Open Call: EmpoWomen, Project BIO-Boost, SynergistEIC, Digital Innovation Hub Liguria, EISMEA.  

Wishing You a Joyful Holiday Season, 

The D2XCEL Team 

This project has received funding from the European Union under grant agreement Nº101121100. Views and opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. 

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