At next week’s R-24 robotics event in Denmark, Odense Investor Summit will once again bridge the gap between investors and startups. This year’s summit has a high international level with startups from all over Europe.
With the manufacturing industry facing an uncertain investment climate as well as new disruptive technologies and a global labour gap, it is more important than ever to create the best possible conditions for hatching the innovative growth companies of tomorrow.
Therefore, the matchmaking event – Odense Investor Summit – will once again bring together visionary investors and capital-seeking startups within robots, drones and automation at next week’s major European robotics event R-24 in Odense, Denmark.
“Capital and investors are a vital part of Denmark’s thriving robotics ecosystem. In the current economic climate, securing capital can be challenging for some companies. That’s all the more reason why building bridges between Denmark’s robotics, automation and drone companies and investors – at home and abroad – continues to be of huge importance,” says Søren Elmer, CEO of Odense Robotics.
Startups from all over Europe
For this edition of the Odense Investor Summit, there is a particularly high level of companies from across Europe – featuring startups from not just Denmark, but also Norway, Romania, Finland and Poland. Selected from a net list of around 40 potential companies, all of these finalist companies will get the chance to pitch their business from the stage to some 80-100 investors. Before the event, the startups have gone through training sessions to deliver the sharpest investor pitch.
The investors include both national and foreign business angels, VCs and corporates with Universal Robots, Neura, PreSeed Ventures and more being represented on stage.
Last year, the promising Danish startup AIM Robotics took home the first prize of € 5.000. Less than a year later, AIM Robotics could recently announce a new capital injection after a successful round of funding.
“For a startup, it is essential to be able to raise capital to develop. I am very proud that for the ninth time, we can gather so many competent startups with innovative solutions, helping them improve their pitch and give them the opportunity to expand their investor network and perhaps initiate dialogue with their next investor,” says Martyna Waliszewskal, Invest Manager in Invest in Odense.
AI high on the agenda
This year’s Investor Summit will mark the 9th of its kind. Just as in 2022, the summit will take place during R-24, which will be one of the main European robotics events of 2024. Its predecessor, R-22, gathered more than 5.000 guests in March 2022.
Topics such as AI, the future labour market and cybersecurity will be high on the agenda at R-24, which can showcase a three-day extensive conference programme from the 13th to the 15th of March at Odense Congress Center with Odense Investor Summit taking place on the 14th from 13-16.30.
“With R-24, we want to shed light on companies, technologies and innovations that can help create a better society. Bringing forward the talents of tomorrow is certainly part of that, and we are therefore very excited to once again host Odense Investor Summit,” says Morten Ihlow, Head of Exhibitions and Events at Odense Sport and Event who organizes R-24.
Investments broken through the glass ceiling of 1 billion
From 2015 -2024, more than 1 billion euros have been invested in local robotics companies, with last year bringing a surge in syndicates between domestic and foreign investors as well as a steady flow of cash from the reinvestment’s phenomenon, powered by local serial investors with a large exit.
With more than 160 companies and organizations as well as 3.600 people employed, Odense is considered one of the main robotics hubs in Europe and is one of the European cities, which occupies most people in the robotics industry per capita.
The city features a unique ecosystem consisting of companies, universities, research facilities and talent, which has fostered some very impressive results.
See also
Rocking Robots reports from the Odense Robotics Cluster, part 1
