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Named ‘FasTrackathon‘, the Eindhoven based accelerator HighTechXL is holding a new event that focuses on matching high tech start-ups to some of the most advanced technologies in the world as they form their companies. HighTechXL says the FasTrackathon, which is on 27 March, is a proven approach to building companies around advanced technology.
“Don’t mistake FasTrackathon for a hackathon”, the spokesperson for HighTechXL says. “Hackathons ask participants to brainstorm solutions to problems that companies have trouble solving. Think of FasTrackathon as a reverse hackathon: an invitation to innovators and entrepreneurs to get acquainted with patented deep tech, then build their own ventures.”
CERN and Nikhef are among the companies offering these technologies. “We’ve worked with CERN and Nikhef since last summer, building three startup teams who are currently advancing through our 9-month special edition accelerator program. Now, we’re putting together the next cohort, and we need skills from many domains: entrepreneurs, physicists, engineers, market researchers, operations experts and business professionals.”
FasTrackathon focuses on four advanced technologies, two of which are technologies CERN startup teams are already using to build their ventures. Those two teams are searching for people with whom they can partner to broaden the application areas of their technologies and which they will support. The other advanced and promising technologies come from Nikhef and TNO.
- CERN’s Structured Laser Beam: Gas leak detection in industrial settings such as chemical plants, LIDAR in autonomous vehicles, and laser marking on curved surfaces
- CERN’s CO2 Cooling: Photonic chip cooling, improving the efficiency of medical imaging and diagnostic devices such as x-rays and MRIs, and efficient cooling of detectors in mini-satellites for space exploration
- Nikhef’s Holographic Emitter Technology: Enabling instantaneous 3D printing, LIDAR applications, and 3D lithography in Microelectromechanical, or MEMS, systems
- TNO’s CO2 Capture and Conversion: This emerging technology uses a porous membrane to capture CO2 from the air, converting it to hydrocarbon fuel in a carbon-neutral process.
FasTrackathon is scheduled for Wednesday, March 27, 13:30 to 17:00 at High Tech Plaza, Building 27, High Tech Campus Eindhoven. To learn more about the applications of the technologies, see HighTechXL’s website.