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High Tech XL-Day, the event that is organised twice a year by the accelerator program of High Tech XL, is taking a different turn this year. Not only the seven startups of the accelerator program that present their progress and hope to win investors for themselves. But other local hardware startups also get a stage where they can present themselves. “It’s a one-day hardware conference, where not only the startups from our own program can access. We want to create an interactive day from which hardware startups from the Brainport region can learn or benefit as in contacts, assignments or perhaps even an investment,” says Betsy Lindsey from High Tech XL.

[In the run-up to XL-Day, Innovations Origins brings the startups from the High Tech XL program into view. More about this later.]

As usual, the program participants show their work over the past three months and alumni from previous editions are also present to tell how things are going. New this year are the matchmaking tables where investors can be matched to startups from outside the program. “It works in two directions, because large companies are also present with a specific question, for which they would like to work with startups from the region. Think of KPN looking for specific applications for the 5G network that has yet to be rolled out. But it can also be something completely different, different partners are present during XL day. Both corporates and startups can still sign up.”

This year there is also more attention for experts from the startup world. In so-called expert sessions, examples are given of success stories, best approach to innovation methods and ways to find investors. “The goal is to share as much knowledge as possible with all of them, we are convinced that in this way we can help the ecosystem to move forward.” Says Lindsey. High Tech XL also wants to emphasize diversity in the startup teams, in culture, age and genre. This round, for example, the teams include people from China, Mexico, France and Estonia. “We believe that with mixed groups you are best able to bring out the best in yourself.”

This message will be passed on in the Evoluon by several speakers on Thursday 5 July, one of whom is Marleen Vogelaar, who works in New York where she founded Zielwear, a sportswear brand that designs and produces personalised clothing. They do this in the most eco-friendly way possible. Before leaving for New York, Vogelaar founded Shapeways, an original Eindhoven 3D printing company, which is also based in New York. During XL day she will share how to grow as a small Dutch startup in New York. “Vogelaar is a super intelligent woman, very successful and she is persevering in a world that is mainly dominated by men. You can see that a little more women have recently started to take part in the tech world, but that change should go much faster. That’s why it’s great that she’s coming to tell us about her experiences.” underlines Lindsey.

Over the past few years High Tech XL has helped around 56 startups on their way, 70% of which are still active. In total, about 43 million euro of investments were raised. Also this round High Tech XL expects that nice deals for the startups will be closed. Lindsey laughs: “We can already reveal 1 million, but we will announce who made this deal on 5 July.”

Investors, companies, start-ups and other interested parties can register here.