Out of 90 applicants, 32 SMEs and start-ups were chosen by the Selection Panel to pitch their companies to active investors, such as venture capitalists, banks, corporate partners and experts in the sector. More than 110 people came to Wuppertal to take part in a day dedicated to matching bio-based businesses in Europe with funding opportunities and strategic partnerships.
The event started with a panel discussion involving Founder and General Partner of the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF) Michael Brandkamp, Head of Materials Engineering at Vorwerk Elektrowerke GmbH & Co Michael Kroh, Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Bayer Christina Kruett and Global Innovation Lead at Royal Agrifirm Group Oliver Thimm.
Following the panel discussion, the 32 companies pitched to Expert Juries in six different categories: bio-based chemicals and materials; forestry & pulp and paper-based products; aquaculture, algae and marine; biowaste valorisation; waste management and treatment; and recycling and circular models.
Each company was also judged on whether their technologies promise innovative tech solutions with real-world social impact. They received a rating from the Expert Panel and the top eight were announced as winners just before the dinner in the evening. These eight companies were invited to pitch again at the Tech Tour Growth Sustainability flagship event on 27-28 November in Essen, Germany.