DeepTech Ripples
@Festival der Zukunft 2026
The Drop’s signature format at Germany’s most forward-looking innovation festival
DeepTech Ripples bring The Drop’s renowned micro-collaboration style to Festival der Zukunft – with a sharp focus on the future of European DeepTech.
Europe combines world-class research, strong industry, and growing venture capital – yet scaling breakthrough technologies remains a systemic challenge. DeepTech Ripples create a space to debate these tensions openly and constructively.
Hosted at the Forum der Zukunft at Deutsches Museum, each session gathers up to 25 frontier investors, founders, corporates, policymakers, and scientific institutions for a focused, high-quality exchange within the European DeepTech ecosystem.
What’s a DeepTech Ripple?
DeepTech Ripples are small conversation circles that create interactive spaces for exploring challenges, sharing insights, and co-creating solutions in DeepTech.
A Ripple is not a pitch, presentation, or marketing opportunity. It is designed for discussion, learning, and actionable exchange. Each Ripple is guided by two hosts, the submissions define the topic and the focus of the conversation. Participation is based on application and curatorial selection to ensure relevance and quality.
What could a ripple be about?
A strong Ripple topic frames a debate-worthy guiding question that invites diverse perspectives across the ecosystem.
These Ripples are already taking shape around some of the key questions in European DeepTech:
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Is European tech sovereignty a strategic necessity – or a capital misallocation?
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Are we overbuilding AI data centers – or still underestimating demand?
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Where will the next defensible moat in AI compute emerge: chips, architectures, or energy?
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Vertical mastery vs. generalist ambition: Who wins the robotics race?
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Fusion, AI, and frontier energy: Is Europe ready to build the next energy industry?
When & Where
Festival der Zukunft 2026
Forum der Zukunft, Deutsches Museum, Munich
July 2, 2026
Structure & Setup
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45-minute DeepTech sessions
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Facilitator(s) guide the conversation, ensuring all participants can engage
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Seating for 20–25 participants per session, plus standing space
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Silent-disco headphones allow the wider audience to listen in
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Two cabled handheld microphones at the table
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No additional equipment provided (no slides, screens, whiteboards, flipcharts, post-its)
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Multiple sessions allow participants to join different discussions
Who should apply?
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Primarily VCs and Founders shaping the DeepTech ecosystem
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Also welcome: representatives from research transfer offices, public funding institutions, or other ecosystem builders
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Applicants should be comfortable leading a focused conversation, guiding participants through the discussion while keeping the session on track.
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Submissions should propose a thought-provoking topic and a clear guiding question, not a product pitch.
In collaboration with
