Kick-Off and Round 1 of ASC 2024/2025: A Day of Insights, Strategy, and Collaboration
Last Friday, January the 17th, the Academic Startup Competition 2024/25 officially launched at Omnia, Wageningen University. This dynamic kick-off event brought together the Top 40 science-based startups, industry experts, and thought leaders for a day filled with inspiration, strategic insights, and collaboration.
Setting the Stage for Innovation
The event began with opening remarks from Maxime Lübbers, Carolien Kroeze (Wageningen University & Research), and Margrethe Jonkman (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), emphasizing the importance of science-driven entrepreneurship and the role of academic startups in shaping the future.
A highlight of the morning was the Disruptor Dialogues, where key industry leaders shared their experiences in transforming scientific breakthroughs into groundbreaking ventures. Constantijn van Oranje-Nassau, Luc Scheres (Surfix), and Birgit Dekkers (Rival Foods) provided invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities of deeptech entrepreneurship.
Competition Roadmap & First Challenge
Program Director Arjan Goudsblom introduced the competition’s structure, outlining the milestones that will guide startups from early-stage development to potential market success. He also introduced the teams, captains, challengers, and expert partners who will support them throughout the journey.
The first round, ‘Impact Potential’, focused on answering a key question: “How big can this be?” The afternoon session featured keynotes from renowned speakers such as Jon Duschinsky, Nienke Dijkstra, Raynor van Eijck, and Frodo Ferro, who delved into topics like leadership, innovative technologies, and IP protection.
Hands-on Collaboration & Next Steps
Following the keynotes, the teams engaged in breakout sessions, working closely with captains, challengers, and industry experts to refine their strategies. These sessions were designed to help them prepare for their upcoming presentations on February 10th, where they will showcase their impact potential.
From this first round, the Top 30 teams will advance to Round 2: ‘Who’s gonna do it?’, shifting the focus to team dynamics, leadership, and support networks.
Looking Ahead
With a strong start to the competition, we are eager to see how these science-based startups evolve in the coming weeks. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event a success! Stay tuned for more updates as we follow these ambitious teams on their journey to becoming the next generation of deeptech pioneers.
