Deep Tech Forum convenes the world’s leading deep tech startup ecosystem of founders, startups, investors and supporting communities to address the barriers to growth and success. Deep Tech Forum’s inaugural year, 2024, features “RAAI in Manufacturing,” where RAAI stands for Robotics, Automation and AI. In the first quarter of 2024, the Deep Tech Forum has been brought to four cities – Toronto, Canada; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; New York City, New York and Kyoto, Japan.
The deep tech sector is one with a high affinity for “open innovation,” in which companies collaborate with large corporations and others. Unlike software-as-a-service (SaaS) startups that dominate the current startup landscape, deep tech companies need to collaborate with other companies to become part of the supply and value chain, even in the early stages of the startup. The startup ecosystem is more willing to collaborate with the open innovation arms of large corporations.
Dave Mawhinney, founding executive director of the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University and also a serial entrepreneur, explained the importance of the Deep Tech Forum. “Accelerators and VC support alone are not enough for deep tech startups, especially those spun out of universities. Active collaboration with the open innovation departments of large corporations is one of the keys to success.”