Around 350 visitors from Germany and abroad came to the first HYDROVERSE CONVENTION on 20 June 2023 at the Colosseum Theatre in Essen. The focus was on start-ups and the development of the hydrogen market. The event offered the European hydrogen industry a comprehensive program with 12 pitches, a Start-up Expo with 20 exhibitors, 7 speakers, a keynote speech and two panels.
Hydrogen pitches and panel discussions
The program was significantly shaped by more than 30 hydrogen start-ups from Europe and Israel, who gave impulses on current developments and technologies on the stage and in the Start-up Expo. In two panel discussions, experts shared their experiences on the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy, among them Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe and Dr. Gokce Mete, founder of the network “Women in Green Hydrogen”. The audience included numerous decision-makers from companies that are active in the field of hydrogen, interested in cooperating with start-ups or in finding out about the many possible applications of the energy carrier.
Keynote from Breakthrough Energy
In his keynote speech at the beginning of the event, Philipp Offenberg, Senior Manager Europe of Breakthrough Energy Europe, an initiative founded by Bill Gates, focused on the financing and implementation of numerous announced hydrogen projects. Here, there is a big gap between ambitious goals and concretely financed projects. Jorgo Chatzimarkakis of Hydrogen Europe complemented Philipp Offenberg’s demands with the need for simpler, more transparent and bolder European regulations. In both panels, there were lively discussions on how the green energy transition can be accelerated, what role venture capital plays and how European start-ups can actively participate in the market ramp-up.
Point Twelve wins “HYDROVERSE CONVENTION Award”
As the finale of the event, Managing Director Uwe Kerkmann, together with representatives of the H2UB shareholders OGE, RAG Stiftung, TÜV SÜD and DLR, presented the “HYDROVERSE CONVENTION Award” to the best pitch of the day. The winner, Flore de Durfort from Point Twelve, convinced the six-member jury with her software that enables producers to easily trace the origin of hydrogen, quantify carbon emissions and obtain government-approved certificates for this. The jury assessed the technology merit and feasibility, impact on the H2 economy, team quality as well as presentation quality.
“The popularity of our event has overwhelmed the whole team, which has worked with a lot of passion and energy towards the HYDROVERSE CONVENTION,” said Uwe Kerkmann, Managing Director of the H2UB. “We see the strong demand as a sign that we are on the right track with our mission of networking hydrogen start-ups with industry players. The stars of our program were therefore our more than 30 start-ups from all over Europe and Israel. The speakers included hydrogen experts as well as decision-makers from companies and investors from the energy and sustainability sector. This mix and range makes the HYDROVERSE CONVENTION unique in Europe”.
Press contact
Marina Scheider, Press relations H2UB
+49 151 14358595, marina.scheider@h2ub.com