Industrial Future Summit 26
Startups
Industrial Future Summit is where the deployment decisions get made. Not another pitch stage. A room full of the people at large European industrials who actually greenlight pilots and budgets.
Benefits of joining
Direct access to corporate decision-makers, not innovation scouts three layers removed from budget authority
Visibility in front of the Combient Foundry alliance: [X] industrials, [X] countries, one shared platform for venture client adoption
A stage built for deployment, not demos. The conversations here are about what it takes to move from pilot to product
Peer exposure to other top-tier European deep tech startups, useful for partnerships, co-selling, and benchmarking
Dedicated program
Startup Track
Curated startup expo floor, matched to corporate priorities rather than open to anyone who applies
Pre-scheduled 1:1 meetings with relevant industrial contacts, set up before the event based on fit
[Option: pitch slot / case study slot on stage, TBC based on 2026 format]
Startup briefing pack ahead of time: who's in the room, what they care about, how to prepare the ask
Who should apply
Series A to growth-stage startups with a working product and an active or planned engagement with an industrial partner. [Confirm stage/criteria]
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An exceptional event bringing together top industrial leaders and groundbreaking startups! It was an honor to join on stage and explore how startups and industries can drive success together.
Caroline Walerud
Co-Founder & CEO, Airforestry
Industrials
Legacy built the industrial backbone of Europe. Industrial Future Summit is where the leaders responsible for its next chapter compare notes on what it actually takes to move fast: deployment, not just piloting.
Benefits of joining
Curated peer exchange with fellow C-suite and senior innovation leaders from Europe's leading industrials, not a general admission crowd
First look at the startups and technologies already vetted through the Combient Foundry venture client process, cutting your own scouting time
A programme built around deployment decisions: what's working, what's stalling, and why, told by people who've actually done it
Direct line to the VIP track for the most senior attendees (see below)
VIP Track
A closed-door programme for CEOs, CTOs, and Chief Innovation Officers of Combient Foundry alliance members and select non-member industrials.
Small-group roundtables, not panels, on the deployment decisions currently on the table for each participant
Direct access to headline speakers before or after their main-stage sessions
[Dedicated VIP dinner / lounge / networking format, TBC]
Invitation-only. [Confirm nomination process: alliance membership automatic, non-members by application or personal invitation]
Dedicated program
Industrials Track
Main-stage sessions on industrial transformation, technology deployment, and the innovation practices behind it
Curated 1:1s with startups matched to your innovation priorities, arranged ahead of the event
Delegate briefing materials so your team arrives knowing who to prioritise meeting
Post-event follow-up support connecting you to relevant startups and CF programmes
It's super great to see in such an event we can have so many different diverse inputs from different places, from investors, from startups, from industrial peers, and all the other components. This diversity really foster a different perspective and creates new direction.
Amy Chen
CIO, KONE
Investors & Ecosystem
The capital, the platforms, and the enablers behind Europe’s next industrial era all sit in the same room here. IFS is where the ecosystem meets the demand side.
Benefits of joining
Direct visibility into the deal flow moving through the Combient Foundry venture client alliance, filtered through real corporate demand rather than cold pipeline
Access to industrial decision-makers actively looking to deploy, not just explore
Positioning alongside the platforms and hyperscalers already engaged with CF (AWS, NVIDIA, and others), reinforcing credibility with both corporates and founders
A forum to shape the sovereignty and deployment conversation currently defining European industrial policy, not just observe it
Dedicated program
Ecosystem Track
Access to the startup expo floor and curated 1:1s with founders and corporates
[Investor-only roundtable or matchmaking session, TBC]
Co-branding and visibility across event materials, site, and comms [tier-dependent, see Partners page for packages]
Introductions to Combient Foundry's broader alliance network beyond the summit itself
It's inspiring to see so many innovations, ideas, and experts gathered in one place – industrial companies, startups, investors, and other key stakeholders coming together.
Eerik Paasikivi
Partner, Kvanted
BUILDING
the next 100 years of European industry
Join the place where Europe’s next industrial chapter is being written. Limited capacity. Invite-curated. Outcomes-driven.
