Cleantech and Deeptech Forum at EBAN Congress 2026

As part of the EBAN Congress in Vilnius, WE-RISE and Sunrise Tech Park organised the Cleantech & Deeptech Forum, bringing together investors, founders, researchers, policymakers, and ecosystem leaders to explore the future of deeptech and climate innovation in Europe.

The forum created a space for meaningful discussions on how collaboration between science, business, investment communities, and public stakeholders can help accelerate innovation and strengthen Europe's position in strategic technologies.

Cleantech as a Strategic Driver of Europe's Future

The event opened with a keynote by Jana Budkovskaja, Partner at BSV Ventures and member of the management board of EstBAN, who highlighted the growing importance of cleantech and deeptech technologies in Europe's economic and technological future.

As global demand for advanced technologies continues to grow, sectors such as clean energy, critical infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and climate innovation are becoming increasingly interconnected with Europe's competitiveness and resilience.

Jana also emphasised the important role angel investors play in supporting early-stage innovation by providing not only capital, but also expertise, networks, and strategic guidance. She highlighted encouraging examples of cross-border collaboration across the Baltic region, demonstrating how regional cooperation can help unlock new opportunities for startups and investors alike.

Strengthening Europe's Deeptech Ecosystem

The first panel discussion, "Green Returns: Who's Funding Europe's Climate Transition?", explored the ecosystem surrounding deeptech innovation and the factors that contribute to successful growth.

Speakers discussed the unique characteristics of deeptech ventures, which are often built on years of scientific research and require strong partnerships between academia, industry, investors, and entrepreneurs.

A key theme throughout the discussion was the importance of creating stronger connections between research excellence and commercialisation pathways. Panelists shared examples of how collaboration across sectors can help transform scientific breakthroughs into solutions that generate economic, environmental, and societal impact.

The conversation also highlighted the value of data-driven decision-making, supportive policy frameworks, and investment mechanisms that enable innovative companies to scale their solutions internationally.

From Research to Market Impact

The second panel, "Proof of Concept, Proof of Return", focused on the perspectives of founders and ecosystem builders navigating the journey from innovation to market adoption.

Participants discussed the importance of combining public support instruments with private investment to help startups progress through different stages of growth. While grants and public funding play a valuable role in supporting research and early development, long-term success often depends on access to investment, customers, partnerships, and scalable business models.

Speakers also shared practical insights on investment readiness, piloting new technologies, and building trust between founders and investors. Throughout the discussion, there was a strong emphasis on creating support mechanisms that generate measurable outcomes and help innovative companies achieve sustainable growth.

Advancing Opportunities for Women-Led Deeptech Startups

As a project dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs in deeptech, WE-RISE was particularly pleased to see strong engagement around the topic of diversity and inclusion within innovation ecosystems.

Panelists explored practical approaches to increasing investment opportunities for women-led startups, including strengthening networks, improving visibility, supporting diverse investment teams, and creating more inclusive funding environments.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of encouraging girls and women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and innovation, helping build a stronger pipeline of future founders, researchers, and industry leaders.

Participants agreed that diverse perspectives contribute to stronger innovation outcomes and help ensure that future technologies are developed with the needs of all users in mind.

Looking Ahead

The Cleantech & Deeptech Forum demonstrated the strength of Europe's innovation ecosystem and the growing commitment of stakeholders across sectors to work together in addressing global challenges.

From investors and entrepreneurs to researchers and policymakers, the discussions reflected a shared ambition to support breakthrough innovation, strengthen collaboration, and create the conditions for deeptech and climate technologies to thrive.

WE-RISE is proud to contribute to these conversations and to continue supporting women-led deeptech startups across Europe as they develop solutions that will help shape a more sustainable, innovative, and competitive future.

We would like to thank all speakers, panelists, partners, and participants who contributed to the success of the forum and helped make the discussions both insightful and inspiring.