Heilbronn Slush’D 2025: The Deep Tech Hotspot
On October 23rd, 2025, Heilbronn Slush’D, Germany’s flagship startup festival, took place. Powered by Campus Founders with the support of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, the event aims to unite the European tech ecosystem in an intimate yet high-quality setting, fostering connections between founders, investors, corporates, and innovation leaders. With 300+ startups, 1000+ attendees, 100+ investors, and 150+ corporates, Slush’D is one of Europe’s most valuable meeting points for ambitious deep tech founders.
As every year, HEC Paris took part in the event through its Deep Tech Center and Incubation & Acceleration Center, contributing to the discussions and supporting three promising deep tech startups currently growing within its programs CDL-Paris and Incubateur HEC Paris. Let’s dive in.
Agenda Highlights at a Glance
One of the most frequently noted strengths of the event was its programming quality. The agenda featured:
- Keynotes and panel sessions, offering perspectives ranging from AI and climate tech to venture strategy and corporate innovation.
- Pitch competitions, enabling startups to test their message and gain visibility.
- Startup showcases with booths, demos, and hands-on tech exploration.
- Corporate co-innovation sessions highlighting industry-startup collaboration.
- Award ceremony and after-party bringing the community together to celebrate standout achievements.
Among the 40+ speakers, including global technology leaders, ambitious founders, and forward-thinking innovators, the event showcases a remarkable breadth of expertise. Notable voices include:
- Gabriele Mazzini, research affiliate at MIT Media Lab and a leading expert in Artificial Intelligence governance and regulation. As former Team Leader at the European Commission, he designed and led the drafting of the Commission EU AI Act.
- Matt Domo, Amazon’s 17th employee, helped build the company’s Database Division from the ground up. His pioneering work shaped the AWS free tier and the architecture that now powers billions of applications worldwide.
- Peter Vesterbacka, legendary founder of SLUSH and creator of Angry Birds, who embodies the bold entrepreneurial spirit that has propelled Nordic tech onto the world stage.
HEC Paris Startups and Ecosystem on Stage
Thanks to the strong partnership initiated by the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), HEC Paris was able to engage with the local ecosystem, connect with decision-makers, and showcase deep tech and climate tech innovation with real global impact. In this context, the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute brought three startups from its ecosystem, currently enrolled in its support programs. These startups were given the opportunity to host a dedicated booth at the event, offering them valuable visibility. Here they are:
Carbon Cell
Carbon Cell is pioneering a sustainable alternative to polymer-based foams. Their innovative material is fully compostable and locks in atmospheric carbon for centuries, offering a breakthrough opportunity in circular and responsible manufacturing. The startup graduated from CDL-Paris Climate 2024/25.
Founders: Elizabeth Lee, Ori Blich, Eden Harrison and Juan Ignacio Rion
Neurobus
Neurobus, part of the Incubateur HEC Paris (Winter ‘24 Batch) and a graduate of CDL-Paris Next Generation Computing 2024/25, is an AI neuromorphic computing startup developing ultra-low-power edge computing solutions to enable autonomous operations in space.
Founder: Florian Corgnou
WaveTech
WaveTech, part of the Incubateur HEC Paris (Spring ‘25 Batch), addresses the urgent issue of sandy coastline erosion, a phenomenon intensified by climate change and already threatening millions of people and critical economic zones worldwide.
Founders: Dag Valand, Ove Torbjørn Aanensen, and Karen Rauschenbach
“I loved the energy at our WaveTech booth! Great questions, sharp minds, and genuine interest in what we’re building to protect our coasts. We’re currently in our pre-seed round, so the investor conversations couldn’t have come at a better time. Big thanks to the Incubateur HEC Paris for the setup and support!”
- Karen Rauschenbach, Co-Founder & COO, WaveTech
For these startups, Slush’D provided a fertile playground to refine their messaging, present their tech innovations to strategic stakeholders, and gain actionable feedback, all within a highly stimulating environment.
Corporate Engagement That Drives Real Impact
A defining characteristic of Slush’D Heilbronn is the practical involvement of corporations, who play a proactive role in accelerating innovation. This year, Audi exemplified this approach by participating in a co-development challenge, working directly with startups on tangible use cases. Such initiatives are essential to help early-stage ventures validate market relevance, test technologies, and build momentum in environments where speed and feedback loops are critical.
HEC Paris and Campus Founders: A Strategic Partnership Strengthening the European Innovation Landscape
Campus Founders, supported by the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, has emerged as one of Europe’s most dynamic hubs for entrepreneurship, fostering a unique environment where founders, corporates, researchers, and investors work side by side. Its mission to empower responsible, high-impact entrepreneurship aligns closely with the values of the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute and the ambitions of its various centers.
This year, HEC Paris’ participation was made possible through our partnership with Campus Founders and the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), forging bridges between our ecosystems. This alliance opens exceptional doors for HEC Paris startups, providing privileged access to the German market, connecting them with influential expert networks, and establishing a commanding presence in one of Europe's most influential innovation hubs.
What is CDL-Paris?
CDL-Paris operates in partnership with HEC Paris, located in the French capital; a centre of entrepreneurship in Europe and world-renowned breeding ground for scientific and technological research. CDL-Paris mobilizes HEC Paris academia and industries to help its entrepreneurs succeed.
Founded in 1881, HEC Paris is built on three core values: academic excellence, a strong sense of community, and a commitment to diversity. The school has developed into one of the world’s best business schools, as showcased in top international rankings, including being ranked the #1 business school in Europe by the Financial Times.
About HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute
We train bold talents and creators to solve global challenges through a global innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Ranked among Europe’s Top 4 entrepreneurial hubs by the Financial Times, we connect ventures, mentors and corporates driving lasting impact across business transformation & society. With three specialized centers and a wide range of programs, we provide the right support at the right moment, empowering every entrepreneur to turn their vision into reality.
About HEC Paris Deep Tech Center
Bridging Science and Entrepreneurship
At the heart of groundbreaking innovation, our Deep Tech Center connects scientific research with real-world impact. By supporting ventures rooted in advanced technologies (from AI to biotech), we help founders turn cutting-edge discoveries into scalable businesses.