THE HEAT 2025 will bring alive the optimism of climate-tech — with future-food tastings, product demos, music, art, expert workshops and storytelling. Here are some of the creative minds who are working on content.
The talented team that are putting THE HEAT together.
THE HEAT's Head of Content
MARTINS
THE HEAT's Curator of Participants
THE HEAT's Partnership Curator
THE HEAT's Curator of Stories
THE HEAT's Curator of
Social Interactions
THE HEAT's Curator of
Pitch Coaching
THE HEAT's Logistics Curator
THE HEAT's
Future-Food Curator
THE HEAT's Music Curator
THE HEAT's Energy-Tech Curator
THE HEAT's Climate
Robotics Curator
THE HEAT's New-Materials Curator
THE HEAT's
Climate-Film Curator
THE HEAT's Curator of
Future Textiles
THE HEAT's Curator of
the Bristol Area Community
THE HEAT's Curator of the
Cambridge Area Community
THE HEAT's Curator
of Nature Tech
THE HEAT's Curator of AgTech
THE HEAT's Curator of
Waste Reduction
THE HEAT’s Curator of
the Built Environment
THE HEAT's Curator of
Transportation Tech
THE HEAT's Curator of
Festival Photography
There will be no dull panels or over-long keynotes at THE HEAT 2025.
Instead, festival-goers will experience short, lively presentations from some of the key people leading the battle to decarbonise our planet.
CLIMATE CRISIS ADVISORY GROUP
AUTHOR, NOMAD CENTURY
NEW MATERIALS EXPERT
GIGACLIMATE
NOTPLA
AUTHOR, HOW TO SAVE OUR
PLANET
Get involved in an open discussion on an interesting topic. Participants will be able to choose which conversation circle to sign up for in advance. We’ll announce conversation circles over the coming months. If you’d like to lead one, email david@voyagers.io
Climate crisis: can we secure
a sustainable future for humanity?
How to successfully partner
with corporate VCs
Fundraising strategies for
scaling your climate-tech
Designing climate products
for profit & planet
Festival-goers will broaden their knowledge in compelling interactive sessions led by experts.
How to make the most of
EU funding
Climate storytelling in the age of
AI disinformation
Bridging innovations from
the space and energy sectors
How quantum could be used in
the energy sector today and in
the future
The science of happiness: how
to build engaged and impactful
teams
Experiment-led customer
validation for climate-tech
founders
Unlocking cities as markets –
'cities ABC' go-to-market strategy
for climate-tech founders
How to unblock your next move
Join work psychologist Klaudia Mitura for an interactive workshop designed to illuminate the key factors that contribute to happiness in the workplace. Explore the five fundamental drivers of happiness that can transform your team’s engagement at work. From fostering meaningful relationships to creating a sense of purpose, this workshop offers practical insights and actionable strategies for leaders to enhance their team’s satisfaction and impact at work.
Join us for a hands-on workshop exploring experiment-led customer validation for climate-tech founders. Led by Maiko Schaffrath, Head of Undaunted’s Greenhouse Accelerator and Founder of Impact Hustlers, this session will equip you with the tools to uncover real customer needs and identify your ideal segment. You’ll learn how to conduct insightful customer conversations, design structured validation experiments, and prioritize problems effectively. Walk away with a clear strategy to focus your efforts and accelerate your climate-tech venture.
Designed by Urban Impact, this interactive workshop is tailored for climate tech founders and business developers looking to engage cities as key markets for their solutions. Using our signature Cities ABC methodology, participants will explore the hidden dynamics of urban ecosystems, learn effective stakeholder engagement strategies, and develop a tailored go-to-market strategy for cities.
Through practical tools and examples, attendees will gain insights into navigating urban challenges, leveraging city resources for product development, and creating a City Playbook to drive business success in urban environments.
If shifting agendas, misaligned teams, and endless to-do lists are putting the brakes on your progress, perhaps it’s time to talk it out and move things on. In this open-format session, we’ll get stuck into the very real decisions and organisational dilemmas you face. Together with others, we’ll use structured conversations and shared experiences to get to practical takeaways that can move you forward. Come with a challenge, leave with clarity.
From drumbeats to DJs and films, we will bring the festival vibe to THE HEAT.
COMEDIAN
LIV TORC & CHRIS REDMOND
"HOT TAKES"
BERBER / AMAZIGH DUO
SENEGALESE DRUMMING
MUSICIAN
THE VOYAGERS BAND
BY JACK JOINER
It’s a festival. Not a conference. So participants will get hands-on at THE HEAT 2025.
BY TOKAMAK ENERGY
BY SPACE SOLAR
BY EXTEND ROBOTICS
BY FIXFIRST
BY UNTAP HEALTH
BY ANZEN
BY OXFORD DYNAMICS
Festival-goers will be able to see what tomorrow’s food looks like — including innovative approaches to meat, cheese, chocolate and more, curated by future-food expert Daniel Skaven Ruben.
BY HOXTON FARMS
BY WIN-WIN
BY BETTER DAIRY
David Rowan is founder of VOYAGERS and chief curator of THE HEAT. He was founding UK editor-in-chief of WIRED and wrote the book “Non-Bullshit Innovation” (Penguin). David also runs the VOYAGERS Climate-Tech Fund.
Mariana is the VOYAGERS Community Builder, responsible for building valuable connections between the 3,500+ people in the VOYAGERS community of people working on impactful things in climate tech, health tech and more. Her role includes organising three-day adventure weekends in magical places; local dinner meetups in 24 cities; online workshops and networking; direct introductions between VOYAGERS; and other online and offline activities that build peer support.
What started off as a marketing career in the corporate world turned into a mission to support climate-tech founders solving what I believe is the most pressing issue of our era: the rapid collapse of our natural world. A large part of my time is devoted to enabling dialogue, fostering collaboration, creating inspiration-inducing, action-triggering events and experiences that I hope will lead to a better tomorrow. Another big part goes to enjoying the here and the now with my wife and two kids, most likely playing outside near our home in Hamburg, Germany.
Joe Rowan is VOYAGERS’ Chief of Staff and curator of stories at THE HEAT. He’s writing stories about participants for the festival magazine, as well as all other content that goes out on THE HEAT’s social-media channels. He is also helping to put together the agenda, including finding speakers, and helping with the general logistics of the festival.
Juliette is the founder and CEO of Climate Connection, an ecosystem-builder organisation that runs 40+ events per year to bring together changemakers working at the intersection of climate and innovation. Prior to this, Juliette spent 5+ years in the US working in early-stage deeptech and climate startup creation. She is also a leadership coach, a public-speaking coach, and a passionate advocate of the need for greater awareness and support for founder mental-health resources.
Nils, who is working with our pitching startups to hone their stories, is a serial entrepreneur with 20+ years experience as founder, business developer and company leader. He crashed a few companies, but also made a number of successful exits. Today, he helps early startups, growth and large companies accelerate and scale through increased revenue, targeted sales and smart investments. And it all starts with honing your perfect pitch!
Michelle is the event lead at Fusion Events, an agency based in Oxfordshire that specialises in managing events that have sustainability at their core. Working in the events sector for 20+ years, she has experience managing an unusual variety of events, including festivals, award ceremonies, conferences and technology showcases — all of which feed into THE HEAT’s varied programme. Michelle is an IEMA associate member.
Daniel is founder of Solvable Syndicate, founding editor of FoodTech Weekly, operating advisor to Mudcake / Nordic FoodTech VC / Blume Equity, angel investor in 30+ startups, advisor to 15+ food-tech and bio-economy startups, and mentor at accelerators Big Idea Ventures, Katapult and Norrsken.
Nathalie Nahai is an artist, musician and founder of the Flourishing Futures Salon. Author of the bestselling book, Webs of Influence, she works at the intersection of psychology, technology and the arts.
Emma oversees the development and management of the Energy Tech Cluster at Harwell, which is supported by the Science Technology Facilities Council at UK Research and Innovation. She has been instrumental in building on the strong foundations of the Cluster with innovative energy-technology companies, UK public bodies, academia and industry to share knowledge, focus on funding streams and concentrate on areas of growth. Key to the Energy Tech Cluster’s success is taking its primary focus and ensuring that across collaboration with a multidisciplinary focus approach is actively supported.
Dr Patrick Meier leads the Climate Robotics Network and previously served as Strategy Lead for Robotics at the Swiss Institute of Technology (EPFL). He is a 5x founder with 15+ years of leadership experience in humanitarian- and climate-tech. Patrick is also a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and was born and raised in Africa.
After some years in design and innovation consulting for global brands and lately transforming the Design Hotels platform into a more conscious business, Ksenia is currently focused on impact and sustainability advisory within looms.world, exploring new ideas of circularity and the role of creativity in climate change.
Tristan is an award-winning filmmaker, founder and anthropologist focused on accelerating climate action. He is co-founder of the London-based production company Possible Studio, and has published films and stories with The Guardian, Al-Jazeera and the Huffington Post. Tristan is a Shuttleworth Foundation grant recipient and MIT Innovator Under 35.
Laura leads sustainability investments at H&M Group Ventures, managing 17 companies in recycling tech, bio-based materials, dyes, thermal storage, and sorting technology. Previously, she was Head of Circularity and Environment at Zalando, where she launched their first Circularity strategy. With 15+ years in the fashion industry, including roles at Li & Fung and H&M Group, Laura has driven circular business initiatives and a culture of innovation. Named a ‘Voice of Change’ by CNN in 2020, she has lived in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kenya, Sweden, and now Berlin.
Briony works across the creative and tech industries in Greater Bristol to optimise the conditions for business success. She is a connector, facilitator, and problem-solver often found focusing on economic and human health and how the two intertwine. She’s a practicing nutritional therapist and founder of the Bristol Business Bugle which exists to connect, inform, and celebrate across creative, tech, and innovation.
Maximilian Ge is an organiser of the VOYAGERS Cambridge UK Chapter and curator of the Cambridge area community at THE HEAT. He has been embedded in the Cambridge innovation ecosystem for over 15 years building grassroot communities in tech, biotech, and climate-tech. Maximilian is Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ambassador at the University of Cambridge, and serves as a link to the wider Cambridge community.
Ben is a Natural Capital Specialist and Chartered Energy Manager with 16 years of experience building successful and impactful teams in fast-growing and innovative companies in the sustainability / carbon / natural capital sectors. He currently leads on the operations of all Nattergal sites, managing site teams delivering day-to-day operations, best practice stakeholder engagement programmes and supporting the implementation of nature restoration projects.
In 2021, Ben supported the startup that became Highlands Rewilding in Scotland. Prior to this, he was a carbon and sustainability consultant, working with large public and private sector organisations to deliver market-leading carbon reduction strategies on their road to Net-Zero.
Nate is a partner at Maniv, an early-stage venture fund based in Tel Aviv and New York focused on the decarbonisation of transportation, logistics and the physical economy, and the digitisation of those value chains. Nate has led investments in startups tackling the transportation questions of tomorrow, from automotive retail to battery technology, semiconductors, computer vision, electric two-wheelers, EV bussing, and more.
Hi! I’m Paola, a Spain-based photographer. I capture moments that tell stories, convey emotions, and preserve the energy of an experience—turning fleeting instants into lasting memories. Thrilled to be part of this festival, capturing its spirit and joy to share with the world.
Professor Sir David King is an Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge. He is also the Founder and Chair of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group (CCAG), a global consortium focused on addressing the climate emergency. Sir David has held key positions, including the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser (2000–2007) and also the Foreign Secretary’s Special Representative on Climate Change (2013 to 2017). He played a crucial role in shaping climate policies and global initiatives, such as Mission Innovation and the Energy Technologies Institute. A Fellow of the Royal Society, he has received 23 honorary degrees and numerous awards, including the AAAS David and Betty Hamburg Award for Science Diplomacy in 2022.
Gaia Vince is a British journalist, author, and broadcaster exploring the intersection of science, humanity, and the environment. She is the author of Adventures in the Anthropocene (2014), Transcendence (2019), and Nomad Century (2022), which examine human progress, evolution, and climate-driven migration. Her work has been featured in Nature, New Scientist, and The Guardian, and she frequently speaks on global challenges and future solutions.
The climate crisis is the defining challenge of our time, but with bold leadership and collective action, we have the opportunity to create a sustainable future for humanity. It demands urgent global transformation across every sector to safeguard both our planet and future generations.
This conversation circle is led by Professor Sir David King, an Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge. He is also the Founder and Chair of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group (CCAG), a global consortium focused on addressing the climate emergency. Sir David has held key positions, including the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser (2000–2007) and also the Foreign Secretary’s Special Representative on Climate Change (2013 to 2017). He played a crucial role in shaping climate policies and global initiatives, such as Mission Innovation and the Energy Technologies Institute. A Fellow of the Royal Society, he has received 23 honorary degrees and numerous awards, including the AAAS David and Betty Hamburg Award for Science Diplomacy in 2022.
Join Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Ventures to explore how early-stage climate tech startups can successfully partner with corporate VCs. We’ll share insights on navigating these relationships and setting up for success. Hear firsthand experiences from our portfolio companies!
Josh brings expertise from a career in financial services and public policy to bear on the challenges (and opportunities!) of scaling climate-related businesses. He has a background in formulating economic policy, strategic risk management, building wealth management products and currently works exclusively with climate-tech businesses in the UK and Europe to advance their business plans and fundraise for expansion.
Climate tech products need to be financially viable while delivering real climate impact—but is there always a trade-off? In this open discussion, we’ll explore how product teams balance growth, user adoption, and measurable climate outcomes. Should product roadmaps be optimized for commercial success first, or impact first? What lessons can we learn from sectors that have scaled successfully? Bring your experiences, questions, and challenges—we’ll tackle them together. Passionate about driving climate action, Shachar brings deep expertise in product strategy, carbon markets, and climate innovation. As the founder of Climate Product Circle, she connects and supports product leaders navigating the intersection of technology, policy, and climate impact.
EU funding is often seen as a maze by innovators and startups – and rightly so ! One reason is that EU funding for innovation is spread across initiatives ranging from the European Institute of Technology, Eurostars and European Regional Development Funding to the European Innovation Council and the Innovation Fund. Importantly, the UK remains eligible to most of them despite Brexit. Equally importantly, all of these programs have both explicit and implicit eligibility and evaluation criteria and most require private co-funding. As a deep tech angel investor with 20+ years of EU funding experience and 12+ years’ experience as an expert-evaluator for the European Commission, Caroline will share lessons learnt along the way as well as core recommendations she makes to her portfolio companies who want to apply for EU funding.
In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore the intersection of generative AI and climate storytelling – how it’s being used to inspire hopeful future visions and, conversely, how it’s fueling climate disinformation. We’ll introduce the concept of “bunkering,” a strategy to help audiences build resilience against AI-driven misinformation, and discuss practical ways to navigate this evolving media landscape. The session will include a screening of a Possible Studio media project, offering a real-world example of how these dynamics play out.
This exciting workshop led by Molly McGoldrick and Oliver Sanders will explore the ever-growing cross over between the space and energy sectors, focusing on the challenges and opportunities involved in bridging innovations from the two fields. A wide range of topics will be covered including energy storage for space applications, smart energy management, remote sensing and cross-disciplinary innovation and policy ultimately aiming to explore how space can be utilised to solve energy problems.
Quantum computing has vast potential to revolutionise science and technology providing answers to some of the world’s toughest questions. With current hybrid quantum computing systems constantly improving, how could quantum be used in the energy sector today? And what are the possibilities for the future as the technology matures? Join Najwa Sidqi and Mariana Manso in this workshop to learn more about quantum capabilities now, how it is being used by energy companies and how quantum could shape the energy solutions of the future.
Join work psychologist Klaudia Mitura for an interactive workshop designed to illuminate the key factors that contribute to happiness in the workplace. Explore the five fundamental drivers of happiness that can transform your team’s engagement at work. From fostering meaningful relationships to creating a sense of purpose, this workshop offers practical insights and actionable strategies for leaders to enhance their team’s satisfaction and impact at work.
Stuart Goldsmith is an internationally award-winning comedian, podcaster, speaker and comedy expert. His TV credits include performing stand-up on Conan, hosted by comedy icon Conan O’Brien. He has performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the New Zealand International Comedy Festival and the prestigious, invitation-only festivals Just For Laughs in Montreal and SXSW in Texas. His 2023 solo stand-up show Spoilers won the prestigious Best Show 2023 at Leicester Comedy Festival and was one of the best-reviewed shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023, where he played to sellout audiences. The Times praised Stuart’s “excellence” and his “intelligent, well-crafted act” and The List said: “He’s especially, piercingly funny on the hypocrisies we all indulge in.” Stuart performs his climate comedy at eco festivals and at corporate events internationally. The purpose is to engage attendees in the important issue of sustainability and climate change; to send out a call to action and alleviate our collective dread by tackling a very serious subject via a very entertaining medium. He has appeared at high-profile climate festivals including Net Zero Festival and Blue Earth Summit in the UK and GreenBiz in the US. Stuart hosts the internationally renowned “Comedian’s Comedian” podcast, with over 25 million downloads. stuartgoldsmith.com
Hot Poets is an ambitious, award-winning, internationally focused CIC, working to powerfully communicate climate-change science and action through spoken-word poetry. They do this by creating dynamic arts and science collaborations with top climate-change organisations, scientists and world-class artists, including UNFCCC’s Resilience Frontiers, The Met Office, LSE, RSPB, UCL, Southbank Centre, The Gaia Foundation and 3M. Their poems have been viewed, heard or seen over 6 million times, presented at the Southbank, NBC UNIVERSAL, TedXLondon, and COP26, 27 and COP28 in collaboration with the UN. By giving science a story, Hot Poets has positively impacted the work of scientists, farmers and academics across the world.
Liv Torc is world-shaping, creativity-championing poet, performer, producer and UN consultant, who seeks and delivers creative solutions to the pressing problems of our time. Co-Artistic Director of Hot Poets and producer of the poetry stage at WOMAD, Liv has performed at Glastonbury Festival, UNESCO in Paris, TEDxLondonWomen and R4’s Poetry Please. Her published books include Show Me Life and The Human Emergency.
Chris Redmond is a writer, musician and multi-artform facilitator. Co-Artistic Director of Hot Poets, founder of Tongue Fu, his career spans 30 years and 20 countries, with collaborators including Kae Tempest, Lemn Sissay, Irvine Welsh and Hollie McNish. His poetry and music has featured on BBC Radio 1-6, ITV, Sky Arts, CBBC, in The Guardian and Independent.
Singer and songwriter Iness Mezel, awarded “Best Female African Artist” and “Best North African Artist” at the All Africa Kora Music Awards, performs as a duo with Nora Abdoun, her lifelong friend and bandmate who plays traditional Amazigh percussion. Both women are of Amazigh culture from Algeria, a rich and endangered oral tradition spanning two millennia, and their minimalist organic music celebrates the heritage of their unsubdued ancestors, honoring freedom and respect for nature. Their spellbinding performances invite the audience into a tribal gathering full of energy and joy, with clapping and call-and-response singing.
Photo credit © Yuka Kasahara
Jack Joiner (b. 1991, London) is a self-taught artist based in South London who has been exhibiting his work since leaving formal education. His early recognition came in 2014 with the Art’s Club Charitable Trust Award at The Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition. His practice has since evolved from representational art to abstraction, characterized by experimental approaches to process, materiality, composition, and colour. In recent years, he has collaborated with the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London and the Foundation of Visionary Science and Art, contributing artwork and raising funds through his creative work.
Photo credit: Marcel Le Bachelet
Anzen is transforming healthy indoor environments with a refrigerant-free, first-of-a-kind solid-state heat pump. Utilising thermoelectric technology, Anzen’s system handles room-to-room heating, cooling, and ventilation without an outdoor unit or a compressor. It is designed to be an easy-to-install, affordable retrofit solution for hard-to-decarbonise homes, reducing energy bills.
STRIDER is designed to be first on the scene at chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) incidents replacing humans as being the first point of contact with potentially hazardous materials. The robot can perform three functions: area surveying / mapping, sample recovery and decontamination. STRIDER can pull a 300kg bowser and operate beyond line of sight for over eight hours continuously. Featured on BBC TV, the robot has been designed and developed at Harwell Campus by Oxford Dynamics for end-customer Defra, and can be seen in action here.
Under-23 (Proof of Age Required)
Team Festival Pass (5 tickets)
VIP Festival Pass
All Access Festival Pass
