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.
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, HOW TO SAVE OUR
PLANET
NOTPLA
Festival-goers will broaden their knowledge in compelling interactive sessions led by experts.
How to make the most of
EU funding
Bridging innovations from
the space and energy sectors
Bridging innovations from
the space and energy sectors
How quantum could be used in
the energy sector today and in
the future
Climate storytelling in the age of
AI disinformation
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
From vision to velocity: fine-tune
your winning formula for go-to-
market and gaining more
traction
From vision to velocity: fine-tune
your winning formula for go-to-
market and gaining more
traction
Where do you stand?
Communicating sustainability
without burning your brand
Bring your dilemmas for
some strategic therapy
How to de-risk building your
climate unicorn
What pre-seed VCs actually look
for
Engineering the cost curve:
lessons from Wright’s Law to
SpaceX
Bridging the Series B Gap
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.
Off the back of successful residencies at TED Nairobi, Sustainable Ventures and The Conduit Club, Strategic Therapy is headed for THE HEAT Festival with a new, experimental format.
If you’re a leader facing a tough decision or dilemma, you’re not alone. Bring your question (anonymous or not) to an interactive session with experienced strategists Simon Myers & Nicole MacLeod. Together, we’ll work through shared dilemmas in real time. Whether you’d like to work on your challenge or share your strategies, you’ll leave this fast paced session with clarity, energy and the wisdom of the room.
Submit your question here by Friday 12 September. See you there!
Learn how to build real traction for your climate solution with a focused, multi-channel go-to-market (GTM) strategy. This session covers defining your ICP, using the CAM matrix, and combining cold and warm outreach effectively. Hear from experienced marketers who’ve scaled deeptech and climate ventures across global markets—without big budgets or perfect product-market fit.
In an age where every brand wants to look green, saying the wrong thing is often worse than saying nothing at all. In this session, Chacho Puebla and Pilar Franco will explore the uncomfortable spectrum between activism and hypocrisy — from greenwashing to purpose-washing, from real transformation to performative gestures. We’ll unpack what it really means to take a stand, and why positioning is not just a communications decision but a strategic act of coherence. If sustainability is the new cool, then where you place yourself — and how honestly you show up — might just define your future.
Unpack the messy reality of building climate deeptech – from lab to market.
We’ll dive into real-world examples and risks to expose what traction, capital strategy, and GTM really look like, and how to align investors with the complexities of deeptech.
Raising your first round isn’t about having it all figured out. But it’s about making people believe you’re the one who will – faster, smarter, and more obsessively than anyone else.
In this practical, founder-focused workshop, we’ll walk through what really makes early-stage founders stand out to pre-seed investors. From founder–market fit and sharp storytelling to the power of being specific and a little scary, we’ll unpack how conviction is communicated, and how to avoid blending in.
How do you radically reduce costs while scaling breakthrough hardware? In this workshop, we’ll explore practical strategies for driving down the cost curve, combining Wright’s Law, rapid iteration, vertical integration, and the Responsible Engineer framework. Drawing on lessons from Tesla and SpaceX, we’ll discuss how to build fast, learn fast, and stay accountable without cutting corners.
How climate and deep tech startups, especially hardware-driven ones, can navigate the funding challenges of scaling beyond early-stage success. We’ll explore what it takes to cross the ‘valley of death,’ secure growth-stage capital, and build resilient, industrial-scale companies in Europe.
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
Coffee and climate change:
brewing resilience in the face
of a warming world
Coffee and climate change:
brewing resilience in the face
of a warming world
Coffee and climate change:
brewing resilience in the face
of a warming world
De-risking nature: a deep
dive into high-integrity
methodologies
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
BY PORPOISE POWER
BY HEDLEY STUDIOS
BY AUTODISCOVERY
BY AUTODISCOVERY
BY AUTODISCOVERY
BY CAPCHAR
BY CARBON REWILD
BY CORDON
BY HOTGREEN
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 Logistics Curator
THE HEAT's Curator of
Social Interactions
THE HEAT's Curator of
Pitch Coaching
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
THE HEAT's Curator of the
VOYAGERS Band
Ask a climate-tech expert any of your burning questions. More Ask Me Anything sessions at THE HEAT are yet to be announced.
AUTHOR, CLIMATE CAPITALISM
NOTPLA
AUTHOR, HOW TO SAVE OUR
PLANET
Come and experience our Six-Minute Ideas sessions, where festival-goers get a short moment to share an idea, experience, recommendation, provocation in a quick-fire against-the-clock format. No slides, just a punchy, lively, fast-paced idea. We’ll announce more Six-Minute Ideas sessions over the coming months. If you’d like to lead one, email david@voyagers.io
From drumbeats to DJs and films, we will bring the festival vibe to THE HEAT.
COMEDIAN
LIV TORC & CHRIS REDMOND
BERBER / AMAZIGH DUO
SENEGALESE DRUMMING
MUSICIAN
THE VOYAGERS BAND
BY JACK JOINER
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.
Step into the world of nature tech — where biology meets innovation. This showcase highlights cutting-edge technologies inspired by and working with nature: from microbial dyes and algae-based materials to fungi-powered packaging and regenerative systems. Curated by Nattergal‘s Ben Hart, it’s a celebration of the tools and breakthroughs driving a bio-based future.
CO-FOUNDER, CARBON REWILD
CO-FOUNDER, CARBON REWILD
COO, RHIZOCORE
CONSERVATION
INTERNATIONAL
There is the chance to get hands-on with sustainable alternatives to leather, textiles, rubber, fabric dyes… This showcase, curated by looms.world‘s Ksenia Starikova and H&M Group‘s Laura Coppen, celebrates the most exciting innovations in new biomaterials.
Transforming waste into
sustainable surfaces
Regenerative cotton
sourcing solutions
Circular, bio-based design
Automated textile
quality control
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.
Dame Henrietta Moore is a leading social anthropologist and Director of the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity, where she pioneers research on sustainable futures and inclusive innovation. Her work bridges social science with climate action, focusing on prosperity that respects planetary boundaries. As a thought leader in systems change, she champions bold, interdisciplinary approaches to global challenges.
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.
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.
Akshat Rathi is a senior reporter at Bloomberg News, based in London, and the author of Climate Capitalism, named one of the best books of the year by The Times and The Economic Times. With a PhD in organic chemistry from Oxford, he covers climate and energy with award-winning depth. His work has appeared in major outlets like The New York Times and The Guardian, and he was ranked among the world’s top 25 thinkers by Prospect in 2025.
Photo credit: Sofia Yang Martinez
Marta Krupinska is CEO and Co-Founder of the carbon removals intelligence platform CUR8. Formerly a cofounder of two exited fintech startups, Azimo and FreeUp, and Head of Google for Startups in the UK and co-lead of Google’s Black Founders Fund. Alongside building CUR8 Marta is also Chair of Youth Business International, a global charity working to help young people start their own businesses, and of ACUA Ocean, a marine cleantech startup.
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.
This exciting workshop led by Molly McGoldrick and Hugh Mortimer 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.
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.
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.
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.
The climate crisis is reshaping the coffee value chain—from growing conditions and farmer livelihoods, to supply chains, consumer tastes, and habits. During this session we will discuss the most pressing challenges and practical solutions for building resilience from farm to cup. Whether you work in coffee or just love your daily brew, join us for a conversation that matters.
A geographer by training and a plant lover by choice, Mauricio is the CEO and Cofounder of Lilliput Technologies, a startup developing innovative materials to enable climate-resilient agriculture. He founded Lilliput in 2024 after 20 years working with farmers, startups and NGOs implementing dozens of climate adaptation strategies and technology transfer schemes in multiple locations.
The climate crisis is reshaping the coffee value chain—from growing conditions and farmer livelihoods, to supply chains, consumer tastes, and habits. During this session we will discuss the most pressing challenges and practical solutions for building resilience from farm to cup. Whether you work in coffee or just love your daily brew, join us for a conversation that matters.
The climate crisis is reshaping the coffee value chain—from growing conditions and farmer livelihoods, to supply chains, consumer tastes, and habits. During this session we will discuss the most pressing challenges and practical solutions for building resilience from farm to cup. Whether you work in coffee or just love your daily brew, join us for a conversation that matters.
We see the immense potential of Nature Credits. But we also know that potential comes with risk. Today, we’re going to have a frank conversation about the biggest hurdles to credibility and scale, and how we can overcome them.
Cain Blythe is a public speaker and thought leader on nature finance. He is the founder and CEO of two pioneering organisations, CreditNature and Ecosulis, as well as the co-author of ‘Rewilding: The Radical New Science of Ecological Recovery‘. He is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management and has been recognised as one of the UKs 100 most influential environmentalists, a LinkedIn Top Voice in the UK and a finalist for Environmental Professional of the Year.
Come and meet industry experts and entrepreneurs, including Laura Coppen from H&M Group Ventures, Edward Brial from MATERRA, Max Easton from Smartex.AI, and Esmee Watts from Colorifix, to discuss the current and future state of fashion. From traceable regenerative cotton farming, to AI and smart hardware to lower waste in knitting; to biobased dyes created from nature’s brilliance.
We will discuss investment appetite and the connections between farm to finished product interlinking all these startups.
Powered by sundowner bubbles before the evening party.
Tokamak Energy will showcase a striking section of its world-first Demo4 fusion energy magnet system at THE HEAT. High temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology is essential to confine and control the hot plasma of fusion fuels inside a tokamak.
Demo4 will create huge magnetic forces – a million times stronger than the earth’s magnetic field – for testing in fusion power plant-relevant scenarios for the first time. This is a critical step required to inform the designs of next generation fusion devices.
Tokamak Energy will also bring VR headsets to give visitors a unique and interactive look inside a fusion power plant.
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.
Porpoise Power’s bio-inspired innovation enables energy production in a larger range of tidal flows and water depths than has previously been possible. This significantly expands the number of viable deployment sites and total potential capacity for tidal energy, transforming it from a niche technology into a mainstream solution for baseload renewable power. Critically, their breakthrough system makes tidal energy cost-competitive with offshore wind, but unlike wind, it can deliver predictable baseload power like much more expensive nuclear generation. With this innovation, Porpoise Power unlocks the potential to meet the entirety of the UK’s baseload electricity demand from tidal power alone.
Hedley Studios, formerly The Little Car Company, designs and manufactures drivable, scaled-down electric versions of iconic classic cars in partnership with brands like Bugatti, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. Each vehicle is hand-built in the UK, blending precision engineering with artistic craftsmanship to create functional automotive collectibles. One standout project is the Tamiya Wild One MAX, a full-size electric car inspired by the 1980s RC model, reimagined for real-world driving.
The worlds most advanced on-the-market small humanoid robot, the G1 is 132cm tall and 35kg with 27 motors. The G1 is designed for research and development and can be remote controlled to teach it new tasks. It is capable of running on terrain and we will have multiple unique demonstrations throughout the day.
Ranger Mini Navis is a fully autonomous indoor and outdoor robot capable of multiple autonomous missions. It will serve drinks during the event.
Bunker Pro Navis is the new all terrain fully autonomous robot designed for agricultural and renewable energy tasks. It is versatile and can be easily set up to complete an autonomous mission such as data collection, mowing or towing heavy payload.
Carbon Rewild monitors biodiversity using bioacoustic recording devices. They analyse environmental sound to identify birds, bats, and other species. The data supports ecological research, conservation, and land management.
Cordon Technologies builds precision spraying equipment for fruit farms and vineyards, focussed on reducing fertilizers and pesticides without reducing protection and nutrition. Cordon’s first product, the Loop Precision Mixer converts any sprayer into a multi-input, variable rate sprayer. This has been developed alongside and deployed into a number of the UK’s leading vineyards, and allows them to target their input to their crop’s specific needs. 2026 will see the launch of the Cordon Precision Sprayer, using a revolutionary atomisation technique and AI to dramatically cut pesticide requirements.
HotGreen is the first industrial heat pump company that can outcompete gas boilers on cost, saving plants money by switching to green heat. HotGreen will be demonstrating their sub-scale compressor, sharing the manufacturing methods that are used to create it, and the efficiency improvements that they realise over current heat pump systems.
Advanced chemistry and manufacturing techniques combine, producing an energy-dense enzymatic fuel cell capable of breaking down sugars in wastewater to generate clean, continuous electricity.
Mozaero develops airborne wind energy systems using compact, tethered fixed-wing aircraft to generate power in remote and off-grid locations. By operating at altitudes up to 800 meters, the technology captures stronger, more consistent winds, producing twice the energy per land area of conventional wind turbines while using significantly less material. These systems offer a mobile, low-impact alternative to diesel generators with reduced carbon emissions and minimal environmental footprint.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Rabin Yaghoubi, who has creatively crowdsourced the VOYAGERS Band for this evening’s entertainment, is the chief corporate development officer at Aleph Group, the global leader in powering digital media growth in over 130 emerging markets. Previously, he was chief commercial officer at Babylon Health, ran strategic partnerships for Google in EMEA (including launching key products like Maps and Shopping) and managed DoubleClick’s media business globally. Rabin is a prolific angel investor and advisor, having acted as EIR at Seedcamp, Europe’s leading early-stage fund, and invested in and advised over 50 early and late-stage digital businesses.
For centuries, we’ve known nature is valuable. We’ve felt it, we’ve written poetry about it. We’ve assigned it an abstract, intangible worth. Now, for the first time, we can make that value tangible. We can switch from abstract appreciation, to verifiable vitality.
Cain Blythe is a public speaker and thought leader on nature finance. He is the founder and CEO of two pioneering organisations, CreditNature and Ecosulis, as well as the co-author of ‘Rewilding: The Radical New Science of Ecological Recovery‘. He is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management and has been recognised as one of the UKs 100 most influential environmentalists, a LinkedIn Top Voice in the UK and a finalist for Environmental Professional of the Year.
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
Libalula is a modified car transporter that converts into a stealth DJ unit by night. Inspired by Burning Man art cars, the vehicle features a state-of-the-art BassBoss sound system designed for maximum mobility, with enough sonic firepower to magic up an instant party wherever it goes. With music programming by Journeys by DJ, and dazzling artwork by Fantastic UK, Libalula exemplifies the next generation of sound systems for discerning audiences that like to move it move it, any place, anytime.
Tim Fielding is the DJ/Producer behind Brainiak Records and acclaimed outfit “Journeys by DJ”. His peripatetic DJ sets, developed over many years’ involvement in UK clubs such as The End and in several Burning Man sound camps, cover roots reggae to soulful techno and diverse points in between.
Climate Superbrain, led by Zoe Peden – the ultimate game show pitting two brainiac teams against each other in a battle of intellect, wit and climate wisdom. If Never mind the Buzzcocks and QI had a science baby. Prepare to be an engaged audience, pick up a thing or two for climate trivial pursuit nights and exit with a big smile on your face!
We’re trying to save your coffee ritual from the onslaught of climate change by levering a patent pending fermentation technology, applied to locally sourced pulses. The result is our Koppie bean!
By 2030, the fashion industry will be facing a 133 Million tonne shortage of sustainable materials to meet incoming mandatory emissions regulation (BCG, 2023).
29acacia solves this problem by creating sustainable textiles from agricultural banana waste, a by-product of the food industry that is usually burned. By developing unique softening technology for banana fibre (IP), we’re able to replace unsustainable cotton, plug&play, with fibre that has 90% lower carbon footprint and 99% lower water use. Our scalable innovation has a proven pathway to price parity with organic cotton by 2028 and raises 200,000 farmers out of poverty by 2030. Our process by-product, organic fertiliser, is returned to farmers for zero-waste circularity.
Nanoweave converts agricultural waste into high-quality, cotton-type cellulose using a chemical-free, mechanical process. The system also produces nitrogen fertiliser and purifies water, all on-site to reduce emissions and costs. We’ll showcase our cellulose pulp and finished products like wipes and tampons at THE HEAT with existing commercial partners.
Ottan is a green-tech company that develops bio-based building materials upcycled from food and agricultural waste. Ottan’s materials are technical architectural surfaces designed for wall coverings, furniture, and a variety of products, contributing to sustainability in interiors.
KAVA Surfaces is a UK-based studio that transforms used coffee grounds and organic waste into sustainable surfaces for interiors and furniture. Their non-toxic, recyclable “eco veneer” combines organic fibres and eco-bonding resin, offering a low-impact alternative for designers and manufacturers. The process is now being licensed to local producers to support wider adoption and reduce environmental impact.
Materra is the one-stop nature-based solution for the fashion industry to source fully traceable regenerative cotton, at scale. Working with and for smallholder farmers, they build custom regenerative cotton farming programs and supply chains that are climate-resilient, traceable and equitable.
Crafting Plastics studio is an interdisciplinary studio focusing on circular design and research in innovative responsible materials.
Smartex uses AI solutions to help eliminate waste and optimise production in textile manufacturing. Our system integrates real-time fabric inspection with a digital management platform, empowering supply chains to reduce waste, cut down on unnecessary air freight, and shed light on the textile supply chain stage that accounts for 40% of the industry’s total emissions.
Under-23 (Proof of Age Required)
Team Festival Pass (5 tickets)
VIP Festival Pass
All Access Festival Pass
