#This week in Dutch tech: TNW Conference edition

With less than seven days to go for TNW Conference in Amsterdam on June 20 and 21, this roundup comes with a twist: our editorial team’s picks of the event’s unmissable speakers and talks! 

But before we get to that, let’s dive into the news.

News Highlights

• Amsterdam suspends shared cargo ebike service Cargoroo over ‘failed questionnaire’ (TNW)
• Report: The Netherlands is the leading startup ecosystem in the EU (TNW)
• Dutch home-building platform lands €1.1M to help solve housing crisis (TNW)
• The Netherlands invests €13M to develop innovative satellite communications (Spaceoffice.nl)
• Dutch startup UPyTher raises seed funding to advance peritoneal cancer treatment (Silicon Canals)

Our picks of not-to-miss talks

“Reviving VanMoof: McLaren Applied’s Strategic Acquisition and Growth Support”

The fireside chat will take place on Day 1 of the event between 14:20 and 14:40 on the Vision Stage.

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Eliott Wertheimer, who joined VanMoof as co-CEO last year, will discuss how McLaren Applied acquired and saved the famous ebike startup after it went bankrupt in July 2023.

Wertheimer will delve into the challenges of reviving a struggling startup, and share his insights into crafting an efficient strategy under pressure and building back consumer trust.

Our reporter Siôn Geschwindt will be moderating the talk and has shared why he’s excited to jump on the discussion.

“The Period(ic) Table: An Algorithm for Natural Birth Control”

The talk will take place on Day 2 of the conference between 10:50 and 11:10 on the Growth Quarters stage.

A Nobel Prize winner in physics, in 2013, Elina Berglund co-founded Natural Cycles, the world’s first medically-cleared contraceptive app.

Offering an alternative to hormone-based methods, the app helps women track their fertility using machine learning.

At TNW Conference, Berglund will reveal the science and technology behind Natural Cycles. She will also provide insights into the role of data in healthcare apps, and will share her compelling journey from physics to entrepreneurship.

Read why our reporter Ioanna Lykiardopoulou is excited about the talk.

“Humanism: The Philosophical Debate for AI Ethics”

On Day 2 of  the event, this insightful panel session will take place between 12:30 and 13:10 on the Vision stage.

Panelists include Aliya Grig, founder of Evolwe AI, founder and CEO of “mad science incubator” Socos Labs Dr Vivienne Ming, the “father of AGI” and CEO of SingularityNET Ben Goertzel, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association Gary Shapiro, and Ekaterina Almasque, general partner at VC OpenOcean.

Expect a thought-provoking discussion on the ethical considerations around artificial intelligence.

With AI becoming an integral part of how our world operates, what kind of ethical safeguards do we need to make sure it’s fair and equitable? How can we ensure that AI systems are ethical and unbiased? And who should be responsible for making these decisions?

Read the talk’s preview by our senior editor Linnea Ahlgren.

“From Virtual to Victory: Formula E’s Tech-Infused Race for Greatness”

The keynote will take place on Day 2 of the conference between 14:05 and 14:25 on the Vision stage.

António Félix da Costa, a world champion of Formula E (think Formula 1 but for EVs), will peel back the curtain on the cutting-edge technologies propelling race cars. 

He’ll also delve into the latest innovations in motorsports, from metaverse simulators to AI-optimised steering.

Later that afternoon, Da Costa will also join our senior reporter Thomas Macaulay at the TNW Talks stage for a Q&A session with the audience. Read why Thomas is looking forward to both sessions.

Behind the scenes of TNW Conference 2024

If you’d like to know what’s happening behind the scenes of our flagship event, we have you covered.

This week’s TNW Podcast features an interview with Zach Butler, our Director of Events. Zach discusses what it takes to bring such an event to life and shares what you can expect.

You can listen to the podcast here.

That’s all for this week’s round-up. Until next Friday, tot ziens!

If you want to attend TNW Conference, we’ve got a special offer for our readers. At the ticket checkout, use the code TNWXMEDIA to get 30% off your business pass, investor pass, or startup packages (Bootstrap and Scaleup).