VytahConf 2024 guide: Conference 101
Bratislava, in April, is a beautiful, bustling city full of history and sights to see, such as the castle shown below. However, that is not why I am going to the town; instead, I am there for something special: VytahConf.
VytahConf is the premier space business conference in the CEE region with over 12 world-class speakers; it's your opportunity to join the new space race.
No one should leave the conference feeling like they missed out on something, so let's ensure you can maximize your time at the event to network and balance the various talks. Reading this article gives you a roadmap to make the most of the event.
9:10 Cassini Matchmaking
The first thing on the agenda is the Cassini Matchmaking starting at 9:10. The Vytah Space Business Conference in Bratislava will host the second CASSINI Matchmaking of 2024. The CASSINI program fosters the growth of European startups through mentorship, funding, and access to a network of resources and opportunities. In this year’s edition of VytahConf they will have 10 startups pitching on the main stage. This is a very interesting opportunity for anyone in attendance from a learning perspective and who knows maybe you will like one of the startups and help contribute to their success.
How to approach each speaker (in order of appearance)
You will find each speaker's short bio, appearance time, and suggested questions.
10:30 Balazs Slezak -Wozify
He is the CEO and founder of Wozify, a technology and innovation consulting firm. Balazs is also a mentor in multiple startup accelerators working with ESA, EUSPA's Cassini program, and NASA, among others.
Suggested Questions:
- What are the most common mistakes in startup development regarding the space industry?
- What is the role of the web in earth observation data?
- How does it become a part of these startup accelerators? Any tips or tricks?
10:45 Géraldine Caudron-Airbus
Géraldine is a sales manager for Airbus Intelligence Business Line. She's responsible for Northern and Eastern Europe and specializes in Earth Observation constellations.
Suggested Questions:
- What are Airbus's imagery services?
- How can a small startup-type business leverage Airbus's constellation?
- Is there room for cooperation between smaller companies and large corporations?
11:00 Johannes Willbold — Ruhr University
Johannes is a satellite and space system security researcher and doctoral student at the Ruhr University Bochum. In 2023, he published his award-winning paper "Space Odyssey: An Experimental Software Security Analysis of Satellites." In other words, he sometimes hacks satellites to find any failures in security. If you are a security person, he is your guy.
Suggested Questions:
- How can a dev break into the space industry?
- What are some of the significant problems in space security?
- Why is cyber security so crucial for space? Isn't it all collaboration first, so data should be open source, no?
12:00 Leszek Orzechowski — Space Is More
Leszek is the CEO of Space is More, a space design team that has won numerous international awards, including in the ESA moon challenge. He is also a part of the ESA Tropical team for analog research, preparing experiments for the Axiom 4 mission.
Suggested Questions:
- What is the place of creatives and humanities specialists in space?
- What is the process of designing such impactful projects?
- How do you balance multiple creative visions on a given project?
12:15 Tomas Hammam — Space Villages
Tomas Hamann is an experienced senior project manager. Previously, he worked at OHB and ArianeGroup. He is now the Head of Business Development at Space Villages. The company focuses on simplifying space infrastructure.
Suggested Questions:
- From a scientist's perspective: How can I conduct science in space and in which regions?
- In what way is space infrastructure too complex?
- What is the importance of your partnership with Cassini?
12:30 Neil Montero — Space Forge
Neil Monteiro is a Microgravity Research Manager at Space Forge, responsible for the microgravity-as-a-service offering of the ForgeStar platform. Before this, he worked as a full-time science presenter.
Suggested Questions:
- Why manufacture in space?
- What are some complications with the process of fabrication?
- How has your role as a Science communicator helped you in your current job?
14:30 Daniel Sagath —Sario
Daniel is currently the International Cooperation Manager at the Slovak Space Office — Industry Branch and is a member of the national delegation to ESA (industrial policy and technology harmonization). In other words, if you are a Slovak company, talk to him.
Suggested Questions:
- How can Slovak space companies integrate more significant European space initiatives?
- What are some of the differences you have remarked on during your time at the Slovak Space Office and the Netherlands Space Office?
- How can expertise in policy be vital for someone looking to get involved in space?
14:45 Dinka Dinkova — DG DEFIS
Ms Dinka Dinkova is Deputy Head of Unit at the European Commission's Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS). DG DEFIS leads the European Commission's Defence Industry and Space sector activities. It is similar to Daniel yet in a European context.
Suggested Questions:
- How can startups harness the directives and movements of larger institutions such as the European Commission?
- Is the uptake of space data a problem for society?
- According to the European Commission, what are the booming sectors to invest (high growth)?
15:00 Stefan Schneider — EUSPA
Stefan Schneider serves as the Space Downstream Entrepreneurship Officer at EUSPA, the European Union Agency for the Space Programme, where he oversees the Cassini initiative. The Cassini initiative is crucial for any European space startup.
Suggested Questions:
- What is the importance of Cassini?
- What are the goals you are trying to achieve by promoting entrepreneurship?
- Do you have any advice for startups or individuals seeking to discover potential space venture partners?
15:15 Erika Hlavata— CVTI
Erika works as a Slovak National Contact Point for Horizon Europe Cluster 4 — Digital, Industry, and Space at CVTI SR. She is the CNational contact point for COSMOS4HE and is a panelist in hybrid Q&A sessions She knows European, international, and national funding sources.
Suggested Questions:
- Which type of funding (international, national, European) should a startup first pursue?
- What are some of the main issues you see for a company looking for funding?
- Where can startups find information for funding?
16:00 Raphael Roettgen — Prometheus Life
Raphael Roettgen is a space investor with E2MC or Eath 2 (to) Mars Capital, a venture fund dedicated to investing in companies that will bring us to mats. He is also co-founder and CEO of Prometheus Life Technologies, which seeks to leverage space for therapies. He is a valuable contact as an investor or someone with biomedical expertise.
Suggested Questions:
- What are the keys to getting funding in the space startup world?
- How is space a suitable environment to develop therapies?
- As an investor, where is the highest growth potential in the space sector?
16:20 Guillermo Söhnlein — Humans2Venus
Guillermo Sohnlein is co-founder and CEO of Humans2Venus, a space venture studio with a long-term vision of establishing a permanent presence of 1,000 people in the Venusian atmosphere by 2050. He is a Silicon Valley veteran with expertise in all types of startups.
Suggested Questions:
- What are the technologies or companies that can support your vision to get to Venus?
- How can big ideas like your goal with your fund be brought to life?
- As someone who has done many ventures, what is the one lesson you wish you knew when you started?
17:00 Kelly Wienersmith — A City On Mars: Keynote speaker
Kelly is an adjunct faculty member in the BioSciences Department at Rice University. She is also an author with her husband, Zach Weinersmith (creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal Comics). Their books, "Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That'll Improve and/or Ruin Everything" and "A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?" are New York Times Bestsellers.
Suggested Questions:
- Where do you see the industry going from a big-picture perspective in the long term?
- How do media and books contribute to the advancement of the space business?
- Was the book A City on Mars a side project? And if so, what is the importance, in your opinion, of being a creative and self-initiated project?
And there you have that is how to approach Vytah 2024. I look forward to seeing you there and getting to know a bit more about your stories. As always, keep curious and learning.
Website: www.vytahconf.com
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vytahconf-space-business-conference-tickets-681748507137?aff=erelexpmlt
Question: adam@vytahconf.com
Below is a barebone view of the schedule. For more detailed information, please refer to the website.
Intro:
8:30 Open door + registration
9:00 Conference Opening
Block 1: Cassini Matchmaking (Public)
9:10 Intro
9:20 Pitches
10:10 Networking coffee
Block 2: Software
10:30 Balazs Slezak - Wozify
10:45 Géraldine Caudron - Airbus
11:00 Johannes Willbold - Ruhr University
11:15 Hybrid panel Q&A session
11:30 Networking coffee
Block 3: Hardware
12:00 Leszek Orzechowski - Space Is More
12:15 Tomas Hamman - Space Villages
12:30 Neil Monteiro - Space Forge
12:45 Hybrid panel Q&A session
Lunch
Block 4: Institutional Help
14:30 Daniel Sagath - Sario
14:45 Dinka Dinkova - DG DEFIS
15:00 Stefan Schneider - EUSPA
15:15 Hybrid panel Q&A session (Including Erika Hlavata from CVTI)
15:30 Networking coffee
Block 5: ...And Beyond
16:00 Raphael Roettgen - Prometheus Life
16:20 Guillermo Söhnlein - Humans2Venus
16:40 Networking coffee (Q&A session merged with keynote)
Block 6:
17:00 Kelly Wienersmith - A City On Mars
17:40 Q&A session (inc. and beyond speakers)
18:00 Closing and photoshoot
