On the 6th and 7th of February we hosted the very first SynBioReactor StartUp x Investor Summit.  The first conference of its kind that bridges the gap between investors, start-ups, stakeholders and scientists in the field of synthetic Biology! Born from the idea of the SynBio World Café, our previous industry networking event and predecessor to the SynBioReactor, this event was fundamentally designed with the premise of fostering a supportive, healthy and deeply interwoven network of SynBio-enthusiasts in Germany. Experts from industry and academia alike shared their expertise with newcomers of the economic SynBio landscape, and in turn were inspired by fresh and new ideas and perspectives. This exchange is the very thing that enables a flourishing SynBio economy!

More than one year of work has paid off during these two incredible days. We were especially happy to see an even distribution of investors, start-ups, and academics among our participants, mixing various people with different ideas and approaches, that would not have met under other circumstances. This tore down any barriers one might encounter, and we were left with newcomers and veterans chatting freely about their passions. Something that was dear to our own hearts, was the incredibly close and familiar atmosphere that resonated throughout the entire event. Not only could we meet our participants on a personal level, it also was the perfect environment for learning and development.

Development was at the forefront of the SynBioReactor, especially the Investor sessions were filled with hard earned wisdom. Experts shared their knowledge about crucial obstacles along the way of making an established company out of a start-up. Ranging from “working with investors 101” over “designing a good product” to “surviving the first hurdles of a start-up”, no topic of interest was left untouched. The level of closeness was especially apparent in our attendee favourites, the fireside chats! An innovative format that perfectly fits the explorative nature of the SynBioReactor. No presentation, no script, just spontaneous authenticity and heartfelt advice from experts at the forefront of SynBio industry.  Leaving a session or a talk always meant leaving the room with fresh ideas, considerations and most importantly, motivation and inspiration.

We were especially happy to see that these new ideas did not just stick with our participants, but they wanted to get out! As a result, we found mingling people all over the SynBioReactor. The perfect opportunity for this were our speed-networking sessions. To further support our participants to build a strong network, we implemented a booking system, that allowed our guests to schedule 1 to 1 meetings with other attendees to find new business partners!

The familiar atmosphere of the SynBioReactor fostered an environment where our participants could closely work together during various workshops to further flesh out ideas, gain 1 to 1 advice from experts and take away crucial learnings for founding a company or a start-up. Working together on a personal level during the SynBioReactor was an important feature for us in order to connect the relevant players of tomorrows SynBio economy, providing newcomers with unmatched guidance. Even after the event, we are very happy to receive many inquiries of investors to be connected with start-ups they have seen on the SynBioReactor. During start-up pitches, these upcoming players had the opportunity to present themselves in front of a multifaceted audience of experts and enthusiasts. We are proud to see that we were able to connect start-ups with investors and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing how they can grow and flourish during the next years!

The SynBioReactor was overwhelming, not only as an event that was filled to the brim with wonderful moments, but also in terms of the incredible feedback that we received from you! It fills our hearts with joy to see that you enjoyed this event just as much as we did. Some of our guests have already referred to the SynBioReactor as “the prime event for SynBio industry in Europe” and we feel more than honoured to hear this from our participants. We want to thank everyone who helped us make the dream of the first SynBioReactor a reality. So, lots of thanks to all of our sponsors, partners, speakers, start-ups, investors, participants and last but not least, our wonderful SynBioReactor team that masterfully orchestrated this unique event!

Many of you have departed from our event by saying, “see you next year!” and we can not wait to meet you again for the second SynBioReactor in 2026!