Last week, Voxdale was present at the SuperNova tech festival in Antwerp, an event that united future-thinkers, founders, and innovators from all over Europe. Among the mainstage highlights was our venture partner, Bert Bruggeman—Chairman of The Ocean Cleanup, former Tesla VP, and one of Europe’s leading voices on scaling technology.

In his keynote “Embracing a Symbiotic Future,” Bert challenged the audience to reconsider our relationship with nature—not as a constraint to growth, but as the key to long-term economic success. This wasn’t just about environmentalism; it was a bold call for systemic change, where technological progress and ecological stewardship are no longer opposing forces, but intertwined drivers of the next industrial leap.

Our Key Takeaways from SuperNova

🔋 Europe Has the Talent, Ideas, and Ambition

Bert and our CEO, Tim Dieryckx, both underlined it: the seeds for greatness are here. From Belgian labs to European garages, we see brilliant minds solving hard problems. What’s needed now is support that scales—ambition that’s backed by experience, capital, and vision.

🎯 Dream Big, Sell Bigger One recurring theme?

Founders must learn to sell not just what is, but what can be. The real game-changers are those who sell a vision that excites customers and investors alike. This means finding the kind of investors who are in the business of buying an exciting vision of what is ultimately possible.

🌍 Think Beyond Borders—Now 

Waiting to “validate locally” before going international? That mindset is holding us back. Bert pushed founders to explore markets and investors outside Belgium early on. Whether it’s Europe-wide scaling or looking across the Atlantic, boldness is rewarded.

🧠 It’s Not About the Tech

It’s About Solving Problems. Too often, technical founders obsess over the solution rather than the business. The message was clear: technology is just the means. The real innovation lies in solving meaningful problems and building ventures that are economically viable and scalable.

💡 Universities Are Full of Untapped Opportunity 

Tim noted that many academic institutions are eager to spin off technologies but struggle to bring them to market. This opens up exciting opportunities for partnerships, venture-building, and hands-on guidance—something we at Voxdale are deeply committed to.

Why This Matters for Hardware and IoT Innovation

As we look to the future, we believe hardware innovation must lead the way—especially in sectors like sustainability, mobility, and health. At SuperNova, we saw this belief come to life both on and next to the stage, meeting brilliant teams behind ventures like Idevax, Cyclowax, Sealution, Uze Energy, Loop Earplugs, Nobi, Otiv, Faast, D-CRBN, QustomDot, Skinetix, Palmpki, Bloom BioTech, Optiflux, Mahi, Raw Stadia, Rise Global, and SenHive.

The message was clear: hardware is rising, and the momentum is real.

But making that leap requires more than great tech—it demands strategic thinking, the right partnerships, and the courage to aim higher. Voxdale is here to help ambitious entrepreneurs and forward-thinking corporates turn physical product ideas into scalable businesses. From concept to production, and from dream to market—we’re building what’s next.

📩 Curious to collaborate or take your product to the next level? Let’s talk.

Images ©SuperNova - Jelle Jansegers