When I first heard about Hello Tomorrow this December, the Turkey Finals were taking place. Deep-tech, building the future together, technology for the benefit of humanity... My excitement grew as I read about these concepts, and I started to research. Then I had made my decision. I absolutely had to attend the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit held in Paris every year, to breathe in the atmosphere of this ecosystem, listen to the exciting dreams about the future, and meet the people with whom I could share my dreams.
My first time attending the Hello Tomorrow Global Summit was worth every kilometer I traveled and every second I spent there. During the two-day summit, we experienced a simulation of two days of the future in every sense. All the speakers were world-class experts in their fields. On the same day, I had the chance to hear about the latest developments in Mars research from Anita Sengupta and possibly some inventions you have never heard of in the field of genetics from Harvard genius George Church. The summit was simply magnificent for me.
On one hand, it was possible to listen to unique deep-tech startups that had earned their place among the world's top 500 innovations in various fields in the booths on the lower floor every half of the day, and to meet entrepreneurs who create unique technologies to make the world a better place. On the other hand, we participated in sessions held in various and valuable fields such as space technologies, biology, the deep-tech ecosystem, and wellness that continued non-stop for two days.
I was part of the volunteer team at the summit. (Yes, I wore that cool purple t-shirt in the photos too :D) Volunteers had the chance to work at a predetermined location and task on one of the two days of the summit, becoming a part of those who built this magnificent summit, while on the other day, they could participate in sessions of their choice and listen to presentations of startups competing in four different categories. I had the opportunity to taste this unique experience by serving in the Meetup Room where special sessions were held on the first day, and on the other day, I enjoyed every moment of the summit by participating in beautiful sessions.
Among the startups that earned the right to attend the summit, one of my personal favorites regarding the problem they solve is RxAll, which became the first in the digital health category with its digital platform idea that allows us to quality check medical drugs. I hope that this platform, which can instantly detect counterfeit drugs, significantly reduces the number of people harmed by fake medications. In addition, X-Therma, the manufacturer of a transport device that can extend the normally maximum 1-2 hour transplantation time to up to 24 hours, was also one of the striking startups. Of course, I must not forget to mention NanomatTR, which earned the right to promote its projects at the summit as the winner of the Turkey finals; it was one of the most prominent startups in the food & agriculture and environment category with its ideas aimed at reducing the side effects of pesticide release using natural nanotubes in the agriculture industry.
Alongside these innovative ideas I encountered in the booths, Geen Biotechnology, which is conducting significant promising work using the latest technologies in the field of viral cancer treatment, was another valuable startup that I got to know thanks to the Hello Tomorrow 2019 summit, and perhaps the most important contribution of the summit to me is that we have started working together for a shared dream.
In summary, the HT Summit was a fantastic experience filled with invaluable speakers, startup presentations, project exhibitions, and special sessions, where you could meet technology enthusiasts from all over the world, share your ideas, and even find your dream partners.
See you next year!
Asena Ok
