01
Tickets
Book your free ticket
Tickets to the HYDROVERSE CONVENTION are available via Eventbrite. Attendance at our event is free of charge, but booking a ticket is mandatory. We look forward to seeing you!Â
Even though the ticket is free of charge, we kindly request that you inform Carolin Nickel (carolin.nickel@h2ub.com) or send your cancellation via Eventbrite in case you are unable to attend. This helps us to plan more sustainably. Your cooperation is appreciated.
02
About the Event
Welcome to the HYDROVERSE CONVENTION, where we focus on start-up innovation, venture building, implementation of innovative hydrogen technologies, financing and funding, recruitment, and much more!Â
HYDROVERSE CONVENTION #2024 Trailer
Experience the HYDROVERSE CONVENTION in our trailer: We’ll be back again this year with even more start-ups, speakers and an expanded program. Join us for the next round of hydrogen innovation!
HYDROVERSE CONVENTION #2023
Last year’s HYDROVERSE CONVENTION was a huge success with more than 350 hydrogen experts gathering in Essen, Germany.
Take a stroll down memory lane and discover the first HYDROVERSE CONVENTION in our recap.
03
Program
Discover insightful pitches, thought-provoking panels and inspiring networking sessions. We are designing the program to create an engaging experience for attendees of all backgrounds and interests.
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10:30-10:50 AM
Opening address
with Hendrik WĂĽst, Minister President of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
10:50-11:15 AM
Keynote #1
Keynote Speaker: Michael Liebreich (Managing Partner of EcoPragma Capital and CEO of Liebreich Associates)
11:15-12:00 AM
Pitching Session: H2UB SPRINT #5 on stage
#HYDROVERSE Jury: Cristina Doumitrachko (DeepTech & Climate Fonds), Dörte Hirschberg (Climentum Capital), Dr. Charlotte Kirk (Fortescue Energy), Khangzhen Leow (AP Ventures), Kai Martin (Shell Ventures), Dr. Johannes Triebs (Earlybird-X)
12:00-12:30 PM
Panel #1 - Push and Pull: Stimulating and financing the H2 economy to catalyse growth
With Guillaume Lesueur (Hy24) and Katherina Reiche (Westenergie)
12:30-02:30 PM
B2B Meeting – One-on-One Sessions – Exhibition
02:30 - 02:45 PM
Keynote #2
Keynote Speaker: Jorgo Chatzimarkakis (Hydrogen Europe)
02:45 - 3:30 PM
Pitching Session: Start-ups ready to scale
with Stargate Hydrogen and Turn2X
3:30 - 4:00 PM
Panel #2 - Open for collaboration: hydrogen production, steel industry and hard-to-abate emissions
With Nils Aldag (Sunfire) and Dr. Sopna Sury (RWE)
04:00 - 04:45 PM
Break
04:45 - 05:10 PM
Panel #3 - Start, Scale, Grow! From prototyping to industrial scaling
With Philipp Engelkamp (Ineratec) and Luc Graré (Lhyfe)
05:10 - 05:45 PM
Fireside Chat: Climate challenge calling! Serial Entrepreneurs moving into Hydrogen
With Trevor Best (Syzygy Plasmonics), Niklas Friederichsen (Greenlyte) and Philipp Kessler (Turn2X)
05:45 - 06:00 PM
Award Ceremony
Presentation of the HYDROVERSE CONVENTION Award
06:00 PM
Aftershow Party
04
Start-Ups
Meet our start-ups
A wide range of European Hydrogen Start-ups will give you unique insights into their business ideas and pilot projects.
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05
Speaker
Speaker
Nils Aldag
Nils Aldag is co-founder, CEO and Managing Director of Sunfire, a leading global electrolysis company headquartered in Dresden, Germany.
Nils was appointed to the CEO group of the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance by the European Commission in 2020. As a board member of the leading association Hydrogen Europe, he also helps to represent the interests of the hydrogen industry and its stakeholders and to promote hydrogen as a fuel of the future. Previously, he was active as Vice-Chair of the Renewable Hydrogen Coalition in Brussels from 2021 to 2023.Â
Trevor Best
Trevor Best is the CEO and Co-Founder of Syzygy Plasmonics.
Syzygy is pioneering industrial reactor cells designed to produce chemicals at lower cost and with fewer carbon emissions. Their reactions are driven by light rather than combustion, enabling a substantially more efficient process. Before starting Syzygy, Trevor worked for the oilfield services company Baker Hughes. There he held a variety of management positions and gained expertise in technology development, project and personnel management, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance.
Jorgo Chatzimarkakis
Jorgo Chatzimarkakis has been working at Hydrogen Europe since 2016. He currently holds the position of CEO.
He previously covered roles in the planning department of the Foreign Office of Germany, at Infineon Technologies and was Member of the European Parliament (2004-2014) inter alia in the ITRE Committee (Industry, Technology, Research and Energy) where he could contribute to lay the cornerstone for the first and the second Joint Undertaking on hydrogen and fuel cells. He was awarded Hydrogen Person of the Year at the World Hydrogen Awards 2022.
Philipp Engelkamp
Philipp Engelkamp is co-CEO and co-founder of INERATEC, a pioneer in the production of sustainable e-Fuels and e-chemicals from CO2 and hydrogen.
The company uses modular Power-to-X plants to boost the availability of sustainable fuels, enabling the shift from fossil fuels into the next era of mobility. Philipp leads the business development and the sales department of INERATEC. He presents INERATEC as a Top Innovator in SAF selected by the World Economic Forum, to drive the sustainable transformation of the aviation sector.
Luc Graré
Luc Graré is Head of Central and Eastern Europe at Lhyfe.
Prior to that, he was global Vice President Sales & Marketing at NEL. He has more than 12 years’ experience in Renewable Energy and served as global Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing at Norwegian solar panel manufacturer REC. Before that, Luc Graré was commercial director at LG Electronics in Europe for seven years. Until March 2017, he was member of the Board of the European solar association SolarPower Europe.
Guillaume Lesueur
Guillaume Lesueur is Head of the Clean Hydrogen Equipment Fund at Hy24.
He has 20 years of experience in M&A and investment management across private markets and industrial investments. Hy24 manages the world’s largest clean hydrogen infrastructure fund, which is today up and running with 2 billion euros of allocations and has already made 7 investments. The fund ambitions to invest in the whole clean hydrogen value chain, deploying large scale projects and technologies in the most dynamic geographies in Europe, Asia, and America.
Michael Liebreich
Michael Liebreich is managing partner of EcoPragma Capital and CEO of Liebreich Associates.
He is an honorary fellow of the Energy Institute and visiting professor at Imperial College London. Former roles include member of the UK’s Taskforce on Energy Efficiency, chairing the subgroup on industry and an advisor to the UK Board of Trade, an advisor to the UN on Sustainable Energy for All, a member of the board of Transport for London and founder of BloombergNEF.
Uwe Pahl
Uwe Pahl is co-founder and currently CTO of AMBARtec AG, Dresden.
He holds a degree in chemical technology and process engineering and has extensive experience in the energy sector, having worked in engineering companies for power stations, basic engineering, detail engineering, permits, site management and commissioning.
Katherina Reiche
Katherina Reiche has a degree in chemistry and has been the CEO of Westenergie AG since January 1st, 2020.
Since June 2020, she also has been serving as the honorary Chairwoman of the National Hydrogen Council, which advises the German Federal Government on implementing Germany’s National Hydrogen Strategy. And since April 2023, she has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Schaeffler AG. Previously, she was a member of the German Bundestag for 17 years, six of them as a member of the federal government and state secretary in two federal ministries.Â
Matthias Rudloff
Matthias Rudloff is the co-founder and current CEO of AMBARtec AG in Dresden.
He holds a degree in energy and process engineering and has extensive experience in the energy sector, having worked with major municipal utilities and start-ups, primarily in project and business development roles.
Dr. Sopna Sury
Sopna Sury is currently the Chief Operating Officer Hydrogen on the Executive Board of RWE Generation SE.
She is responsible for the group-wide coordination and expansion of RWE’s hydrogen activities. Under her leadership, RWE has set a growth target of 2 GW electrolyser capacity by 2030, supported by a 10 GW project pipeline. Sopna Sury has been Chair of the Hydrogen Europe association since April 2023. In May 2023, she started her mandate as a member of the Hydrogen Delivery Council.Â
Marko Virkebau
Marko Virkebau is the CEO and Co-Founder of Stargate Hydrogen.
Founded in 2021, Stargate builds electrolysers and develops alkaline electrolysis technology. They developed a new catalyst material, based on ceramic materials, that offers higher efficiencies and lower cost compared to traditional nickel and PGM-based solutions. Stargate was one of the few electrolyser OEMs that received IPCEI support and is currently executing MW-scale projects in a number of EU countries.
Hendrik WĂĽst
Hendrik WĂĽst is Minister President of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Hendrik WĂĽst was born on 19 July 1975 in Rhede. Since 27 October 2021, Hendrik WĂĽst has been the 12th Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia. On 28 June 2022, he was re-elected by the members of the state parliament.
Jury
Cristina Doumitrachko
Cristina Doumitrachko is a member of the Investment Team at DeepTech & Climate Fonds.
In her role, she is responsible for managing a €1 billion fund focused on growth-stage investments in Europe. With an engineering background and industry expertise, she is committed to assessing emerging technologies, expanding her focus on hydrogen and beyond. Her entrepreneurial acumen, evident from her previous role as a Founder, reflects a multifaceted dedication to innovation and startup engagement within the European ecosystem.
Dörte Hirschberg
Dörte Hirschberg is a General Partner at Climentum Capital responsible for the DACH region.
She is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with a strong network, including from her time in consulting with McKinsey. She led the global HR team as well as the incubation programme at Rocket Internet, scaling more than 50 startups from the idea stage to Series A. In addition she built her own SaaS company (IdeaFox) and was part of the global leadership team of the unicorn HelloFresh.
Dr. Charlotte Kirk
Dr. Charlotte Kirk leads technology developments and manages investments at Fortescue Energy.
She is a recognized specialist in zero-carbon and hydrogen-based solutions that unlock deep decarbonisation and enable a renewables driven industrial transformation. Her deep scientific expertise in the Power-to-X sector stems from her PhD research analysing renewable hydrogen and ammonia technologies. Since then she has almost a decade of experience working with a diverse and global client base.
Khangzhen Leow
Khangzhen Leow is part of the investment team at AP Ventures.
AP Ventures is a leading venture capital fund manager investing in technologies which aim to advance the decarbonisation of industry and transportation focusing on the hydrogen and carbon value chain. He has over 10 years’ of experience in climate tech, including at a PE fund focusing on circularity, at a sustainable technology advisory with a focus on hydrogen and also at a startup.
Kai Martin
Kai serves as an Investment Manager at Shell Ventures. His focus lies on the decarbonization of heat, power, and resources sectors.
With a background in aerospace engineering, Kai possesses robust industrial experience, having held positions in corporate development at Rolls-Royce and leading climate technology investments at Baker Hughes (GE). His experience as a clinical genomics researcher has equipped him with a deep understanding of industrial biotechnology’s pivotal tool for resource decarbonization.
Dr. Johannes Triebs
Earlybird-X
Dr. Johannes Triebs is partner at Earlybird-X, the (pre-)seed fund of Earlybird Venture Capital.
Earlybird‑X backs deep tech innovation, including AI, novel computing, industrial & climate tech – tapping into a network of leading European universities.Â
06
Location
The HYDROVERSE CONVENTION #2024 will be held at the Colosseum Theater in Essen, Germany.
The Colosseum Theater is easily accessible by public transport (Berliner Platz station) – including various lines of the subway (U11, U17, U18), tram (101, 103, 105, 106, 109) and bus lines.
To protect the environment, we recommend using public transportation to get to the venue. If you arrive by car, we suggest using the nearby parking space at NordhofstraĂźe. A day ticket costs 4 Euro.
Address for navigation:
NordhofstraĂźe Westviertel 45127 Essen
Please note that hotels in Essen and the surrounding area are currently charging higher rates due to the European Football Championship in June. We therefore recommend that you book your accommodation in good time for the HYDROVERSE CONVENTION on June 18, 2024.
The following hotels are in walking distance to the Colosseum Theater Essen:
Motel One Essen
Phone: +49 (201) 437 537-0
E-Mail: essen@motel-one.com
Distance to venue: 0,9 km
Ramada by Wyndham Essen
Phone: +49 (0) 201 / 1779-175
E-Mail: reservations@ramadaessen.com
Distance to venue: 1,1 km
Flowers Hotel Essen
Frohnhauser StraĂźe 55
45127 Essen
Distance to venue: 0,3 km
Holiday Inn Essen City Center
Frohnhauser StraĂźe 6
45127 Essen
Distance to venue: 0,3 km
B&B Hotel Essen
Helmut-Käutner-Straße 4
45127 Essen
Distance to venue: 0,4 km
Boutique Essen City
HoffnungsstraĂźe 19
45127 Essen
Distance to venue: 0,5 km
07
H2UB
H2UB – The #HYDROVERSE
H2UB is Europe’s leading open innovation platform for the whole hydrogen value chain. We collaborate with the brightest entrepreneurs, companies and investors to reach one goal: net-zero. The HYDROVERSE CONVENTION is the European hydrogen start-up event of the year. If you are into hydrogen innovation, don’t miss it!Â
Read more about the H2UB, our start-up programs and events on our website: www.h2ub.com
08
Press
Pictures 2023
Here you can find pictures from last year for free use. When using the photos, please refer to the source H2UB.Â
Logo-Kit #2023
All pictures #2023
Press Releases 2023
English press release
HYDROVERSE CONVENTION brings 350 experts from the hydrogen industry to Essen
Deutsche Pressemitteilung
HYDROVERSE CONVENTION holt 350 Expert*innen aus der Wasserstoff-Wirtschaft nach Essen
Press & Media Information
FAQ – Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, press representatives can be accredited for free for the HYDROVERSE CONVENTION #2024. More information will be available as soon as tickets are on sale.
No, a press card is not necessary for accreditation.
No, there is no limit to the number of press tickets available. We can provide press tickets to all interested media representatives.
Just come to our registration desk, check in with your name, and you will receive a press badge.
We are happy to facilitate interviews with your desired interview partners. Please submit your interview request to Marina Scheider, PR & Communications (marina.scheider@h2ub.com). Once we have received all the necessary details, we will notify the requested speaker and provide them with your contact information so they can reach out to you directly.
Yes, we provide a dedicated business area on-site for accredited press representatives to conduct interviews.
09
Contact
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions, requests or suggestions.
Carolin Nickel
Event Management
Marina Scheider
PR & Communications