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What are the features of a deep tech startup?
TechWorks defines “deep tech” as “technology that is based on tangible engineering innovation or scientific advances and discoveries.” It can cover many technological areas such as processing and computing architecture innovations, advances in semiconductors and electronic systems, power electronics, vision and speech algorithms, artificial intelligence and machine learning, haptics, and more.
What are the features of a deep tech startup?
They deal with fundamental problems. 97% of the UN startups meet at least one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals: modernizing infrastructure, developing clean energy, creating responsible production, developing education and health care systems, etc.
They work at the technology interface. 96% of deep tech startups combine at least two different technologies and about 70% work with patented technologies.
They are more likely to make physical products than just software. 83% of deep techs create physical products. Therefore, they integrate the capabilities of technology into the physical world.
They are the focus of a large ecosystem. About 1,500 universities and research laboratories are involved in deep tech and receive about 1,500 government grants each year.
Although deep techs represent a minority among all startups, their influence is significant over a longer period.
High-flyers in deep tech
SpaceX is a deep tech pioneer who disrupted the aerospace industry by producing reusable rockets and spaceships, reducing the cost of going to space by a factor of 10. They achieved this by combining advanced materials and chemicals developed in the last 20 years with vertical integration and the modular approach of modern software engineering.
PASQAL, the startup founded by several students, creatively uses fundamental physics combined with software engineering and data science to create an analog quantum processor.
DeepMind is an artificial intelligence company that created a neural network which imitates how the human brain works and learns to play video games. They also developed a neuronal Turing machine capable of accessing external memory.
Lilium Aviation is an aviation startup that wants to change entirely the way people travel. It is developing the world’s first fully-electric jet with vertical take-off and landing. Lightweight, silent, and environmentally friendly, the plane seeks to eliminate congestion and pollution from cities and offer inter-city travel faster than public transportation.
Aromyx is taking taste and smell to the digital world. To do so, it has created a platform that captures, indexes, and searches for data on aroma and flavors. It could benefit companies working in the food, consumer goods, chemicals, or agricultural industries.
DarkTraceapplied machine learning to cyber defense. It uses artificial intelligence to stop cybercrimes “before they occur.”
Sophia Genetics focuses on data-based medicine. The company’s technology helps doctors better diagnose and treat patients. According to the company, “democratizing data-driven medicine is helping save lives.”
So as you see, deep tech offers fundamental ways of solving actual problems, and often they are new and unpredictable. They drive us forward and allow us to take the next step higher. Thus, you can implement the most extraordinary and unique solutions to various problems with this technology. The main thing is to analyze and act.