Dutch at Slush 2024: Meet the four 4TU startups who are fundraising at the world’s most founder-focused event

Slush 2024, the most founder-focused event on earth, is nearly upon us!

Scheduled for November 20 – 21 at Messukeskus in Helsinki, Finland, the two-day event will host over 13,000 attendees, including 5,500 startup founders and operators, 3,300 investors, 300 limited partners, and 250 media representatives.

This year, Slush embraces the theme of “Metamorphosis,” inviting attendees to embark on a journey of radical transformation.

Additionally, for the third consecutive year, Slush stands as the largest venture capital gathering in the world, with over $3T in assets under management under one roof.

Alongside the two-day Slush main event, Slush Week includes over 300 side events throughout the city, culminating in the official Slush Afterparty on November 21.

“The whole event experience and concepts are highly curated and focused on helping founders pursue rapid growth with purpose. We believe that by helping founders, everything else will follow,” says Aino Bergius, who was appointed CEO earlier this year.

Meet Dutch 4TU startups in Slush 2024

The 4TU travels to Slush in Helsinki every year with their startups to help accelerate their impact.

This year, four Dutch technical universities (4TU) are travelling to Helsinki to visit Slush with their startups and spin-offs, together with the rest of the Dutch delegation, which consists of 25 startups with the slogan ‘Dutch at Slush’.

The four universities include:

• TU Delft
• TU Eindhoven
• University of Twente
• Wageningen University & Research

In addition to attending the conference, they can connect with investors and other relevant people during side events.

One of the most visited side events of the 4TU is the (Deep) Tech Drinks.

4TU will take over the Wallis Karaoke Bar in Helsinki’s harbour in the evening. Several renowned VCs are invited and asked to pick one of the startups from the Discovery Deck.

Below are some of the startups that are looking to raise funds. Notably, these four companies are part of a larger 4TU delegation comprising 25 startups in total.

Villari

Founder/s: Olivier Baas

HQ: Delft

Spin off of TU Delft

Founded in 2019, Villari was built on previous investments by Delft Enterprises and business angel David Cerda Salzmann and with support from the proof-of-concept fund UNIIQ.

Villari has developed sensor tech that detects tiny fractures or “fatigue cracks” in steel structures, crucial for heavily loaded assets like bridges and industrial cranes. This ensures safety by closely monitoring structural integrity.

The company’s sensor solution is patented and has already been installed for several customers, including bridges owned by the Dutch Government and several industrial cranes at harbours and steel manufacturing sites in Europe.

Time Travelling Milkman

Founder/s: Dimitris Karefyllakis, Saskia Tersteeg and Costas Nikiforidis

HQ: Wageningen

Spin-off of Wageningen University & Research (WUR)

Time-travelling Milkman (TTM) has a mission to provide a healthy alternative to traditional dairy products. 

The company aims to improve plant-based dairy options, which often lack the taste and texture consumers want. TTM focuses on making creamier products that fit into food culture.

Using a patented process, the Dutch company turns plant seeds into Oleocream, which mimics the creaminess of dairy cream.

TTM produces nutritious fat ingredients through a process that extracts natural fat droplets, known as Oleosomes, from seeds. 

These Oleosomes function similarly to milk fat droplets and allow Oleocream to be used as a dairy cream substitute in creamy and delicious products, with minimal environmental impact.

Phos4nova

Founder/s: Dr. Olga Koshkina, Dr. Timo Rheinberger and Prof. Dr. Frederik Wurm

HQ: Enschede

Spin off of University of Twente

Phos4nova specialises in the development of PPE technology and is their sole commercial provider. 

PPEs are biocompatible and biodegradable polymers inspired by natural phosphorus-based molecules such as RNA and ATP.

Their adaptable chemistry allows for customisation properties suitable for diverse applications.

The company’s lead product — Phos4MR is a polymer formulation traceable with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) without toxic or persistent substances, such as heavy-metal chelates, ensuring safety and sustainability.

XMEM

CEO: Arash Rahimali Mamaghani

HQ: Eindhoven

Spin off of TU Eindhoven

XMEM focuses on researching, developing, producing, and distributing advanced inorganic membranes, including carbon-based membranes, membrane modules, membrane reactors, Membrane-based separation-reaction pilots and systems.

The company aims to enhance the integration of processes that separate and react gases, liquids, and solids. 

The company is on a mission to transform industrial efficiency and sustainability with advanced, tailor-made membrane solutions.

Sign up now for Dutch at Slush 4TU (Deep) Tech Drinks to hear pitches and off-pitch singing.