Finland has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2035. Helsinki’s pledge is set for 2030. Most organizations and states have made pledges that materialize decades away. Finland is therefore leading the way in these important commitments, crucial to fight the existential threat of climate change. Constant innovation, coupled with rapid commercialization, are key to the success of these ambitious goals. Great challenges abound, and these are coupled with numerous opportunities for profitable business outcomes for Finnish companies – opportunities that are not limited to Finland but applicable around the globe.
The MIT Industrial Liaison Program and the MIT Startup Exchange, in collaboration with Aalto University, are conducting a one-day symposium at the Dipoli center in the heart of the university campus. MIT and Aalto University faculty and startups, as well as representatives from Finnish industry, will discuss the business and technology challenges needed to further accelerate sustainable innovation. Launching and commercializing these innovations quickly will ensure that Finnish companies and institutions establish a leadership role in the crucial decades ahead.
As our keynote presentation, Prof. Carlo Ratti will discuss his team’s project, Helsinki’s Hot Heart, award winner of the 2021 Helsinki Energy Challenge. The project is an innovative and transformative energy storage system to provide district heating to the city. The MIT-Aalto Symposium will be an opportunity for the Finnish business community to interact directly with Prof. Ratti on this venture, intimately linked to life in Helsinki. Participants from the business community will also be able to engage with other faculty presenters, startups and with each other, an unusual occurrence in the past two years.
MIT Professional Education and Aalto Executive Education will also offer opportunities for continued engagement and learning for the Finnish corporate community.
AI Driven Bloodless Blood Tests Sean (Shunsuke) Matsuoka, Co-Founder & COO, GPx GPx: https://gpx.ai/
In an aging society, the number of heart failure patients is increasing, making the prevention of readmissions and reduction of medical costs critical issues. Remote monitoring using invasive implantable devices has proven effective in reducing heart failure readmissions, but its use remains limited.
To address this, GPx has developed an algorithm that non-invasively predicts signs of heart failure exacerbation. This algorithm was created using clinical trial data from monitoring 245 heart failure patients over 6 months to a year at eight facilities, including the Mayo Clinic in the U.S. The algorithm links digital biomarker data with vital blood tests (NT-proBNP and creatinine) to achieve high-precision prediction and early medical intervention.
Additionally, with a grant of 1.2 billion yen provided through AMED, we are collaborating with the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center (Dr. Chisato Izumi) to conduct a clinical trial involving 400 patients starting April 2025. The trial will be conducted at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Kyoto University, Kobe University, and Kochi University.
Furthermore, at this year's MIT Japan Conference, we will unveil a groundbreaking point-of-care (POC) potassium testing device for the first time. At the conference, we aim to explore the feasibility of applying our technology to other conditions (such as kidney failure, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and cardio-oncology) and to assess the potential for providing algorithm-based services for heart failure patients within Japan.
P&G is looking for solutions that can become ongoing sources of first party shopping data.
Permanent Carbon Removal, Grid Services and Clean Water Josh Santos, Co-Founder & CEO, Noya Noya: https://www.noya.co/
Noya is working to deliver the high-quality, permanent, carbon removal that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has identified as necessary in order to limit global warming below 1.5℃. The company’s proprietary direct air capture (DAC) system produces a significant amount of clean water (6 million m3 per year per full-scale facility) and unlocks grid services in addition to high-quality carbon removal credits. The team enjoys strong support from pioneering carbon removal buyers, including Shopify, Watershed, and one of the largest university endowments, as well as leading investors including USV, Collab Fund, EQT, and DNX Ventures.
At our annual MIT Startup Ecosystem Conference, we celebrate innovation and bring together its many contributors: entrepreneurs, corporates, and university researchers, as well as government representatives, investors, and those involved with incubators and accelerators. We will assemble to discuss creating, supporting, and scaling new ventures and how to increase productivity and competitive advantage. Aligned with the emphasis of MIT Startup Exchange, we will focus on the startup-corporate relationship. Topics will include pain points, valleys of death, and strategies to avoid as well as how to overcome the stones found along the way.
As always, this event features executives from some of the most promising startups connected to MIT who will present lightning talks in two fast-paced sessions, each followed by an opportunity to have direct discussions.
Many consider this conference a must-attend for innovators and executives at industry-leading corporations, especially those working in innovation, emerging technology, corporate venture capital, and/or corporate development/strategy.
Startup Lightning Talks - 2023 MIT London Symposium: Value, Values, and Future Platforms (9:00AM - 4:15PM)