Speaker Portfolio
"No PowerPoint Karaoke Here"
Keynotes, panels, and workshops on AgTech innovation, deep-tech commercialisation, and building ventures that matter. Candid insights from 25 years in the arena, not the commentary box.
Book for Your EventDownload Speaker Kit
Speaking on Deep Tech Innovation
🎤 No autographs, please. The 80s called.
25+
Speaking Engagements
10+
Countries
5000+
Audience Reached
7
Major Events 2024-25
Moments from the Stage
Dirk Vandenhirtz
Founder & Managing Director
Dirk Vandenhirtz is a seasoned technology executive and multi-award-winning deep-tech entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience building and scaling high-value, innovation-led companies at the intersection of AI, SaaS, robotics, and sustainable agriculture. Trained as a biologist (Dipl. Biol.) at RWTH Aachen University with a specialisation in image processing for ecotoxicology, he has founded and led several internationally recognised ventures, including LemnaTec (65 employees, €35M turnover), Zasso Group, crop.zone, and Tielsa, collectively raising more than €120 million in venture and strategic capital. He currently advises deep-tech ventures including ENANTIOS (molecular analysis), AckerKapital (Agri-PV), and PureSurf (bio-based surfactants). Dirk holds 60+ international patents and is a sought-after speaker on sustainable innovation, digital transformation, and the future of agriculture.
Read full bio
Speaker Bio (Short)Speaker Bio (Full)Download PDF
Press photos
View all
+3
Click to browse & download
IP Portfolio
60+
Patents in sustainable AgTech
When Not Working
🏊
Masters swimming & photography
Talk Topics
Each talk is customized for your audience. These are starting points, let's discuss what will create the most value for your event.
From Lab to Launch: Commercializing Deep-Tech Innovation
Why do 90% of promising technologies never reach the market? This talk explores the critical gap between scientific breakthroughs and commercial success. Drawing from real case studies in AgTech, CleanTech, and BioTech, I share a proven framework for navigating the 'valley of death': from securing first customers to building investor-ready ventures.
Target Audience:
R&D leaders, academic spin-off founders, technology transfer offices, corporate innovation teams
Key Takeaways:
- The 5 stages of deep-tech commercialization and where most ventures fail
- How to identify your first paying customer before you finish the product
- Building a founding team that balances science and business
- When to pivot vs. persevere: decision frameworks from the field
The Future of Food: Technology Trends Reshaping Agriculture
Agriculture is undergoing its biggest transformation in 10,000 years. From precision farming and vertical agriculture to AI-driven crop management and alternative proteins, this talk maps the technology landscape reshaping how we grow, process, and distribute food. I highlight the ventures and innovations that will define the next decade.
Target Audience:
Agribusiness executives, investors, policymakers, food industry leaders
Key Takeaways:
- The 7 technology mega-trends transforming agriculture by 2030
- Where the smart money is flowing: investment patterns in AgTech
- Regional differences: Europe vs. US vs. Asia-Pacific innovation ecosystems
- Practical implications for incumbents and new entrants
Investor Readiness: What VCs Actually Look For in Deep-Tech
Having sat on both sides of the table, as a founder raising capital and as an advisor helping ventures prepare for investment, I demystify what deep-tech investors actually evaluate. This candid talk covers the real criteria behind funding decisions, common pitch mistakes, and how to build a compelling investment narrative.
Target Audience:
Startup founders, founding teams, accelerator participants, university spin-offs
Key Takeaways:
- The investor decision matrix: technology, team, market, timing
- How to present complex technology to non-technical investors
- Red flags that kill deals before the second meeting
- Building relationships with investors before you need them
Building Global from Day One: International Expansion for Startups
European deep-tech ventures often think too small. This talk challenges the 'start local, expand later' mindset and presents a playbook for building international traction from the earliest stages. I share lessons from scaling ventures across 15+ countries in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific.
Target Audience:
Startup founders, business development leaders, export-focused companies
Key Takeaways:
- Why waiting to go international is often the biggest mistake
- The 'beachhead strategy' for entering new markets with limited resources
- Building distribution partnerships that actually work
- Cultural intelligence: what changes (and what doesn't) across markets
Corporate-Startup Collaboration: Making Innovation Partnerships Work
Most corporate-startup partnerships fail. The innovation theater, pilot purgatory, and misaligned timelines destroy more value than they create. This talk explores what actually works, based on successful collaborations in agricultural machinery, food processing, and renewable energy sectors.
Target Audience:
Corporate innovation leaders, startup partnership managers, accelerator operators
Key Takeaways:
- The 3 models of corporate-startup engagement (and which to choose)
- How to structure pilots that lead to contracts, not just press releases
- Managing the speed mismatch: startup urgency vs. corporate process
- Case studies: partnerships that generated 8-figure outcomes
AI in Agriculture: Hype, Reality, and Practical Applications
AI is the most hyped technology in agriculture, and also the most misunderstood. This talk separates genuine value creation from venture capital theater. I present real-world implementations, ROI calculations, and a framework for evaluating AI solutions for farming, food processing, and supply chain optimization.
Target Audience:
Farm managers, agribusiness executives, technology buyers, investors
Key Takeaways:
- Where AI delivers proven ROI today (and where it doesn't)
- The data infrastructure required before AI can work
- Buy vs. build: decision framework for AI adoption
- Avoiding 'AI washing': how to evaluate vendor claims
The Operator's Edge: Lessons from Building and Scaling Ventures
Strategy frameworks are easy. Execution is everything. This talk shares unfiltered lessons from 15 years of operating, advising, and investing in technology ventures. I cover the hard decisions, near-failures, and counterintuitive insights that don't make it into case studies.
Target Audience:
Founders, operators, aspiring entrepreneurs, MBA students
Key Takeaways:
- The 5 decisions that determine startup survival
- Why most 'best practices' don't apply to your situation
- Building resilience: what to do when everything goes wrong
- The mindset shifts between founder, operator, and advisor
Sustainability as Strategy: Beyond Greenwashing to Real Impact
Sustainability has become a marketing checkbox. This talk makes the business case for genuine environmental impact, not as a cost center or PR exercise, but as a source of competitive advantage. I present case studies of ventures that have built defensible businesses around solving real environmental problems.
Target Audience:
Sustainability officers, impact investors, cleantech founders, ESG teams
Key Takeaways:
- The economics of sustainability: when green is also profitable
- Measuring impact: frameworks that satisfy investors and regulators
- Positioning sustainability ventures for acquisition or IPO
- The regulatory tailwinds reshaping market opportunities
"The best technology in the world is worthless if it never leaves the lab. Commercialization is where real impact begins."
On Deep-Tech Innovation
Recent & Appearances
World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit
Panel: The Future of European AgTech
San Francisco, USA
March 2024
800+
EuroTier 2024: RapidFire Startup Pitches
Host & MC: 120-second startup pitch competition
Hannover, Germany
November 2024
500+
Agritechnica 2023
DLG Agrifuture Concept Award Presentation
Hannover, Germany
November 2023
1,200+
AgriNext Conference & Awards
Keynote: Deep-Tech Commercialization in Agriculture
Dubai, UAE
2024
400+
UNIDO ITPO Germany Delegation
Private Sector Solutions for Food Security
Rome, Italy
September 2025
150+
Food Security SummitX
Innovation & Investment in Food Systems
Dubai, UAE
September 2025
300+
RootCamp Demo Day
Mentor Keynote: Building Investable AgTech Ventures
Hannover, Germany
2023, 2024
200+
Agritech ClimAccelerator
Executive Mentor: Climate-Smart Agriculture
Nürtingen, Germany
2025/26
Cohort-based
Trusted By & Featured At
"Investors don't fund technology: they fund conviction. Show them you understand the market better than anyone else."
On Fundraising
Speaker Kit
Everything you need for event promotion and speaker introductions.
Professional Headshot
High-resolution photo for web and print
Download
Speaker Bio
Short and long versions, ready to use
Download PDF
Talk Topics PDF
Complete list with descriptions
Download PDF
Need custom materials? info@aixpoint.de
"Sustainability isn't a marketing checkbox. It's a competitive advantage when done authentically."
On Sustainable Business
Invite Dirk to Speak
Complete this form and I'll respond within 48 hours with availability and next steps.
"Build global from day one. The 'start local, expand later' mindset is the biggest mistake European founders make."
On International Expansion
Moments from the Stage