




IN4SFS GreenInvest International Startup Investment Days — Final Report, Legacy & Beyond the EU-Funded Project
The GreenInvest International Startup Investment Days, organised within the framework of the EU-funded IN4SFS Project – Investment Network for Sustainability-Focused Startups, brought together startups, investors, business angels, corporate leaders, innovation organisations and international ecosystem partners through a combination of physical and digital brokerage activities.
The programme connected investment, innovation, international market access and trusted H2H relationships, combining the IN4SFS GreenInvest Munich Investment Forum, a three-day Matchmaking Point at The smarter E Europe, CBC Leadership TV – GreenInvest Focus, curated digital deal flow sessions and the Connecting WoMen Entrepreneurs & Investors Meet-Up.
The objective was not simply to organise another startup event, but to create meaningful connections capable of continuing beyond the formal project — through investment discussions, partnerships, market access and long-term collaboration.
Part 1 — GreenInvest Munich @ The smarter E Europe
23–25 June 2026 • Messe München, Germany
The Munich programme combined an official investment forum, a three-day Matchmaking Point, CBC Leadership TV content and informal partner networking within The smarter E Europe 2026.
IN4SFS GreenInvest Munich Investment Forum — 23 June 2026
The Forum brought together investors, founders, corporate leaders and innovation organisations to discuss cross-border investment, startup scaling, green-technology deal flow and international market access. The programme included:
-
the opening session #TogetherWeAreStronger, with contributions from IN4SFS and CBC ecosystem partners;
-
a mentoring fireside chat on building startups ready to scale, chaired by Thomas Korn and moderated by Tomasz Slusarz;
-
startup pitches and Q&A;
-
a visionary fireside chat with Prof. Eicke R. Weber on taking CleanTech innovation from research and startups to global markets;
-
the Global Investor and Scale-Up Panel on funding, partnerships and international growth;
-
World CleanTech Awards and World CleanTech StartUPs Awards recognitions; and
-
the GreenInvest Partners Networking Snack, connecting IN4SFS partners and invited ecosystem leaders in an informal H2H environment.
Twelve ventures were featured through the Munich programme and wider GreenInvest physical, video and digital visibility formats: Prongen Tech • Vegg Foods • Materix • Carbon Nature • Carbon Ninja • ZAMIA COMPOSITE • Vessel X • BlueIt • HOPE • Abbaron • Photovoltaic Windows • IoT4nature
GreenInvest Matchmaking Point — 23–25 June 2026
The dedicated CBC / IN4SFS Matchmaking Point in Hall C4 served as a central meeting place for startups, investors, industrial partners and innovation organisations.
It supported curated introductions, follow-up conversations and exchanges around:
Investment • Strategic Partnerships • International Expansion • Market Access • Scale-Up
The Munich activity generated 13 qualified in-person startup–investor meetings, in addition to dozens of further meetings and conversations with startups, investors and industry leaders from across the wider international CleanTech ecosystem.
CBC Leadership TV — GreenInvest Focus
A dedicated series of interviews and special addresses captured practical perspectives on:
startup growth • investment readiness • CleanTech ecosystems • clean hydrogen • energy storage • artificial intelligence • international partnerships
The coverage featured CBC leaders and partners including Justin Gu, Mark Mirza, Thomas Korn, Prof. Eicke R. Weber, Dr. Rashi Gupta and Sharzi Mukhri, among others.


Part 2 — GreenInvest Digital Deal Flow Series
July 2026 • Online Worldwide
The physical activity in Munich was followed by a curated digital continuation designed to transform initial visibility and introductions into more focused investor–startup conversations.
The Next Deal Flow — Southern Europe Edition
7 July 2026
Two curated online sessions presented selected high-potential ventures to international investors.
The format prioritised:
Quality over volume • Concise startup presentations • Targeted matchmaking • Relevant follow-up • Genuine investment potential
The Deal Flow sessions and their follow-up generated 38 qualified startup–investor meetings.
Combined with the 13 qualified meetings generated in Munich, the GreenInvest Munich and Digital Deal Flow activities directly generated 51 qualified startup–investor meetings, in addition to the wider informal and ecosystem exchanges around the programme.
Connecting WoMen Entrepreneurs & Investors Meet-Up
10 July 2026
Powered by the IN4SFS project network and CBC #WoMen4CleanTech, the online gathering brought together women entrepreneurs, investors and ecosystem leaders and helped move the dialogue from empowerment towards business-oriented collaboration and action.
The agreed direction included:
-
expanding women-led business and leadership networks across sectors and regions;
-
creating curated investor–startup, corporate–startup, investor–investor and off-taker–solution-provider matchmaking;
-
developing joint initiatives, delegations, investment collaboration and ecosystem partnerships;
-
turning empowerment into measurable business opportunities, financing and market access; and
-
engaging women and men side by side to accelerate innovation, sustainability and regenerative growth.
From Project to Partnership — The IN4SFS Legacy Continues
One of the most valuable outcomes of the GreenInvest activities was the strengthening of trusted relationships between investors, innovators, industry leaders and IN4SFS partners.
CBC will continue building on this momentum through two complementary legacy pathways:
1. CBC-IN4SFS Investor Collaboration Task Force
The Task Force will continue facilitating selected investor, industry and innovation connections beyond the formal project period — helping promising opportunities move from introductions towards investment, partnerships, projects and scale-up.
2. #WoMen4CleanTech
Building on the Connecting WoMen Entrepreneurs & Investors Meet-Up, #WoMen4CleanTech will continue developing business-oriented collaboration between women and men across entrepreneurship, investment, industry and global CleanTech ecosystems.
This is completely consistent with how #WoMen4CleanTech has evolved in your new CBC strategy — away from simply discussing empowerment and towards business, investment, partnerships and real-world delivery.
Next Legacy Activation — November 2026
THE FUTURE — CleanTech, AI and the Next Era of Human Progress
Global Leadership Visionary Dialogue Towards COP31 • Online
A 3-hour Visionary Online Gathering bringing together global pioneers, Chairs, CEOs, scientists and transformation leaders to explore THE FUTURE of the CleanTech Decade.
The gathering will feature:
-
the launch of the renewed #Declaration2030 — Accelerating the CleanTech Decade: Amplified by AI, Driven by People;
-
the announcement of the CBC Global CleanTech & AI Chairs and CEOs Council leadership;
-
a Visionary Round Table;
-
interactive Q&A; and
-
a global call for action towards COP31.
From Visionary Dialogue to Concrete Opportunities
The event will be followed by curated strategic 1-on-1 meetings facilitated by the CBC-IN4SFS Investor Collaboration Task Force, connecting investors, industry leaders and innovators around priority:
Business • Investment • Project • Partnership • Scale-Up Opportunities
This will mark one of the first major post-project activations of the relationships and collaboration developed through the IN4SFS journey.
A Journey That Continues
The IN4SFS GreenInvest journey demonstrated once again that successful innovation ecosystems are built not only through technologies, capital and programmes, but through trust, relationships and people willing to continue working together after the formal project ends.
From Munich to digital deal flow, from investor matchmaking to #WoMen4CleanTech, the project created new relationships and opened new opportunities.
We now look forward to building on this legacy through the CBC-IN4SFS Investor Collaboration Task Force, #WoMen4CleanTech and future global CBC/WCAI Institute initiatives.
From Project to Partnership. From Connection to Opportunity. From Vision to Delivery. #TogetherWeAreStronger

IN4SFS GreenInvest Munich Investment Forum, TV & Matchmaking Point @The smarter E Europe 2026
Messe München, Germany | 23 – 25 June 2026
1. Keynote Addresses and Fireside Chats
Special Welcome Address by CBC Chair of #WoMen4CleanTech Initiative
Dr. Rashi Gupta "Batterywali", Managing Director, Vision Mechatronics; CBC Chair of StorageVersity & AI Hub & Chair of #WoMen4CleanTech Initiative
From Technology to Market: Building Startups Ready to Scale
Mentoring Fireside Chat with the Forum's Chair
Thomas Korn, Founder & CEO at Keyou GmbH and water stuff & sun GmbH; CBC Co-Chair of CleanTech StartUP Hub
Investing in the Future: From CleanTech Innovation to Global Impact
Visionary Fireside Chat
Prof. Eicke R. Weber, Former Director, Fraunhofer ISE, Freiburg; Professor Emeritus, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, UC Berkeley; Chair of the World CleanTech Awards & Honorary Chairman of the World CleanTech StartUPs Awards
Special WCSA (World CleanTech Startups Awards) ACWA Innovation Award Partner Address
Sharzi Mukhri, Innovation Initiatives Lead at ACWA
2. Startups Pitches
Pitch Video by Abbaron
ABBARON provides digital infrastructure that helps companies collect, calculate and report sustainability and carbon data efficiently. It also analyzes energy use, identifies cost-saving opportunities and delivers reliable sustainability insights for financing decisions.
Pitch Video by Carbon Nature
Carbon Nature helps landowners measure and validate the carbon sequestration potential of their land using geospatial, biomass and baseline data aligned with international standards. It then supports the certification and sale of verified carbon credits, enabling landowners to generate revenue from their environmental impact.
Pitch by Prof. Dr. Nuri Azbar, Prongen Tech
Prongen Tech is a biotechnology company developing innovative carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) technologies to convert industrial CO₂ emissions
Pitch Video by Vegg Foods
Vegg Foods produces nutritious plant-based egg alternatives using upcycled surplus chickpeas, offering an affordable, allergen-friendly product enriched with proteins, micronutrients and prebiotics. Its circular model reduces food waste and the environmental impact associated with conventional egg production while creating value from agricultural by-products.
Pitch Video by IOT4NATURE
IOT4NATURE provides an end-to-end IoT platform for real-time monitoring, analysis and improvement of indoor and outdoor air quality, helping organizations create healthier and more sustainable environments.
Pitch Video by Zamia Composite
Zamia Composite transforms agricultural residues such as walnut and hazelnut shells into high-performance, recyclable biocomposite materials for standard manufacturing processes. Its technology reduces plastic use and delivers a carbon footprint up to 50% lower than conventional fossil-based composites.
Pitch Video by Photovoltaic Windows
Solar windows that generate electricity while directly heating water for apartments, helping buildings reduce energy costs and improve overall efficiency.
Pitch Video by Materix
Materix develops advanced nano-coatings that protect surfaces, reduce water consumption, and improve energy efficiency across a wide range of industrial and building applications.
Pitch Video by Vessel X
Developing innovative unmanned surface vehicles, including Vatoz, to deliver efficient, autonomous and environmentally friendly water-surface cleaning solutions for marinas, ports and other coastal areas.
Pitch Video by HOPE Biotechnology
HOPE develops circular bioeconomy solutions that convert industrial waste gases and solid biological waste into bioethanol and other value-added products. Its technology combines pyrolysis and syngas fermentation, with the goal of deploying mobile, on-site production systems that reduce emissions and turn waste streams into sustainable fuels.
Pitch Video by Carbon Ninja
Carbon Ninja is an AI-powered B2B SaaS platform that helps industrial facilities monitor and optimize energy consumption, automate ISO 50001 compliance and identify efficiency improvements. It transforms operational data into actionable insights that reduce energy costs, emissions and administrative workload.

Special Congratulations to WCSA & WCA Awardees!
WCA2025 Visionary CleanTech Leader Under40 Award

WCA2025 Visionary CleanTech Policy Decision-Maker (Hans Josef-Fell Award)




“Successful companies are not built by technology alone. They are built by people who trust one another, share a common purpose and combine their strengths to turn innovation into real market impact. This is the true meaning of H2H relationships and the #TogetherWeAreStronger spirit.
The Forum, together with the opportunity to personally welcome the IN4SFS partners at the GreenInvest Partners Networking Snack—powered by CBC, WSS and KEYOU—once again confirmed that, when we unite our experience, networks and capabilities, we can achieve far more than any of us could accomplish alone.
Technologies may open doors, but it is trust, openness and genuine human connection that enable us to walk through them together — and to build something that lasts.”
Thomas Korn, Founder & CEO, KEYOU GmbH and water stuff & sun GmbH; Co-Chair of the CBC CleanTech Startup Hub

CBC Leadership TV - GreenInvest Focus

From Startup Success to Global Investment: Justin Gu at Guofu Hydrogen on Clean Hydrogen, Building Morocco’s Ecosystem with EHTP & GFHA, Chinese Investment in European Startups and Collaboration
From Capacity Building to Impact: Mark Mirza on The smarter E Europe, IN4SFS GreenInvest Forum, Morocco’s CleanTech Ecosystem & German–Moroccan Collaboration
Clean Hydrogen Trucks, Morocco Momentum & the Startup Winning Mindset: Thomas Korn, Founder & CEO at KEYOU and water stuff & sun, on Building Businesses That Change the World

The smarter E Europe - Specials
1. Special Exhibit Renewables 24/7 – Secure Energy for a Changing World
The Special Exhibit "Renewables 24/7 – Secure Energy for a Changing World" took place during The smarter E Europe and demonstrated how a renewable energy system can provide a secure, reliable and affordable energy supply around the clock.
Using Germany as a practical example, the exhibit showed that a 24/7 renewable energy system is technically feasible, economically viable and socially manageable. Through fact-based insights and interactive experiences, it addressed common misconceptions about renewable energy, including concerns around intermittency, so-called "dark doldrums," and system reliability.
The exhibit was designed for industry professionals, decision-makers and media representatives. The exhibition concept was developed in collaboration with NEXT CIRCULAR, whose impact operating system for smart spaces translated complex energy topics into an engaging and structured visitor experience.
Visitors explored four interactive thematic zones—Industrial, Commercial, Residential and Mobility—that illustrated how intelligent and flexible renewable energy systems work across generation, storage, distribution, grid integration, mobility and hydrogen technologies. Real-world scenarios highlighted both the opportunities and challenges of a renewable energy system, including variability, surplus generation and periods of low renewable output. Each thematic zone presented technical solutions, operational and economic benefits and practical application examples.
Although the Special Exhibit has concluded, its content remains available online.
Visitors can access best practice examples, whitepapers, publications, webinars, as well as the Fraunhofer ISE study "Pathways to a 24/7 Renewable Energy Supply" on the official The smarter E Europe website (click below)
2. India as the Focus Country – Intersolar Europe 2026
India has set extremely ambitious goals in the field of renewable energy and plans to reach an installed capacity of 500 GW by 2030, of which 280 GW will be solar energy.
In 2025, India was the world’s third-largest solar market in terms of annual new installations, underscoring its growing global significance.
To achieve these expansion goals—similar to current strategic discussions in Europe—India is intensifying its efforts to strengthen domestic production capacities and increase the resilience of supply chains. A key instrument in this effort is the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) program, which supports the development of up to 100 GW of domestic module production capacity by 2026.
Despite a highly price-driven market environment, the Indian solar sector offers significant cooperation potential for German and European companies—particularly in the areas of technology, production equipment, quality standards, innovation, grid integration, and system solutions.
India’s designation as the focus country for Intersolar Europe 2026 thus offers an excellent platform to highlight market opportunities, strengthen bilateral exchange, and initiate concrete cooperation opportunities across the entire value chain.
Knowledge Resources:



Key information about the IN4SFS Project
IN4SFS — Establishing the Investment Network for Startups and Entrepreneurs Focused on Green and Sustainable Technologies — is a Horizon Europe-funded project designed to strengthen cross-border investment, improve access to capital, and support the international growth of sustainability-focused startups.
The project connects promising startups and entrepreneurs from emerging and less-connected innovation ecosystems with investors, business angels, venture capital funds, financial institutions, corporate partners, accelerators, public institutions, universities, and innovation organisations from across Europe.
Its central objective is to build stronger bridges between startups and investors, improve investment readiness, facilitate access to international deal flow, and create long-term cooperation between European innovation ecosystems.
IN4SFS also places particular emphasis on supporting women-led ventures, strengthening startup competitiveness, increasing cross-border capital flows, and helping investors better understand local markets, regulatory frameworks, and co-investment opportunities.
Target Countries
IN4SFS primarily supports startups and entrepreneurs from Türkiye, Greece & Romania
These startups are connected with investors and investment networks from France, Denmark, the Netherlands & Belgium
At the same time, the project engages a broader European and international community of investors, corporates, accelerators, startup hubs, public institutions, universities, experts, and ecosystem leaders.
IN4SFS Consortium Partners
The IN4SFS consortium brings together complementary organisations representing startup acceleration, investment, regional development, women’s entrepreneurship, innovation consultancy, international business networks, and CleanTech ecosystem building:
-
Creative Business Network — Denmark, Project Coordinator
-
EGE Teknopark — Türkiye
-
Greek Association of Women Entrepreneurs — SEGE, Greece
-
North-West Regional Development Agency — ADR Nord-Vest, Romania
-
CleanTech Business Institute — CBI / CleanTech Business Club
-
Business Angels Connect — the Netherlands
-
European Association of Innovation Consultants — EAIC, Belgium
Together, the partners combine local access to startups with international investor networks, investment-readiness support, matchmaking capabilities, market knowledge, and cross-border ecosystem expertise.
IN4SFS Brokerage Events and Activities
Throughout the project, IN4SFS has organised a series of physical, hybrid, and digital activities connecting startups, investors, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem stakeholders.
GreenMatch Romania — Cluj-Napoca
The GreenMatch brokerage event in Cluj-Napoca brought together startups, investors, regional innovation actors, universities, business support organisations, and international ecosystem leaders.
The programme included startup valuation discussions, investor experience sessions, startup pitches, ecosystem presentations, and curated B2B matchmaking meetings conducted both onsite and online.
The event demonstrated the importance of Human-to-Human relationships, trust, and cross-border cooperation in creating long-term investment opportunities and connecting Eastern and Western European innovation ecosystems.
IN4SFS Brokerage Event Greece
The Greek edition of the IN4SFS brokerage event was organised in 2025 in connection with an international women’s business and entrepreneurship conference, together with the Greek Association of Women Entrepreneurs — SEGE.
The event brought together women entrepreneurs, startups, investors, business organisations, and innovation ecosystem representatives.
It created an important platform for discussing access to finance, women-led innovation, investment readiness, internationalisation, and cross-border business collaboration.
The Greece event directly supported one of the key priorities of IN4SFS: increasing the visibility and investment opportunities available to women-led startups and entrepreneurs.
GreenInvest Türkiye — İzmir
The GreenInvest Türkiye brokerage event in İzmir brought together startups, investors, experts, business leaders, universities, and innovation organisations active in green and sustainable technologies.
The event focused on:
-
green and sustainable investment trends
-
cross-border funding mechanisms
-
startup investment readiness
-
investor engagement
-
startup pitching
-
structured one-to-one investor–startup meetings
-
international ecosystem cooperation
Participating startups presented solutions across CleanTech, BioTech, AgriTech, circular economy, smart mobility, sustainable materials, digital solutions, carbon management, and other sustainability-focused sectors.
The event created direct opportunities for startups and investors to initiate discussions, identify strategic matches, and explore potential investment and partnership opportunities.
Digital Deal-Flow and Matchmaking Activities
In addition to the physical brokerage events, IN4SFS has organised digital activities to extend investor access and facilitate continuous engagement between startups and investors.
These activities have included:
-
online investor–startup introductions
-
investor–investor networking
-
curated startup pitching sessions
-
one-to-one matchmaking meetings
-
digital deal-flow presentations
-
follow-up meetings with selected investors and ventures
-
support for cross-border investment discussions
-
continued startup internationalisation and investor outreach
The digital format has made it possible to connect participants across countries, extend the impact of the physical events, and create additional opportunities for investment discussions.
IN4SFS Project News

IN4SFS GreenInvest Days Program Committee
Member of the Committee
CBC Global Ecosystem Partnerships Advisor

Jenny Tong
Head of Global Affairs & Marketing
SNEC
Impact Investor and Entrepreneur; Investment Analyst at Shanghai Technology Exchange
Member of the Committee
CBC Honorary Chair for Turkey

Prof. Dr. Sener OKTİK
Board Member at Board of Directors
Birlesim Energy Group and Clean Energy Foundation
Honorary Chairman of Turkish Photovoltaic Industries (GENSED);Senior Lecturer at Maltepe University, Turkey; Seasoned Researcher at Middle East Technical University, Solar Energy Research and Application Centre











































































































